Team:Consort Alberta/Practices
Practices
Human practices and outreach is just as important as the science aspect, especially since our community is so closely correlated to our project. When coming up with what we would base our iGEM project on, the idea of a crude oil contamination detector is the direct result of our community, which is composed of agriculture and the oil field and their relationship. Responsible environmental stewardship is a priority of both oil companies and the owners of the land where oil activity takes place. So to get a better idea of the priorities and thoughts of the people involved with the oilfield and agriculture, we conducted several interviews with such people. From the interviews we learned that although their relationships with oil companies are fairly good, they always must keep in mind the potential for accidental spills or leaks. To have a method of testing for contamination that is quick, efficient, and accurate could be a milestone for rural farmers who would have the power to always know whether there is crude oil in their water or soil, whether that's as a semi-annual testing method, water monitoring, or a post-spill clean up.
When conducting these interviews, we found that our community stands behind us in all support. Many people expressed initial concern about the use of E. coli, but when reassured that the E. coli we use is essentially harmless, their unease was put to rest. The main thing that many of the farmers, oil workers, and townsfolk agreed on was that we needed a working prototype as soon as possible, as they thought of oil contamination as a very serious issue.
Simone Higgins-Reclamation officer
Dale Bousquet-Local Rancher
Michelle Higgins-Public works foreman
Jason Sansregret-Farmer and oil field worker
Wanda Diakow- Economic Development Officer for Special Areas #4
We interviewed a farmer in the community who has had quite a bit of experience with oil wells on his land. He commented that he has cable in fields containing pumpjacks. Often the fences are quite skimpy and have little protection around them. The cows could literally eat and lick the oil. Another concern is of course the ground water/ponds that the cows are drinking. There are also old pipelines buried underneath his land by the water source. A concern is always that these pipelines are or will soon leak and contaminate the water source. He mentioned that the oilfield has been wonderful to him and to other farmers. At the same time though, he said, this Earth is the only one we've got and we have to protect it. All of the current testing is down through the oil companies themselves. It would simply be comforting to know for sure that there is no contamination in a manner that is cheap and effective.
We also had a phone conversation with farmer. We discussed shooting a section of the video but the timing didn't work out. His main comment was that ECOS would be best used in water and as a check after a spill/clean-up to ensure it was done properly. Normally you know about oil spills because someone either rolled a truck or it's spewing from the ground, but what we don't know is if it's cleaned up entirely. ECOS would be a good method for testing water source and for peace of mind after the fact. He mentioned oil companies have pretty strict policies about oil spill clean ups and reclamation. He was thoroughly impressed with our project and the innovation behind it.
Outreach
This year, we have been fortunate enough to have the entire support of our community, and this fact has been proven multiple times. We have attended the Consort Gun Show, the largest event in our area, and this year three thousand people attended it from all over the province and beyond. We set up a booth and proceeded for the rest of the weekend to explain to people about synthetic biology and our project. We talked to many people and received over $2,000 in donations, as well as countless statements of support.
Our team made presentations to local companies and boards, most noticeably BRAED (Battle River Alliance for Economic Development) and the Consort Oilmen's Association. Furthermore, we hosted a bottle drive, and proceeded to collect donated bottles from contributors across the town. From this fundraiser, we received a total of $1,100. Plus, our team did a Facebook auction, where people could donate and bid on items that had been put up for auction. We received a huge amount of support, from people donating special items to people bidding on these items. This fundraiser provided us with a total revenue of $2,200. Our team has also been involved in school assemblies and talking to our classes about our project. In total, we have managed to raise a total of approximately $9,000 from our community of 750 people. We have received tremendous support and encouragement from our community!