Becoming Soil: Five Contemporary Cases in Eco Materialism (On Art, Fermentation, and Soil Remediation)

This dissertation proposes a new approach to soil remediation that I term becoming soil. Becoming soil seeks to help reclaim soil’s aesthetic dimensions, dimensions where soil is dynamic and alive. I argue that soil remediation is an artistic, creative, and collaborative practice that goes well beyond a romantic attempt to recover a lost fertile ground. Instead, it invites the senses to become invested in the continuous processes that keep soil alive. Furthermore, the dissertation reveals the hidden aesthetic underpinning of soil depletion, a crucial environmental problem, while offering creative means to resist the massive and adverse impact that humans have on soil. To this end, the subject of Becoming Soil is examined through five operational questions: a) What is Value? b) What Hides? c) What Remains? d) What Resurfaces? and e) What is Recovered? That correspond to the five artworks by artists Claire Pentecost’s Soil-Erg (2012), Frances Whitehead’s SLOW Clean-up (2008-10), Mel Chin’s Revival Field (1991—ongoing), Jea Rhim Lee’s Infinity Burial Project (2009—ongoing), and Wormfarm Institute creative initiatives on art and agriculture, Fermentation Fest (2010—ongoing). I answer these questions in the light of contemporary ecological theory; more precisely, eco criticism and eco materialism, than like fermentation, are methods of transformation (a giving and and taking in reciprocity) that benefit both the aesthetic and scientific aspects of soil remediation. These methods make tangible transdisciplinary collaborations possible. Illuminate the impact of humans on soil, becoming soil reveals the possibilities for new artistic, scientific, economic, social, and political engagements that are soil centric. Moreover, becoming soil amplifies the aesthetic dimensions of soil remediation, helping to restore the sensual experiences of eating nutritious food, standing on solid ground, and the enigmatic return to the soil in death.https://digitalmaine.com/academic/1044/thumbnail.jp

Ecologically grounded multimodal design:The Palafito 1.0 study

We present results of a ten-month design study targeting the observation of creative artistic practice by a video-artist, a sculptor and a composer. The study yielded the multimedia installation Palafito/Palafita/Home-on-stilts 1.0, featuring 19:30 minutes of sonic material and video footage, and three 5x8x3-meter raw-wood sculptures. This paper focuses on the procedural dimensions of the asynchronous, ubiquitous group activities carried out by the three subjects through light-weight, off-the-shelf infrastructure. Data was extracted from a virtual forum and a file repository. The analysis of the creative exchange indicated cycles of activity alternating between reflection, exploratory action and product-oriented action. The participants were engaged in reflective activities 63% of the time, epistemic activities spanned 33% of the study and product-oriented activities accounted for only 4% of the creative design cycle. Dialogic activities did not follow a regular pattern, but a relationship between enactive and dialogic activities was observed. We discuss the implications of these results for embedded-embodied approaches to sound art

Hooked: Between Personal and Public Space

This paper explores the proliferation of sculptural forms made exclusively by crocheting. Crochet is explored as a tool and medium that create sculptural forms and installations of grand scale. My presentation compares and contrasts the connections between personal and private space as they are presented in the artwork of Andrea Zittle “Uniform Project” with the public and collective artwork of artist, Jennifer Marsh, and her “International Fabric Collective” project. The scope and scale in which these artists work present two different methodologies for developing large-scale projects that are based on the use of crochet techniques

Elaboración de chorizo español utilizando diferentes condimentos aromáticos

En la Unidad de Producción Porcina de la Facultad de Ciencias Pecuarias, Escuela de Ingeniería Zootécnica de la ESPOCH ubicada en el Cantón Riobamba, Provincia de Chimborazo, se evaluó el efecto de la inclusión de diferentes niveles de un preparado microbiano en lechones F1 Landrace x Largewhite con Padre Finalizador Blanco Belga x Pietrain, en la etapa de finalización, distribuyéndose bajo un Diseño Completamente al Azar y evaluándose diferentes variables durante 120 días de investigación. Determinándose el mejor para el tratamiento para el preparado microbiano, al incluirlo en la dieta de los cerdos más el concentrado, lo cual se estableció valores satisfactorios en cuanto a las características de la canal y en la fermentación de los ciegos en los cerdos de engorde. Por otro lado la mejor rentabilidad en la etapa de finalización de los cerdos fue determinada en los animales tratados con el preparado microbiano suministrado en el alimento, alcanzando un índice de Beneficio - Costo de 1.42 USD, en cambio el tratamiento control se obtuvo un Beneficio-costo de 1.19 USD, para el tratamiento con antibiótico comercial se un obtuvo un Beneficio- Costo de 1.31 USD. Por lo que se recomienda utilizar combinado el preparado microbiano más el concentrado en la dietas de los cerdos en la etapa de finalización, ya que en la presente investigación se establecieron los parámetros satisfactorios en cuanto a las características de la canal y en la fermentación que ocurre en los ciegos de los porcinos así como en el rendimiento económico, además difundir los resultados obtenidos en la presente investigación a nivel de granjas semi intensivas ya que permitirá una mejorarlos ingresos del productor y además mejora la calidad de la carne y la digestión de los cerdos en la etapa de finalización.In swine production unit of the Faculty of Livestock Science, Engineering Zootechnical School of ESPOCH located in Riobamba, Chimborazo province, the effect of the inclusion of different levels of microbial preparation was evaluated in F1 Landrace piglets by Largewhite with Belgian white finisher father by Pietrain, at the stag of completion, it distributed under a completely randomized desing and evaluated different variables for 120 days of investigacion. This work determined the best treatment for microbial preparation to include in the diet of pigs plus the concentrated, which established satisfactory values for the carcass characteristics and fermentation of the blind in pigs. Morover, the bestprofitability in the satge fermentation of the pigs was determined in animals treated with the microbial prepared supplied in food, reaching a profit rate – Cost of $1,40. So it is recommended to use microbial preparation plus the concentrated on diets of pigs at the stage of completion, it established satisfactory parameters in the carcass characteristics and fermentation of the blind pigs. It diffuses the obtained results to pig farmers and it will allow an improvement in their production

FINANCIAMIENTO FORMAL E INFORMAL DE LOS HOGARES EN LAS PARROQUIAS RURALES DE BELISARIO QUEVEDO Y MULALÓ, LATACUNGA, PROVINCIA DE COTOPAXI

La presente investigación tuvo como objetivo identificar los factores determinantes de los tipos de financiamientos, bancario e informal, en los hogares de las parroquias de Belisario Quevedo y Mulaló, en la Provincia de Cotopaxi, Ecuador; para lo cual se aplicó un instrumento mediante un muestreo aleatorio estratificado que consideró cada uno de los barrios de ambas comunidades, obteniendo un tamaño de muestra de 320 hogares en Mulaló y 307 en Belisario Quevedo. En primer lugar, se empleó un contraste de hipótesis de diferencias de medias o de proporciones según el caso, que permitió identificar las diferencias en el comportamiento de los hogares con respecto al tipo de financiamiento elegido, complementándolo con un análisis preliminar de las diferencias en las variables explicativas. En segundo lugar, mediante la estimación de un modelo probit para estas variables, se demostró que, si bien la edad, la relación laboral, el número de miembros de la familia y el monto pagado por concepto de cuotas son significativas en la explicación del historial crediticio de los individuos en las comunidades, no contribuyen a la explicación de la selección del financiamiento informal. La capacitación o asistencia para el manejo crediticio no parece modificar los resultados obtenidos en términos de elección del tipo de financiamiento, formal o informal, sino más bien está asociado a la dependencia laboral, la existencia de garantías y la experiencia crediticia.  The present investigation has as objective to identify the determining factors of the bank and informal financing in the houses of the parishes of Belisario Quevedo and Mulaló, in the Province of Cotopaxi, Ecuador; for which an instrument was applied by means of a stratified random method that considered each of the sectors of both communities, obtaining a size of 320 households in Mulaló and 307 in Belisario Quevedo. First, a contrast of hypotheses of differentiations of means and proportions according to the case was made, which allowed the identification of differences in the behavior of households with respect to the type of financing chosen, complementing with a preliminary analysis of the differences in the explanatory variables. Secondly, by estimating a probit model for these variables, it is shown that, if it is good, the labor relationship, the number of family members, and the amount paid are significant in the explanation of history credit to individuals in the homes, in contributing to the explanation of the selection of informal financing. Capacity building for credit management does not seem to change the results obtained in terms of the type of financing, formal or informal, but more closely associated with labor dependence, the existence of guarantees and the credit experience

Short-Term Water Consumption Patterns in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico

Water utility planning efforts are becoming increasingly difficult throughout the world. Located in a semi-arid region, Ciudad Juárez, Mexico is a fast growing municipality that faces both physical infrastructure and water supply constraints. This paper examines monthly water consumption in Ciudad Juárez utilizing a linear transfer function procedure (LTF). Analysis is carried out for per customer usage and for the total number of municipal water system accounts. Models estimated for both series are subjected to a series of simulation benchmark tests. Findings suggest that water consumption in Ciudad Juárez reacts quickly to changes in economic and weather conditions. Out-of-sample simulation results are mixed. Per customer usage forecasts do not fare as well those for total customers relative to random walk benchmarks. Copyright International Atlantic Economic Society 2006Q25, water consumption, applied econometrics, Mexico,