Fellowship Lecture: Labeling and Food Miles

Last week during U-hour, Lyle Center Faculty Fellow Dr. Jae Min Jung gave a presentation about his research on the use of state of origin labeling and its effects on consumer decisions. A state of origin label indicates which state in the union produces a particular item - in this case it would depict the state in which the food item was grown.

Dr. Jung's research question focused primarily on state of origin labeling and and how it affects the purchasing decisions of buyers. Previous research has shown links between country of origin and purchasing preferences; Dr. Jung wondered whether a state of origin label would produce a similar effect. For this research project, Dr. Jung used the state logos of two products, one from North Dakota and the other from ohio. Using university students as test participants, surveys were administered to assess purchasing preferences based on the state affiliation. Surveys showed that the students did prefer local foods, and when local foods were not available, they showed preferences by region. 

Dr. Jung's research  is intended to provide some marketing guidance to the state government, farmers, food processors and entrepreneurs to develop sustainable marketing programs that are locally based. These programs would encourage people to buy local produce and reduce the number of food miles (the distance products travel from farms to the stores and markets that sell them). If there proves to be a strong correlation between the state of origin labeling and an increase in local food purchasing, it should provide strong evidence that more informative labeling could help reduce the transportation of food and associated greenhouse gas emissions and, in turn, benefit the sustainability movement.

Fellowship Lecture: Biodiesel and Beyond

Dr. Michael Page gave his fellowship lecture on May 26th. The title, "Biodiesel and Beyond: Alternative Fuel Sources and Green Materials" had everyone's interest. Dr. Page is doing some exciting work with biodiesel and green paint technology, and so are some of his students. Where petroleum is "a liquid mixture of hydrocarbons contained in rock strata that can be extracted and refined to make many products," biodiesel is a fatty acid methyl ester (otherwise known as FAME) that can be made from the triglycerides (lipids) of any living organism (e.g., soy and canola oils and more recently, algae). Chemically, biodiesel is very similar to petroleum. The big difference? Biodiesel is a sustainable product where petroleum is not. According to Dr. Page, biodiesel:

• is safer to store and handle
• increases the lifetime of a motor
• is a cleaner burning fuel (because it doesn't contain any heavy metals, it has a lower amount of particulate matter)

The other aspect of Dr. Page's work is "green" paint technology. He explained that polyurethanes are "sticky" molecules that serve as excellent adhesives for things like sealants, coatings, foams, etc. and are potentially sustainable if they can be made from a non-petroleum based product like glycerol (a waste product resulting from the process of making biodiesel). Dr. Page is looking into this as well as the possibility of making urethane from castor oil.

Thanks to Dr. Page for sharing the results of all the hard work he and his students (all undergrads!) are doing. We look forward to hearing more.

Juan Araya, LCRS staff member and lecturer, writes about the 2008 student trip to Nicaragua

Once again the RS 499 Sustainable Community Development class, along with Jason Selwitz (MSRS alumnus 2007 now working with Green Empowerment) and I took a group of students to Nicaragua for a ten day immersion class to gain first-hand experience with the implementation of sustainable community projects related to renewable energies in a developing country. In keeping with Cal Poly Pomona's "learn by doing" approach, students were fully involved in the implementation of the community projects.

The immersion class is part of the commitment of the Lyle Center to promote and demonstrate sustainable living. Students not only learned the ins and outs of project implementation but also shared time with individuals who are in need of technology because the infrastructure of the country isn't available to them.

Starting out in Bramadero

We spent four days in Bramadero, a small rural community of about 30 homes, located about 90 kilometers Northwest of Managua, Nicaragua's capital city. Until last year, Bramadero was a community without running potable water or electricity. With the help of Asofenix, a local NGO (non-governmental organziation), Bramadero was able to get a well installed that runs on solar energy which now provides water to one faucet per household.

This year, Jason and I, along with all the students and community members, worked side-by-side to accomplish a variety of projects for the community of Bromadero. We built four more efficient wood burning stoves, a bio-digester as a demonstration for the community, started a nursery of 400 forest trees and provided workshops for children on oral hygiene and basic hand-washing techniques.

The more efficient stoves still use wood as the energy source but use it more efficiently. Heat is retained inside the sotve for a longer period of time, thus reducing the amount of  wood that is burned. The improved stoves have chimneys that provide an outlet for the smoke to the outside of the house, which is not common in the current stoves being used in Bramadero. The stoves were built with a mixture of sand, horse manure and clay. The materials were mixed and moistened, then compressed into a rectangular mold; the desired holes were dug out and once they dried, a chimney stack was installed.

The hike to Orozco

We then visited the community of Orozco, where we installed three photovoltaic systems which now provide electricity to homes. To get to Orozco, the group had to hike for 1.5 hours in rugged terrain with a steep slope. Once on top of the mountain, the group was given a solar 101 lecture by Jaime Munoz, Asofenix's director, and then broke up into groups to do the installations. The projects included installation of the solar panels on the roof and all necessary wiring to charge the controller, battery and light bulbs. The installations were completed in record time; the groups were given five hours to do the work and finished in four - very impressive for students without previous solar installation knowledge. For the homeowners, this was the first time they had electricity in their houses. After we finished, each group was treated to a delicious lunch provided by the homeowner. The group in which I participated got a delicious piece of homegrown chicken and a glass of passion fruit drink.

Other activities included visits to a micro-hydro plant which provides basic electricity to 20 homes (including a coffee de-pulper installed by last year's Cal Poly group) in the community of Malacatoya. 

Not all was work. Relaxing activities included a community party in Bramadero, swimming in a tropical forest waterfall, visiting the Masaya volcano, shopping for souvenirs in the Masaya craft market, and attending a concert by Carlos Mejio Godoy, credited with writing the Nicaraguan folklore songbook.

This tour class has been a very fulfilling experience in my life. Being able to start and finish a project that changes people's lives is a great feeling. I cannot help but to wonder why in the US, where all is possible, there are not more homes using renewable energy. These forms of energy have been around for quite a while, and mostly what we have done is to talk about it, whereas in places where things do not come easy, individuals with so little are using renewable energy. I hope that our work will serve as an example to other communities in Nicaragua and other developing nations to start looking at renewable energy as a way to stop environmental pollution while at the same time improve individuals' well being. 

Biodigester 

Students install solar panels

Building a more efficient wood burning stove

Teaching about basic hygiene