Conference Projects That Will Make Composting a Reality at SLC

At SLC students do what are called "conference projects" instead of taking final exams. This is a semester or even a year-long project about which students can do any sort of research they are interested in as long as the professor deems it at least marginally relevant to the class. For example, in an environmental studies class I might be interested in learning more about Genetically modified foods. In the class itself, we may only be watching one documentary or reading one article on the subject, but conference projects allow us to study anything we want, and professors, with whom we meet once a week, oversee what we are doing, and help us in the process. A really cool process and a really neat learning experience.

I came up with this idea of involving other students in making conference projects on composting for a couple of reasons. First, I am always doing conference projects involving composting and now, I've come up with far more ideas out there than I personally would be able to study. Second, seeing other students do conference projects would be interested in helping out, why not offer some suggestions?

How much food and non recyclable paper waste is being produced at SLC? Statistics

Calculate how much Methane will get produced from 50,000 pounds of food waste produced at Sarah Lawrence College? How much electricity can that produce? How much heat energy can potentially be produced from that? Using Methane Digestion facilities already deployed in other countries? (Statistics, Calculus, Chemistry)

What is compost tea and compost leachate tea? What are the main organisms cultivated in it? What are its effects on plants? What recipes work best for compost tea? (Biology, Ecology)

Composting and toxic chemicals: can compost remediate harmful chemicals from the soil? If so what chemicals and how? (Possibly even performing a field test at SLC by composting the harmful glues found in sawdust at the Performing Arts Center wood shop). (Environmental studies, chemistry, biology)

The history of compost and worm castings. (History, environmental studies, sociology)

Video projects on composting- really, do anything you like. The start of the project, what is compost? Why do it at SLC? Really anything it's art! 

Make a portrait of us and the composting process, me, look at the pictures I've taken of it or... take pictures, well... you're creative you can think of something here. Make a painting of what SLC would look like with this great grand composting facility on campus.

Anaerobic digesters and biogas production, types of facilities and their pros and cons for food waste digestion at SLC. (Environmental studies, physics)

Compare and contrast, with the help of a diagram, the biochemical process of anaerobic/aerobic digestion of food waste. (Biology, Chemistry, Environmental studies)

Using microscopes, look at the process of composting. Examine food waste in its beginning, middle, and end phases describing, and/or portraying what you see.

Municipal, state, federal, and international regulations and subsidies on composting. What is being done in westchester county? What is being done elsewhere in the US? What are the regulations involving Anaerobic digestion facilities? (Environmental politics, politics Samuel Abrams Looking at Leadership and decision-making in the political world)

Really, do anything you like. I'm just throwing out some ideas on some great topics that will further the soon-to-be met goal of composting every last ounce of Sarah Lawrence College's food waste.