Interesting article

http://www.artpractical.com/feature/farm_fresh_art_food_art_politics_and_the_blossoming_of_social_practice/

-Cristina

Man Invents Machine To Convert Plastic Into Oil

Man Invents Machine To Convert Plastic Into Oil

Very interesting video of this new discovery. I would like to know what amount of energy is required to do the conversion from plastic to oil.

-Mick

Mole!

Watch for my "don't mess with Texas" apron, long hair, neighbors, and internet video of a internet video chat.


Mole 1of2


Mole 2of2

story of stuff

http://storyofstuff.org/electronics/

Whiny and I don't like the tone in which it is presented. It was over simplified, so much so I was actually insulted. I wrote a more scathing critique but deleted it, i'll just keep it simple and insulting like the film.

Check it out but I don't think it is worth the time, just spend some time reading these web sites
http://www.ban.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_waste

DAVE

Mick's Images of El Bordo Poniente from the air November 14th

e-waste in china

http://www.ban.org/photogallery/index.html#Guiyu2008

Jose Castillo on Mexico City Urbanism

http://videoilanlarturkiye.tk/video/Jose-Castillo-Retrofitting-Mexi

Very informative video about urban issues in Mexico City



-Mick

Natalie Jeremijenko on TED

Check out her ideas, she might be an interesting model artist.  John

http://www.ted.com/talks/natalie_jeremijenko_the_art_of_the_eco_mindshift.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2010-10-19&utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email

What is Waste?

1) Non-wanted things created, not intended, or not avoided, with no Purpose.
2) Things that were given a finite Purpose thus destined to become useless after fulfilling it.
3) Things with well-defined Purpose, but their Performance ceased being acceptable
4) Things with well-defined Purpose, and acceptable Performance, but their users failed to use them for the intended Purpose.

Pongrácz E & Pohjola VJ. (2004) Re-defining waste, the concept of ownership and the roles of waste management. Resources Conservation & Recycling. 40(2): 141-153.

When/how does waste turn into art?
When/how does art turn into waste?

-dave

Plastic Bag by Ramin Bahrani

landfill ethanol + bordo poniente

landfill ethanol
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fuel


http://running_on_alcohol.tripod.com/


Ethanol from fruit waste
http://www.scienceinafrica.co.za/2006/april/lawnmower.htm

bordo poniente

http://www.flickr.com/photos/17685204@N07/sets/72157603839415521/with/2884028668/

Electronic Waste Activism Group

http://www.ban.org/

Jackie Brookner-Eco Artist who relates to the body

I was trying to think of this artist today in class, in relation to John's comments on the body and bioremediation. She did a project with a giant tongue covered with moss and ferns that cleans the air:

http://www.jackiebrookner.net/prima_lingua.htm

-Mick

landfill leachate

three things
one
here is a interesting link for those interested in water and soil contamination related to the landfill.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leachate#Composition_of_landfill_leachate



2. Some questions I think we should discuss.
What is waste? and is it "bad"?

• Different types - medial, biodegradable, electronic, municipal, construction, industrial, commercial, haz, radioactive, military, 
• three paths for waste - recycling, unregulated dump, "modern" regulated landfill
• An object that I do not want in my living space.  
• packaging, spoiled unused food, broken objects, old objects, unwanted objects.
• subjective

3.  Here is a revised proton-proposal for me (David Janesko)

The Word: conceptual modeling
The Place: in situ data collection and ex situ modeling using collected data
Artists:  Andy Goldsworthy, Trevor Paglen and Joe Davis


Research Methods
reading published journals about DF geology
researching metals
contemplating provenance
Who am I?

Farmers using wastewater for irrigation

http://sanitationupdates.wordpress.com/2010/08/02/mexico-farmers-fear-loss-of-free-fertilizer-if-wastewater-treatment-plant-is-built/

Found this pretty interesting.  Better to have wastewater for irrigation or no water at all? Golly gee wiz.

-Ariel

Biogas from Compost in California and in Mexico

http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=7915
Efforts to turn Bay Area restaurant scraps into a fuel source in Davis California


Better yet, a domestic unit to convert kitchen scraps into fuel and electricity for the home.
http://www.examiner.com/green-careers-in-san-francisco/organic-waste-makes-energy-at-home


And an article on recovering biogas in Mexico City, by the Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Medio Ambiente (Ciiemad) del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN)
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/ciudad/97405.html
One thing that interests me here is the mention of Central de Abastos as the primary source of organic waste in Mexico City. What if a biogas processor was set up not too far from the market?


-Mick

Tue Greenfort's project with biogas as energy source -Mick

http://www.residual.com.mx/en/proyectos.php?id=7

Above is the link to Residual, specifically the page that includes Tue Greenfort's project on converting organic waste into biogas, which is then used to power a lighthouse. Here the lighthouse becomes a beacon for awareness of the energy contained within organic waste, and its potential to be used.

Another image of the actual installation in front of MuAC, in the UNAM campus, Mexico City:

-Mick

found ecology readings

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=417UL28J

-ben

Video of 16 by Los Super Elegantes

This is a silly music video that plays with the division of social classes in Mexico City in a Romeo and Juliet style story. Basically the lyrics are "At sixteen, I knew that I was going to be with you, and there you and I were floating on clouds of vapor."

It was directed by Miguel Calderon, a Mexican artist who received his BFA at SFAI.

Video of Chilango: Chilanga Banda by Cafe Tacuba

Here are the lyrics, in chilango, spanish translation, and then english

Song: Chilanga Banda

By: Café Tacvba

Lyrics by: Juan Jaime López

Ya chole chango chilango
(ya me fastidiaste habitante del D.F.) (I’m already fed up with you D.F. inhabitant)
que chafa chamba te chutas
(tienes un trabajo de lo peor) (you have the worst job)
no checa andar de tacuche
(no te va bien vestir traje) (you don’t look good in a suit)
y chale con la charola.
(te ves mal con esa placa de policía) o (deja de fastidiar con tu placa de policía) (stop bothering with your police badge)

Tan choncho como una chinche
(principalmente por el abomen abultado-) (mainly because of your big belly)
más chueco que la fayuca
(más ilegal que la mercancía de contrabando, policia falso) (more ilegal than smuggled merchandise, a false cop)
con fusca y con cachiporra
(con pistola y toilete/macana) (with a pistol and club)
te pasa andar de guarura.
(te gusta trabajar de guardaespaldas) (you like to work as a body gaurd)

Mejor yo me hecho una chela
(mejor me tomo una cerveza) (better if I drink a beer)
y chance enchufo una chava
(y puede que encuentre novia) (and maybe I’ll find a girlfriend)
chambeando de chafirete
(trabajando de chofer) (working as a taxi-driver)
me sobra chupe y pachanga.
(me sobra alcohol y fiestas) (I can afford alcohol and parties)

Si choco saco chipote
(si me estrello con otro auto yo mismo arreglo las abolladuras) (if I crash I will fix the damgages myself)
la chota no es muy molacha
(la policía no es la mejor) (the police is not the best)
chiveando a los que machucan
(pidiendo dinero para comer a los que atropellan personas con su coche) (asking money to chase off the people who run people over)
se va a morder su talacha.
(va a quitarle el dinero a los conductores (corrupción) para pagar el arreglo de la pintura o abolladuras de su vehículo) (he will take the money from  the drivers to fix the paint or dents on his car)

De noche caigo al congal
(por la noche voy a un centro nocturno) (at night I go to a club)
no manches dice la changa
(¡que te pasa! dice un tipo o una mujer apodada "la changa"; "no manches" tiene muchos usos, puede expresar molestia, sorpresa o admiración, dice una persona de sobrenombre "la changa" femenino de chango-mono) (No manches can signify annoyance, sorprise or admiration. La changa is the feminine of monkey, who says no manches)

al chorro del teporocho
(cuando el alcohólico callejero está orinando) (when the drunk street person is peeing)
en chifla pasa la pacha.
(rápido pasa la botella de alcohol) (quickly pass the bottle of alcohol)

(CORO)
PACHUCOS CHOLOS Y CHUNDOS,
(nombres de bandas callejeras, aunque tambien se le dice pachuco a alguien bien vestido, y de habla graciosa como Tin Tan) (Names of street gangs)
CHINCHINFLAS Y MALAFACHAS
(siguen siendo nombres de bandas callejeras...) (street gangs)
ACA LOS CHOMPIRAS RIFAN
(aqui manda la banda "los chompiras") (her the gang “los chompiras rules)
Y BAILAN TIBIRITABARA.
(tibiritabara es un baile) (and they dance tibiritbarara)

Mi ñero mata la bacha
(mi compañero se termina lo que queda del cigarrillo) (my buddy finished the end of a cigarette)
y canta la cucaracha
(y canta la popular canción mexicana "la cucaracha") (and sings the popular song “la cucaracha”)
su choya vive de chochos
(su cerebro se alimenta de sicotrópicos) (his mind lives off of drugs)
de chemo, churro y garn achas.
(de inhalante, churro (especie de pan dulce consumido popularmente) y garn achas(especie de "tortas" de maiz fritas en aceite y rellenas con frijoles, carne, queso, etc.que se venden principalmente en la calle) (with an inhalant, sweet bread sticks, and fried corn tortillas with beans, meat, and cheese.)

CORO

Transando de arriba abajo
(haciendo negocios sucios por aquí y por allá) (making dirty business here and there)
ahi va la chilanga banda
(se la pasa la pandilla del D.F.) (is how the gang from D.F. goes)
chinchin si me la recuerdan
(aqui es una grosería fuerte referente a la madre) (an insult to your mom, the remind me)
carcacha y se les retacha
(carcacha=auto viejo, aqui se usa para formar rima con "retacha" es decir que el insulto se le regresa a quien o envió) ( old car, and the insult returns to whoever sent it)

Manufactured Landscapes

I don't know how many people have seen the film "Manufactured Landscapes" about Edward Burtynsky's photography, but I definitely think that it is worth seeing as a preface to our adventure.

-Risa 

Recycle?

I was interested in what kind of recycling programs (if any) are currently being implemented in Mexico City. Google led me to this little number: http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/169458966.html

-Risa

Índice Metropolitano de la Calidad del Aire

real time monitoring of air pollution in and around Mexico City

http://www.sma.df.gob.mx/simat2/

-David

Djavan Santos: Dumps Progression Through Time

It would be interesting to view the development of the dump through time via various forms of documentation, i. e. satellite imagery, statistics, video.

Using google earth, there is a function to scroll through the updated satellite images, allowing user's to view a  landscape's change over time. it would be interesting to compile the images of the dump in mexico through time lapse and view the dumps changes through the satellite lens.

- what is the annual growth rate of the dump in mexico?

- what can be determined about the dump via satalite imagery?
(Google Earth) http://www.google.com/earth/index.html

- what other forms of documentation can be used to track the evolution of the dump through time?







Djavan Santos

Is there something to learn form the dump dwellers?

When I started researching the Bordo Poniente I immediately became curious about the communities that live near or in the dump. Not sure if anyone remembers but I played a brief news piece from NPR about the dump dwellers in one of our first class meetings. I'm always fascinated by the way media delivers information especially when it comes to representing Latin America. The NPR piece was plagued with derogatory words when talking not only about the living conditions but of the people as well. If the dump dwellers are mostly illiterate, and lack political representation, how are their voices heard to the greater public? What can we learn from this community?
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5327140
-Cristina

Here is a link detailing the geologic history of the mountains surrounding DF, the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. 
http://www.mantleplumes.org/Mexico2.html

some beach trash photos of mine
http://www.flickr.com/photos/janesko/sets/72157623617823583/with/4549053547/

some Palo Alto dumpsters and trash
http://www.flickr.com/photos/janesko/sets/72157623800532879/with/4590435901/

-David Janesko

Concerning trash...

I have lived in places in the U.S. that are extremely trash conscious, (such as Portland, OR), and other places where there is not even a recycling program in the whole city, (Bisbee, AZ). From my experience- the variation seems to do a lot with community activism and commitment as well as support from the specific state. Assuming the U.S. as a whole is either great or terrible in regards to trash management, is not entirely valid.

•        Does Mexico experience something similar? How concerned are people about the trash in their communities?
•        I am also wondering how active alternative building projects are that seek to utilize specific kinds of trash as building material?  ( Ex.- homes built from old tires or offices from old metal shipping containers)
•         How supportive is the Mexican government in providing funding, tax breaks, etc., for independent organizations/projects which attempt to find working solutions for Mexico’s trash?

- Heather R.

      

Soil and Water Contamination

I am interested in the health of soil and water, and have heard many stories about high levels of toxicity in the Bay Area ("nothing lives in the bay water, because of all the oil spills", "Don't get vegetables at the farmer's market from these farms, they are from an area with toxic soil"...) 
I know the dump in Mexico City affects the surrounding elements with runoff and whatnot, so here are some basic questions:

How fertile/toxic is the soil in SF and in MC?
What kinds of toxins are present?  Why?
What is being done to clean them up?  Where does the contaminated soil go?

What toxins are present in the water supply?  How safe/unsafe is the tap water? 

Here are some links I found useful in beginning to answer some of these questions:

http://articles.sfgate.com/2009-02-26/news/17188773_1_pg-e-coal-tar-chemicals

http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/A-supersize-cleanup-effort-97990319.html

http://www.epa.gov/region9/water/dioxin/sfbay.html

http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=4937&page=1

-Ariel H.

More found objects..

C






And everyday I walk through the streets of SF there are some objects that appear to be in "good" condition, but discarded...
What about the matresses...would people think about bedbugs in Mexico City (do they have bedbugs there???) or would they just pick them up and give them some good use? Where do these matresses end up in SF?

Movie from the project Monumentos Menores by Sandra Calvo and Pedro Ortiz Antoranz

Here is the movie Cirujia Plastica (Plastic Surgery) by Sandra Calvo, documenting the repair of a plastic cargo box by El Jarocho, a man who works at the biggest market in Mexico, El Central de Abastos. Even though the box is broken, it is not thrown out, but given a renewed life as a useful and interesting object.

-Mick

About found objects...(by Denise Treizman)

As a latin american having just moved to SF, I am still impressed by the objets you can find as "trash" on the middle of the street...related to this issue I was wondering..
Would people throw this type of objects (which apparently look "usable" at least) in Mexico City?
If they do, how long would the object last on the street as "trash" until someone would pick it up and give a good use to it?
Could these objects that we find in the streets of SF have a better use or destination if they were thrown in Mexico City?

Mick: Composting in Mexico and San Francisco

I look forward to seeing everyone's first investigations and questions. Please put your name on your post, so we know who asked what.

I know that in Mexico City, not too long ago people were required to separate their organic and inorganic trash. I also know that oftentimes, when the trash gets thrown into a collection truck, the collectors often mix up the two types of trash.

Is there a functioning large scale composting dump area in Mexico City? Have they been able to extract biogas from it? 

According to Emilio Godoy's 2009 article in IPS: 

"The biogas emanating from the garbage that has built up over the past five years in Mexico could generate 80 MW of electricity, and another 16 MW could be produced annually from the new garbage, according to the National Autonomous University of Mexico's Institute of Electric Research (IIE). "

from http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=48578

Does San Francisco have a biogas collection system? Is the compost buried, placed in sections, or processed in some way?

-I found that San Francisco takes all food scraps to the Jepson-Prairie composting facility in Vacaville, pictured above.

see link:   http://www.life.com/image/86093789

So far I see nothing about extracting biogas from San Francisco food scraps.

-Mick Lorusso