Experiencing Sustainability Issues

Tomorrow there's an event which may be of interest at Imperial College: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/imperial-fringe-intelligence-redesigned-tickets-40104508665

Precious Plastic is a global community of hundreds of people working towards a solution to plastic pollution. Knowledge, tools and techniques are shared online, for free. So everyone can start (yes, you too!). https://preciousplastic.com

This looks really interesting!

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/learn-to-ferment-and-make-your-own-kombucha-at-green-lab-tickets-40786112360

UPDATE from Art & Science Meeting last week, further chats and more research
Attending meeting on 17-01-18:
Pascale + Nur, Veronica, Catherine, Mariana, Lee and Nicola
We discussed the move from STEM to STEAM in schools/universities and the inclusion of Art and Design as of collaborative importance to Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, particularly in engaging the public in scientific discoveries. Pascale had written to Imperial College suggesting a collaboration in relation to visualizing their research into filters made from bacterial cellulose. She received a detailed response from Dr Tom Ellis (Department of Bioengineering), who unfortunately will be on sabbatical for a year in the US. The Imperial students that worked on filters made from Skoby have now formed a Start Up called CUSTOMEM LTD based in Brighton: https://www.customem.com/ We discussed making contact with them and suggesting a collaboration. SKOBY is a byproduct of the process of making Kombucha tea, as relayed by Mariana, who attended the GreenLab workshop. Scoby in its dried form could be used to filter the plastic fibres out of water and used within our installation.
We decided to focus our Tate Exchange project on filtering and testing London tap water with skoby filters and record this on a map. We then discussed ways of visualising the process of water filtration in ways that could be participative and interactive.
Veronica suggested using the skoby filters as visualisations within themselves, as dyes within the water might show up the plastic fibres. She had brought in a book on natural Dyes from Plants, which all agreed was a good idea to colour the water with.
Catherine spoke about seeing bacterias in VR at the V&A Digital Design Weekend. Was this Seven Seconds Ago by Anna Dumitriu et al?: https://issuu.com/creativeeconomybritishcouncil/docs/v_a_digital_weekend_book_210x269_up .
Pascale mentioned the interesting aesthetic solution of exhibiting water in tied up plastic bags in nets, as seen in Asia, as well as acknowledging that the water would be harder to access for testing/filtration.
Mariana discussed looking at the micro plastics through microscopes and using Kilner Mason jars so that water could be easily accessed. The cheapest 8 litre version on Ebay is: https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/Kilner-8L-Glass-Drinks-Dispenser-Storage-with-Tap-Beer-Cocktail-Wine/1125197768 . We considered whether using recycled glass jars might be cheaper and more in keeping with the spirit of the project.
Nor suggested the possibility of working with the fact that water is a conductor and plastic is a resistor. This might mean that the plastic fibres would resist a current (9 volts tickles) and so become more visible.
Nicola (me) discussed using the sounds of collecting the tap water, which could be recorded on phones or recorders. Each jar could be linked to sensors that played the sound of their specific collection each time they were tested.
We then co-wrote our PROPOSAL TO TATE EXCHANGE together:

Our proposal is to test London's tap water for plastic microfibres in ways that are interactive and participative. We would like to explore two methods:
1. In collaboration with a group of students/graduates from Imperial College, we will visually explore and test their discovery of cellulose fibre, which when dried forms a filter that can prevent plastic fibres from passing through. The cellulose fibre is made from skoby, which is a byproduct of making kombucha tea. Ways of visualising this process will be explored through the use of microscopes connected to projectors and using dyes from plants in the water so the filters themselves become a visualisation. We will project the microscopic images onto larger pieces of skoby or tracing paper as well as maps showing the water's collection sites.
2. We will also explore the sonic possibilities of testing water. Using an interactive touch board and copper wire, we will activate the water samples to play the acoustic environment of their collection event every time that they are touched through the use of sensors. The plastic fibres will also be explored electro-actively through using the qualities of water acting as a conductor and micro plastic fibres as a resistor.
All processes will be interactive and participative.

On Thursday morning 18th Jan, Lee and I had a further discussion about this project and discussed the possibilities of using Ultra Violet Light on the water coloured with food dyes. Lee also suggested using underwater fans to move the water around, which we thought could be triggered by ultrasonic motion sensors. The interactive touchboards (Bare Conductive) can be unreliable to use with crocodile clips and copper wire in my experience, but ring terminals attached to wire form much more stable connections. Below are some links in relation to the UV Light possibility:

Foods that glow in ultraviolet light
http://www.instructables.com/id/Glowing-Foods-Cooking-colorfully-in-ultraviolet-l/

400W Ultraviolet Black Light bulb and UV Cannon:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/400W-UV-black-light-bulb/dp/B003GSNV18/ref=pd_sim_23_13?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=71MD3BP1EBC8K6E3HC2M

Next meeting: Wednesday 24th Jan 2.00 pm in Chelsea Makerspace

Please send your 'work in progress' Images for Tate Lates promotional use!

Could you all please either add your best pictures taken over the past month/s of your work/groups in progress, any snapshots taken with a phone, and pictures of the final product.

Either email to [email protected] or add the images to the O365 shared folder link below (need to be using your ual login).

All images should be sent no later than Wednesday morning as we plan to do some social media promotions asap.

We will also be using these images to post of Instagram take over of Camberwell, Wimbledon and Chelsea account before (to show what we have been doing) During (showcase the evening) After (to promote the Tate March events).

Camberwell student Maria Than is taking the lead on this but can others please contact Maria to help support this social media push? [email protected]

We will try and compile all the images in this O365 shared folder https://artslondon-my.sharepoint.com/personal/c_follows_arts_ac_uk/_layouts/15/guestaccess.aspx?folderid=17b33ffedf2a04a79a44699eed003c7ce&authkey=AV6K4FvDChGugeLn47fbrtA&e=OAMEPx

Thank you very much !

Chris & Maria

Harnessing the digital revolution to tackle air pollution https://www.nesta.org.uk/blog/air-quality-data-challenge

We have a new member of knowledge exchange staff who can help us write bids for funding

Great!

Next Art & Science Group meeting at 12.30 on Wednesday 7th Feb in Chelsea Maker space. Also meeting up at 10.00 am 8th Feb to design, make and discuss the Growing Space.