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Team:UNAM-Genomics Mexico/HumanPractices/LawProposal
From 2011.igem.org
HYDROBIUM ETLI. CASE EXPERIENCE AT CUATZOQUITENGO, GUERRERO: A SUSTAINABLE PROJECT TO DEAL WITH ENERGETIC ISSUES IN THE RURAL COMMUNITIES OF MEXICO
OVERVIEW
This page contains the information about “Hydrobium etli goes Cuatzo”. This project was born thanks to the fact that this year our team is an association between the UNAM Genomics undergraduates as well as fellow students, also at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, from the Latin American Studies Undergraduate Programme.
As we raised our ideas for what would become our 2011 iGem project, Hydrobium etli, it was quite clear that an interest to develop a project with the ability to improve our immediate surroundings was present. Namely, a situation in our country that could take advantage of Synthetic Biology.
Hydrobium etli goes Cuatzo represents the effort of building an interdisciplinary iGem project, because it aims to take the Synthetic Biology project “Hydrobium etli” and place it under the context of Mexico's current rural situation.
This area of the project vouches for the incorporation of new Synthetic Biology proposals, such as Hydrobium etli, as potential solutions to the necessities in the indigenous communities of our country. The posibility to supply environmentally-friendly energy to this localities, together with the energetic diversification it would imply, are the two objectives chosen to explore.
Among the results of this intiative you will find a document containing the analysis of the current mexican legal framework on GMOs, as well as the panorama on energetic matters of our country. Through this paper, it is concluded that the rural situation of our country could take advantage of a project like Hydrobium etli.
Another fundamental section of Hydrobium etli goes Cuatzo is the diffusion of the Hydrobium etli project, which is where it takes its name from.
Cuatzoquitengo or “Cuatzo” is an indigenous community that belongs to the mixteco linguistic group of the country. It is located in the Malinaltepec municipality of the Guerrero State, right in the middle of la Sierra (the mountain system). Cuatzo was the place elected to the field work part of the project.
The two goals of this field work were, first, to take the information of the Hydrobium etli project to the people of this community. And second, to collect their opinion on the posibility of carrying it out. Electric energy is a public fundamental service nowdays but in Mexico we have many communities like Cuatzo where sumministrating this service is a challenge for the government, Hydrobium etli goes Cuatzo is thus, a quite relevant approach to a social issue present accross our whole country.
Contents |
Introduction
Placing the project under a relevant context
The UNAM-Genomics-Mexico 2011 team is formed by undergrads from both scientific and humanistic programs. We understand that Synthetic Biology is an evergrowing field and that it holds many challenges; but the outlook is quite promising: its ability to develop applications with the potential to solve problems posed by disease, environmental deterioration, and scarcity among many others, is overriding.
The development of Mexico and its international vinculation (specially with other countries from Latin America) beg for a systematic analysis of the cultural, political, and economical problems of the country. The Latin American Studies Undergraduate Programme is an interdisciplinary one seeking to understand the historical development and the contemporary problems in Mexico.
Mexico is a developing country with a large population (112,322,757 in 2010) and a vast cutural and ethnical diversity. The population is distributed across the whole country and the
Maturing the Idea
Don't forget to include photographs
Document
Precedents
Mexico consolidated, since the first decades of the 21st century, as an important oil producer at the global level. This natural resource has marked the historical evolution of the country, conditioned the economy, defined great part of the political debate and promoted the very construction of different development models. Mexico is today an oil country, the great networks that weave in its interior answer to such dynamic; the commercial balance, the public expenditure, the educational investment, the complex benefits system, the social capital, the foreign policy and even the sociability patterns.
In spite of the scientific and technological advances of the developed world, that have propitiated a severe questioning to the functioning of the international order with regard to energetic, just a little has been really modified with respect to this order. This is true mainly because the exploitation of the non renewable natural resources has produced, along with other variables, negative effects in the environment and in the way with which the Earth system works. Today we know that the climate change and the degradation and impoverishment of the natural environment is a tangible reality. However, there is an endless demand for fossil combustibles.
Science on the other hand, through its multiple disciplines, has participated in the generation of many and better technologies in benefit of the environment in two senses: to counteract the negative effects of the environmental degradation that already exists and to enable the emergence of new paths for the sustainable energetic functioning of the energy industry.
According to a study made by the World Banki (World Bank; 2006), extreme poverty is principally, though not exclusive, a rural phenomenon. Although in the last two decades there has been a significant advance – specially in comparison with the 1980 decade – in the health, educational and social infrastructure domains; the admission and the access to these services are found assume the two more profound conflicts of the Mexican rural communities. This does not implies the non existence of urban poverty nor the full access to these services in the cities; the rural problem increases when the access to these services is in extreme limited and the admission lacks of forms of regional reproduction and integration.
Current Panorama On Energetic Production In Mexico
As of the 21st century, Mexico stands as a country without a central conjoint policy regarding the energetic production. Oil and natural gas, and in general all other energy sources, are variables that determine the macroeconomic growth of any country, and by so, deserve to be treated as proprietary subjects in an independent manner by the federal administration. Hydrocarbons, in the milieu of a mainly exporter country, must be protected by legislations that compel the efficiency in the activity regarding the extraction, production and delivery of these resources, protected by laws that avoid public squander, that provide fiscal stimulus for the dynamic of the economy and that promote the generation of highly productive industrialization chains.
Mexico counts today with 12.9 billions of oil barrels, approximately 1.1% of the world's reserves. Our country has the third most important oil reservoir in North America - this one represents 5% of the world's reserves – and the second most significant of Latin America, that counts with approximately 8.6% of the world's oil reserves. Mexico suministers 1.5 from the 21 millions of oil barrels that requires the United States of America daily. The proved hydrocarbon reservoirs decayed a 47% in 2000-2006ii. The favorable set of circumstances in the international climate in that period – the rise in the oil price, the growing economy of the United States, the increase of the PIDIREGAS fundsiii and the rise of the remittances (Marcos; 2008) - promoted the overexploitation of the oil reservoirs. The objective was to raise the fiscal revenues, by means of an excessive tributary regime, in order to maintain a commercial balance less prone to loss guided by the exportations increment.
Despite the drastic plunge the hydrocarbon extraction industry had, in 2009 the fossil combustibles participation in the national energy consumption was of a strapping 89%iv. Meanwhile, the renewable combustibles and residues that constitute the solid biomass, the liquid biomass, the biogas and the industrial residues together did not get to more than 4.8% of the energy consumption for the same periodv. Clean energy, energy not coming from hydrocarbons whose generation does not produce carbon dioxide and that includes the hydroelectric, nuclear, geothermic and solar energies, among others, only conformed approximately 6.2% of the energy consumption.
Currently, the national electrical supply is a service provided by a state company called CFEvi. Such entity must then supply, manage and export electricity to the whole of the national territory.
Though the electrical system attempts to diversify, with the firm objective to achieve an energetic security program, there are left two national challenges, as pointed out by Elías Ayub (Valdivia; 2008): a) The investment of strong capitals into the electric system, at least 5 billion dollars annually; and b) The investment in research projects in relationship with hydrocarbons and electricity, supporting and encouraging the creation of new technologies to productively incorporate new forms of clean and renewable energies.
Mexico contributes with roughly 3% of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the world, being the Latin American member with the greater proportion contributor (Cárdenas; 2008). Within the GHG generated by Mexico in 2007, carbon dioxide occupied the first place, with almost 4.5 metric tons per capita, due mostly to the fossil combustibles consumption. Therefore, the support to other ways of generating energy must be prioritized.
Case Study
Mediciones
Conclusion
Case Study: Cuatzoquitengo
Introduction
When we posed the project Hydrobium etli within a laboratory, we understood that we faced ourselves with a project with a social future... for many days we thought in the best way to take this project to the right and relevant people. And then we figured: What would be more relevant than going directly to a community with the potential to take on a project like Hydrobium etli? Since this moment it was our greater objective to highlight and start to build what must become an integral and profound relationship between science and the society.
In our first meeting with one of the community professors, he expressed the true problems that electric energy represent in the rural regions of the country. The cultural diversity of Mexico has propitiated that the land tenure among communities represents a constant problem and this in turn provokes quarrels that end by promoting electricity outage that last weeks, road closures, problems among the communities that take years to be solved; it is true, however, that providing public services to the Sierra represents by itself a great challenge. A project correctly oriented that permits the communities access to their own electricity supply could solve some of the problems here stated. Of course this is about a project that still remains in the research step, but it is important to reaffirm that it is about a project with a social potential against the rural communities reality and their needs in our country.
The rural communities are restless, participative and foster the dialogue about problems in an updated manner. In Cuatzoquitengo, we found people with full awareness of their environment, their needs, and the interest to seek appliance, in a short term period, of projects that could contribute to the development of the community; people in Cuatzo is more than willing to participate in this type of dialoge and to express their opinion and information that could make possible a project such as Hydrobiumetli. But mostly, people who appreciate their opinion to be heard and taken into account.
Community Outreach
To make the spread, our first contact was with the Assembly’s main committee, who helped us to contact with teachers considered more qualified for helping to transmit our proposal, including the advantages and disadvantages of synthetic biology represented by the Hydrobium Etli project.
After hearing the proposal from the teachers, a meeting was called where they gave us the opportunity of address to the communal authorities this with the purpose of telling all the details of the project and listen to the opinions. By one hand the presentation was conducted by illustrations and schemes of the bean plant, and by other the implementation of the project. The participations were very clear, “while there is a benefit, we accept the project”, commented a member of the assembly. The acceptance of possible future project was unanimous. Nevertheless there were questions and doubts in relation with the environmental theme. “Would there be possible contamination to other cops of the modified bacterium?”, “What cares should be done with something genetically modified?”. Most of the people expressed interests for actual problems afflicting humanity in relationship with the environment and they thought that searching for eco-friendly alternatives as Hydrobium Etli showed the concerned of scientific community for the future of rural communities.
After completing the assembly we received some individual comments, which expressed approval because of the information brought to the community about the new technologies and the way it can be related in a positive way with their activities. One man was ready to show in his house the crop and the iba chichi plant- bean in mixteco- that they usually sow. Such was the degree of acceptance in this man that he offered his house in case of a pilot was implemented.
Given the lack of assistance of the community women to the assembly, we headed to their homes. We decided to perform the same explanation and record the process. At first they were insecure and shy, but it just took a few minutes so they could start to formulate interesting questions such as the trees possibilities to contaminate themselves or the potential reverberations on the bean crops. Nevertheless the precise and obvious wondering on the research project and its consequences, they, as well as the community male leaders, showed themselves exited and receptive.
The main purpose of taking the project and explain it to the community of Cuatzoquitengo was the promotion of Synthetic Biology in a place that meets the projects requirements, a place where the scientific breakthroughs are able to take part in society in a benign way
Living the Experience
We were anxious to arrive to la Sierra, the place where the community we had chosen was located; was an impressive place. It seemed to belong to another reality far away from the city chaos. The silence was overwhelming, you could breathe tranquility, people greeted in their own language -mixteco1-, children played among the houses and among the maize fields, the wind was cold and the roads were muddy... but we arrived and we were pleasantly surprised.
- Nataly Álvarez Sánchez: Hydrobium etli goes Cuatzo Testimonial
Going to La Sierra in Guerrero is an experience that can teach you a lot from the reality the indigenous communities live in. We were confronted by the sight of the marginal poverty these communities live in: many children with naked feet can be seen, people travel very long distances by feet, and health services are pretty basic. The scenary that can be seen while arriving tu cuatzo leaves you breathless, beautiful landscapes inform you of the little urbanization that exists in Cuatzo.
It was very interesting, challenging, and mostly rewarding to have the oportunity to communicate and work together with the people of Cuatzo to convey the community a scientific project like Hydrobium etli to them. They taught us some words in their native indigenous language, mixteco, and that really helped us to bond with them. Learning about the way they live, their usual activities and their traditions opened the door to deliver the information related to Hydrobium etli, as well as obtaining feedback from them. Something that I will enver forget about the experience is knowing how the project could actually help them improve their lives. As a humanities student I feel very proud of the task we acomplished through this case study experience: to form a link between the people that Synthetic Biology could help find solutions, and the people who are doing Synthetic Biology.
*Paloma Ximena Velázquez Ríos: Hydrobium etli goes Cuatzo Testimonial
My participation in the journey to the Coatzoquitengo community was higly enriching, it gave a whole spectrum of contrasting, profound emotions and feelings.
As is it natural, when I first got noticed about this participation I felt anguished and anxious, as this was to be a journey to a isolated community, deep within the Sierra, where the means of comunitation are scarse. Besides, I confronted with problems that I hadn't had to face before, like the fact that I had to communicate to people that spoke a different language and that practiced radically different traditions.
The landscape that I got to know was very overwhelming, but nothing can be compared with some of the moments that this experience gave me... The mindfulness to certain situations, like a bucket of cold water, that these realities made you adquire... as you live them as never before.
One of these moments was a stop we had to do in the middle of the transportation towards the village, when we were already inside the Sierra; it was at a little food stand in the middle of nowhere. We stopped there to have breakfast, it was very cheap (approximately 10 pesos per person) and very tasty. In a corner, a family, both parents and a little kid, were apprehensively eating. When they finished, the woman that attended the little stand went to pick up their dishes and told them that didn't have to pay. I then realized that these people didn't have resources to eat by themselves, and as I knew the ciphers (In Mexico, the half of the population does not gain enough to afford what has been stablished as “the basic products a family consumes daily”), you are never as conscious of this truth as when you have something to eat in your plate and someone else does not. When having something to eat in your plate everyday makes you feel guilty.
This reality becomes more penetrating when you understand the profound communitiy sense of this people, that is willing to share the little or the much they have to their community. This sense of community becomes a pleasant surprise to experience, as example, the meetings in which the whole community dialogues in search of solutions to each of their problems.
Maybe one of the moments that gave me a major reflexion was when we had to explain the benefits of the creation of a cooperative to begin the project with, one of the presents told me -”Yes, but we already know that, that's how we make things here...”- I felt bad, asking myself who was I with slender studies on the subject, to go and talk to them of something they practiced daily.
One of the biggest obstacles we had to face was the communitacion issue, as we didn't just talk different languages, but a whole bunch of distinct experiences. That is the reason we made special emphasis to our preparation to explain the subject in a very careful manner, thinking in the adequate words and in the most didactic methods to make accessible our explanation. It was pleasant to be able to communicate with them, to listen to their doubts, the opinons that emerged, and above all the illusions the project created to them.
I consider the project Hydrobium etli a project bespoke to the rural communities, specially to all of them that have been historically marginated, as this promises to be not just a food supply, but a source of nutrients to their lands, and an electrical energy source, covering in that way two fundamental axes of the sustainable development.
Future Directions
We are humanists, the people opinion is one of our main concerns. The world needs a mayor interaction between sciences and the society. To make this bond between Synthethic Biology by means of the Hydrobium etli project and an indigenous population has been a demanding task, but it has also been an unique and necessary experience to us because there probably does not exist better way to make scientific difussion other than really promote a dialogue among science concerns and the people concerns.
