May 30, 2012

serving the uc davis campus and community since 1915

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volume 131, number 74

wednesday, may 30, 2012

UC community members to comment on campus protest report Deadline for public comment on report extended to June 8

By MICHELLE MURPHY Aggie News Writer

The University of California has extended the deadline for members of the UC community to comment on the RobinsonEdley draft report from May 25 to June 8, with the hopes of encouraging more input.

In their report, UC General Counsel Charles F. Robinson and Christopher F. Edley Jr., dean of the UC Berkeley Law School, provide 50 recommendations in nine categories including: civil disobedience challenges, relationship building, role definition and coordination, hiring and training, communications with protesters, response during events, documenting activity during demonstrations, post-event review and implementation.

“This report highlights the responsibility, shared by all members of the university community, to ensure that the rights of free speech are respected — in fact honored — and that peaceful, lawful protests exist on our campuses,” Robinson said in a UC press release. “At the same time, it is important to recognize the role that civil disobedience may play in such demonstrations, and the attendant consequences.”

The report states that their goal is to identify practices that will not only facilitate free speech, but will also protect the health and safety of everyone involved.

“For some campus administrators and police, this will require a substantial shift away from a mindset that has been focused primarily on the maintenance of order and adherence to rules and

regulations,” the report states.

“For some protesters, this will require taking more responsibility for their activities as well, including educating themselves about protest-related rules and considering the impact acts of civil disobedience can have on others in the campus community.”

University staff, faculty, alumni and students are encouraged to make thoughtful and constructive comments about how the report’s recommendations might be strengthened.

“We think it’s important to include the campus community.

The University of California tries to have an open and inclusive environment, and we want to make sure that the campus community, not just students, but staff, faculty, everyone, has an opportunity to weigh in on things that af-

Charles Setchell, who graduated from UC Davis in 1975, will visit campus today and Thursday to speak about his work with the United States Agency of International Assistance (USAID) Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance.

He has been their senior shelter, settlements, and hazard mitigation advisor for 14 years, responding to everything from the 2010 Haiti earthquake to ongoing turmoil in Afghanistan.

Today, Setchell will host an information session at the Internship and Career Center from 2 to 4 p.m., and from 5 to 6:30 p.m. he will meet with the Engineers Without Borders Club in Ghausi Hall. On Thursday, he will attend an open Peace Corps event at the International House from 7 to 9 p.m.

His specialty is disaster risk reduction, which requires a systematic and

immediate approach to assessing and avoiding potential risks to disaster.

Although Setchell initially fell in love with cities by visiting San Francisco with his parents once or twice a month, he said UC Davis’ undergraduate program set him on a path toward a career in urban planning and crisis management.

“I’m really looking forward to getting on campus again and speaking to current students and faculty. I kind of wish there had been someone when I was an undergrad with the kind of background I have now, that I’ve developed over time, to provide a bigger picture of the world than I recall ever having. Hopefully I will spark someone to join the Peace Corps or get involved with international development,” Setchell said.

— Chelsea Mehra

neering graduate student and chair of the UC Davis Graduate Student Association, it is essential for students, staff and faculty to have a say in how the policies are changed, since it is the UC community who is directly affected by the changes.

“I am an optimist, and I have seen where students and faculty have been listened to by kind of the upper administration. Yeah, it doesn’t always happen, but that shouldn’t stop you from at least speaking your thoughts with the hopes that they will listen,” Kolesar said.

To review the draft report and make a comment, visit campusprotestreport.universityofcalifornia.edu. All comments must be submitted by June 8.

MICHELLE MURPHY can be reached at campus@ theaggie.org.

Q&A: Matt Carmichael

News iN Brief

Charles Setchell to speak on disaster assistance

fect them,” said Brooke Converse, media specialist with the Office of the President.

According to Converse, 33 people have commented on the draft so far with a mix of students, staff, faculty, alumni and community members contributing.

After all the recommendations come, they will be reviewed and assessed on how they might affect the current draft report. The final report will be posted by late June, then forwarded to the UC President for processing.

After the president receives the report, the recommendations will be reviewed and some will be implemented across UC campuses. The UC Office of the President did not have a specific time frame for this process.

According to Katheryn Kolesar, civil and environmental engi-

New police chief to update old policies

By DANIELLE HUDDLESTUN Aggie News Writer

Serving in his new role for nearly a month, UC Davis Police Chief Matt Carmichael has begun implementing changes within the police department.

Carmichael has signed with Lexipol, a public safety risk management company, that charges $6,000 per year to routinely update policies. He said that he enjoys working as a team in the police station and being a member of the UC Davis community.

Carmichael and consultant Paul Harman will hold their first Town Hall meeting on Tuesday to get input from students before summer about what changes they would like to see made.

The Aggie: How do you feel about being the new police chief?

Carmichael: I am extremely excited and very encouraged. It is an amazing opportunity, one I am not willing to squander. I will make good changes.

What are some of the changes you plan to make?

Policy. Some of our policies are out of date by eight years. Policy is the

Brian Nguyen / Aggie

Matt Carmichael is the new police chief of the UC Davis Police Department. foundation of organization and definitely in need of a change. I signed a contract with the risk management company Lexipol. Basically we are going to take every policy and it’s going to be new. Good policy has to stay updated. If you ask me how often my policy is updated, I would say that it is routinely updated. Lexipol is used for large organizations, from

the California Department of Justice down to the West Sacramento Police Department. We are the ninth UC school to sign with Lexipol. The UC Davis Fire Department is currently using it. In order to do it, I have hired Paul Harman, a retired lieutenant from L.A. County, also with

See CHIEF, page 2

Les Jeudis de la Francophonie brings together an international community The Davis French Club meets every Thursday at Delta of Venus

By MEE YANG

Aggie News Writer

During the springtime, every Thursday night at Delta of Venus is bound to have at least one French-speaking individual present. Delta of Venus has become an ideal location for many foreigners to gather and socialize, especially the Davis French Club.

Among this sea of diversity is the French Club called “Les Jeudis de la Francophonie.” “‘Les Jeudis de la Francophonie’ means ‘French speaking,’” said Fred Vincent, an active member of the club and associate staff researcher. “It is a very informal club because people show up at different times; we eat, drink and have a good time just talking.”

The club is made up of all different types of age groups such as undergraduate students, graduate students, Ph.D candidates, community members, working people and others. The different nationalities of the people who speak French also help enrich the social gathering.

“The coolest thing was that over the years, we’ve had Belgian, Swiss, Senegalese, Asian, North African and more Europeans who all spoke French,” said Richard Day, cofounder of Les Jeudis de la Francophonie.

Today, the majority of participants speak fluent French. Occasionally, a few people who would like to improve their French speaking skills also attend.

The atmosphere of the French Club is similar to a family unit, said Pauline Maillard, a frequent attendant of the club

Today’s weather Sunny High 90 Low 56

Davis French Club

courtesy

and a post-doctorate student at the UC Davis Center for Neuroscience.

“When you leave France, you [have] ‘lost’ family and friends,” Maillard said. “Here, you rebuild your social environment.”

For Maillard, it was comforting to be among familiar faces and to receive help on how to navigate through Davis or through American life — such as how to Forecast Since finals start in ten days, the warmer weather and procrastination has me contemplating one big question: Should I study or go to the Rec Pool? #collegestudentproblems Kenneth Doss, atmospheric science major Aggie Forecasting Team

obtain a phone, a driver’s license and other necessities.

Sometimes there can be as many as 20 people and as little as four people, Day said.

“It is very informal and really depends on who you are chatting with,” Day said.

“I think the majority of the native speakers are willing to speak slower and converse Thursday

Friday

Sunny

Sunny

High 94 Low 59

High 93 Low 57

with people who are learning.”

At the beginning of the club about 20 years ago, the club’s purpose was to give French people an opportunity to come together and relate their experiences and adaptations to Davis, Day said.

The number of people who show up varies, Vincent said. During the summer and winter, very few people show up due to summer travels or bad weather. The club generally sees a large number of people during the fall and spring when everyone is back from their adventures, and when the weather is full of sunshine.

The club has its roots back in the early 1990s when Day, who is half French, was active in the international circle and worked in the French department, began the club and deemed it “Le Cercle Francophone.”

The French Club first met at Café Roma, located on Third Street. Upon the closure of Café Roma in 2007, the club was moved to Delta of Venus and has remained there.

Since then, there have been many people in and out of the club.

“I love Delta of Venus,” Maillard said. “Its patio, food, the people working there, the music; I feel like being in the backyard of a friend’s house.”

“What I like best is the connection that I make and meeting new people,” Vincent said.

Everyone is welcome to the club, which meets every Thursday at Delta of Venus at 9 p.m.

MEE YANG can be reached at city@theaggie.org.

The Davis city council race is heating up.

Volunteers passionate about the race’s candidates are apparently ripping down signs and blocking others’. Who knew Davis could contain so much drama?

Michelle Huey

page two

2 wednesday, may 30, 2012

daily calendar dailycal@theaggie.org

Shinkoskey Noon Concert

TODAY Chill Day Noon to 2 p.m.

The Quad The UC Davis Campus Judicial Board is hosting its annual “Chill Day” event in which they will be giving out free snocones. In light of upcoming finals, the theme is: “Chill out,” Relax and Don’t Cheat!

Senior Recital 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

115 Music Watch this free recital as Amy Lui plays saxophone accompanied by John Cozza on piano.

Farm to College Event 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Segundo Area Central Lawn Farm to College night is a biannual event hosted by UC Davis Dining Services celebrating Davis’ local and sustainable food system. The event will include educational activities and opportunities to explore where our food comes from and how it was produced, the power of our food dollar and our regional food community. It costs one swipe for meal plan holders, $14.50 for general public or $11.60 with UC Davis staff pin/ID card.

UC Davis Jazz Bands Performance 7 to 8 p.m.

Vanderhoef Studio Theatre, Mondavi Center Watch the UC Davis Jazz Bands with director Delbert Bump. Tickets are $8 for students and children and $12 for adults.

Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous 7 to 8:30 pm Davis United Methodist Church, 1620 Anderson Road Free yourself from excess weight and/ or obsessional thoughts about food and body image. Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA) is a 12-step fellowship based on the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Meetings are open and free to the public. Go to www.foodaddicts. org for other meeting locations.

THURSDAY

chief Cont. from front page 14 years of experience on the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. He still has connections and will be here for six months. At that point, the post-audit will be done.

12:05 to 1 p.m.

115 Music Watch this free concert with Susan Lamb Cook playing the cello accompanied by Gayle Blankenburg on piano.

Biomedical Engineering Seminar Series 4:10 to 5 p.m.

1005 GBSF Listen to Kristina Ropella of Marquette University in her seminar entitled “Functional Neuroimaging Using MR: Moving from Basic Research to Clinical Application.” For more information, visit www.bme.ucdavis.edu.

Two-Part Production from The UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance 8 to 10 p.m.

Main Theatre, Wright Watch this two-part production including the world premiere of and the snow fell softly on all the living and the dead

by Granada Artist-in-Residence Ellen Bromberg and a celebration of the work of Professor Della Davidson through choreography and performances by her longtime collaborators. Tickets are $17-19 for general and $12-14 for students, children and seniors.

FRIDAY Senior Recital 5 to 6 p.m.

115 Music Listen to this free recital as Aaron Hill plays clarinet.

University Chorus and the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra 7 to 9 p.m.

Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center Attend this performance of the University Chorus and the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra. Tickets are $8 for students and children and $12-17 for adults.

To receive placement in the AGGIE DAILY CALENDAR, e-mail dailycal@theaggie. org or stop by 25 Lower Freeborn by noon the day prior to your event. Due to space constraints, all event descriptions are subject to editing and priority will be given to events that are free of charge and geared toward the campus community.

tionally recognized, it is really cool stuff. Now that I am the boss, I am going to make the hiring process more communitybased. I don’t think there is anything too similar in any other department.

In the future, the panel up front will be based 20 percent law enforcement officials and 80 percent being community members. In the end candidates will reflect interest from the community.

We currently have made three conditional hiring offers to add to our staff.

How are you planning to move forward?

I’m really focused on moving forward, from Nov. 20 to now. The changes that we’re going to make together, getting to work in an amazing DANIELLE HUDDLESTUN can be reached campus that is interna- at campus@theaggie.org.

laughter. How hilariously awkward! Even worse, the reporter had the most innocent look on his face and it was clear that he didn’t unPamela derstand what had hapNonga pened. After doing a litNgue tle research, I learned that greeting stars with a kiss on the cheek was the reporter’s “thing.” There was no malice behind his act.

The research result was a confirmation of something I had suspected from the very start. This was a clear case of cultures clashing. Having been born in his past weekend, France and spent time in I deactivated my Europe, I know firsthand Facebook profile. that the American standard Not because finals week and the European stanis coming up — I’m not dard when it comes to perone of those people who sonal space are very difquit social networking beferent. Americans are all fore major tests. Why give about their personal space. up my preferred method Europeans are a little more of distraction and primary … friendly, so to speak. means of procrastination?

The funny part was that, No, I was just tired of basialthough cally everything on my He didn’t hit him hard enough to I understood newsfeed. make lasting damage, but a clear where the Social networking gets message was sent nonetheless reporter was comoverwhelming from, ingly unI totally identified with Will derwhelming sometimes.

Smith. I like my personal You have to dig through so space. I don’t know if it’s bemuch junk to find that one cause of my individual prefattention-worthy update. erence or the influence of But last week something American culture. It’s probdid come across my newsfeed that actually provoked ably a bit of both, but I really don’t like my immediate some kind of thought in space to be infringed upon. me. It was a link to a video Some of the most uncomof Will Smith at the Moscow fortable moments of my life premiere of his new movie Men in Black III. Smith was occurred due to personal space invasions. From making his way down the sitting on an airplane or a red carpet when he came crowded bus, to having a across this very enthusiasconversation with sometic male reporter. one who is standing a little The reporter excitedtoo close, there have been ly hugged the actor, then times that felt way more inproceeded to kiss him on timate than the occasion the cheeks multiple times. required.

Yes, Will Smith is one of The key to space violathe most successful actors tions is context. The who, in the industry and, yes, what, when, where and he has traveled the world. why totally matter. When However, at the end of the the five W’s are all workday, he is still a black man ing in your favor, getting from Philly. You don’t just close can actually be a good come up to a black man thing. That unexpected hug from Philly and start kissing him. You don’t come up from someone that you’d love to be friends with, or to anyone you don’t know and start kissing them. Talk when the person you like finally makes a move. Have about an invasion of peryou ever seen a male prosonal space! fessional sports team celeIn reaction, the visibly brating a big win? They’re disgruntled actor shoved jumping all over each oththe overzealous reporter away and gave him a smart er, slapping each other’s butts, giving each othslap to the side of his face er congratulatory punches, with the back of his hand. etc. If Will Smith had just He didn’t hit him hard won the Super Bowl and his enough to make lasting teammate kissed him on damage, but a clear mesthe cheek, I don’t think he sage was sent nonetheless. would’ve reacted the same Will turned to a shocked member of his “people” (his way.

Next time you enter publicist, perhaps?) and someone’s personal space, said, “He tried to kiss me think before you act and on the mouth!” He also let it be known that if the cam- put yourself in their shoes. eras hadn’t been rolling, he You’ll save yourself a slap, or much worse. would’ve sucker punched the guy.

Contact PAMELA NONGA NGUE at My initial reaction to the pamnonga@ucdavis.edu. video was uncontrollable

Space invasion

T

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Cont. from page 4 carbon for a longer period of time.

However, when the trees are used for bioenergy or paper, almost all of their stored carbon is released into the atmosphere, contributing to greenhouse gases.

“If the wood is put into products like lumber (e.g. 2-by-4s) and wood panels (e.g. plywood), the carbon is stored until they are sent to the landfill where decay begins or they are burned,” Earles said. “As wood decomposes, or when it’s burned, carbon is released to the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas, typically carbon dioxide or methane.”

The researchers looked specifically at comparing the amounts and endurance of carbon in trees that are burned on-site versus those that are removed and used as wood products.

“We tried to follow the lifecycle of the wood once they left the forest and the fate of these products that they are

a change in environment.

That’s perfectly natural.

Repeatedly doing the same thing every day, week after week, can make us feel like zombies or robots with Nolan lives predetermined by our Sheldon programming. A vacation can feel like the only way to keep our sanity.

But why do we feel the need to fill our vacation days with so many plans that make us just as tired, if not more tired, than we were before? Where is the rest and relief? uring Memorial Day Longtime readers may remember that way back in weekend, a large last week’s column I chidpart of the student body takes a vacation from ed people for “doing nothing,” imploring them to get their usual lives and atout there and live their lives. tempts to live a weekend Short-time readers may rein the life of a pirate, darmember that today’s coling their bodies to fight off umn seems to be about peoscurvy as they subsist off ple doing too much and not a combination of booze, burgers and sunlight. Since doing “nothing” enough.

Both types of readers may my attempt at surviving think there’s HB2K10 a contradicwas barely a success and We get tired of our jobs, school, tion here. required a people, or just feel like we need But the long and short of week-long to get away for a while ... it is, I don’t coma to think so. sleep off Last week I said we live the hangover, I made other plans. I decided to take a our lives through a prism of vacation of my own and go “no regrets,” that this idea can prevent people from back to my hometown. taking action for fear of re Merriam and her pal gretting it later. But just as a Webster define vacation as prism refracts light into dif“a respite or a time of respite from something.” This ferent colors, this idea can also elicit different reactions dynamic duo defines refrom different people. Some spite as “an interval of rest people interpret “no regrets” or relief.” By these definito mean “don’t waste your tions, the weekend I had time” — they think life is was a far cry from a vacation. And I’m sure our Aggie short and the world is huge so they use every opportupirates feel the same. nity to experience both. It’s These past few days were a wonderful idea, but it still packed with so many activhas its faults. ities it was like my life’s bed To start, life is not short, room had just been convertit’s the longest thing we’ll ed to bunk beds. There were family dinners, family lunch- ever do. But it can feel short if we never take the es, family birthday parties, time to appreciate it, to parties with friends, lunches stop and smell the roses, with friends, barbecues with as people like to say. And family friends, trips to bars, late-night talks, midday talks, it’s hard to smell the roses when we’re skydiving in afternoon talks and even a night of babysitting and mov- between our trips to Mount ies. Any moment I had to my- Rushmore and the six cities that claim to house The self was spent sleeping or writing this. Did the weekend World’s Largest Frying Pan. At some point, a life spent even qualify as a vacation? circling the globe can be I brought this up to a an epic of time wasted, as friend of mine on the last day of my “vacation” and he well.

Maybe I’m just exhaustmade a good point. These ed from my busy weekend are the types of vacations people are expected to take. and I’m venting because I wish I had spent more time We take vacations to go rock climbing, backpacking lying around than playing around. But after takand camping, to see landing my own advice and domarks, monuments and ing the opposite of nothmuseums. Our vacations aren’t intervals of rest or re- ing for a weekend, I learned lief; we take vacations to go something. Sometimes we do something we don’t usu- need to do nothing; it gives us time to think, reflect and ally do. appreciate the things we In a way these are vacahave done. The whole time, tions are “a time of respite one thought refused to from something,” and that leave my tired mind: God, I something is our normal, need a vacation. everyday life. We get tired of our jobs, school, people, or just feel like we need to For the next few days, NOLAN SHELDON will be vacationing at nosheldon@ucdavis.edu. get away for a while, need

Vacation days

D

turned into,” said Yeh, research scientist with the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies.

The results of their study could hold implications for biofuel incentives in different regions. The researchers found that wood products in tropical countries stored very little carbon in comparison to temperate forests.

“In countries with predominantly temperate forests, such as the U.S., Canada, and many European countries, we found that between 30 and 40 percent of carbon is still stored as wood products 30 years after deforestation,” Earles said.

What this means for the global environment is that the American biofuel industry may change its methods of outsourcing. For example, if the U.S. decides to provide an incentive for corn ethanol, less-profitable crops like soybeans may go to other countries. In the process, the new country will have to clear out forests to provide room for the new crops.

“The biofuel policies [of the U.S.

and E.U.] greatly expand the demands for biofuel feedstock, sometimes by displacing forest land or existing agricultural land, which in turn lead to more conversion of forest land for the displaced agricultural production,” Yeh said.

According to Skog, the supervisory research forester of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, greenhouse gas emissions have been decreasing since 2005.

“Scientific research is continuing to better identify what the smarter choices are concerning use of natural resources to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions,” Skog said.

The destination of the displaced agricultural production and the way the wood from that forest land is used would impact how much carbon would be emitted into the atmosphere. This information could help reduce the overall possible emission of greenhouse gases from these global crops.

RACHEL KUBICA can be reached at science@theaggie.org.

Aggie Digest Two men’s basketball players transfer away Former Aggie basketball players Alex Tiffin and Mike Kurtz announced their departure from UC Davis earlier this quarter, and their destinations have now been confirmed.

According to The Los Angeles Times, Tiffin will be crossing the Causeway to play for Sacramento State next year.

The Thousand Oaks, Calif. native started 14 of the 30 games he played and posted an average of 3.3 points per game.

Tiffin contributed one point and one rebound against his future team in the Aggies’ 61-69 loss to the Hornets this season.

It was previously rumored that Tiffin

was considering Chaminade University in Honolulu in addition to Sac State.

Kurtz will take his talents down south to Biola University. The seven-footer redshirted the 2011-12 season after seeing substantial playing time his freshman year, when he posted 2.4 points per game and a .323 shooting percentage from three-point range.

Biola is an NAIA institution and Kurtz will have three years of eligibility remaining.

In addition to Kurtz and Tiffin, sophomore Harrison Dupont and freshman Tyrell Corbin announced earlier this spring that they will not be returning to the Aggies’ roster next year.

— Matthew Yuen

wednesday, may 30, 2012 3

The california aggie

compost Cont. from page 4 one very important benefit in that it returns organic matter to soil.

[This] organic matter has many positive benefits to soil’s physical, chemical and biological properties,” said Michael Singer, a professor emeritus in the department of land, air and water resources at UC Davis.

A major factor contributing to this loss in organic matter is that much of what is taken out

of the soil is not put back in. As Nakamura explained, instead of composting, people often send decomposable waste to a landfill, where it becomes compacted with waste that is not decomposable, keeping the natural process from occurring.

But despite the complexity of the science behind composting, Kim said the practice of composting is actually quite simple and that anyone can compost. While putting plates from the MU into the compost bin is a good start, students can also

do it in their own apartments or homes.

Both Kim and Nakamura agree that the easiest way to compost in a dorm or apartment is by using vermicomposting, a type of composting using a specific species of worms called red wigglers.

The red wigglers do most of the breakdown process, so that the compost needs less bacteria and fungi.

Using this method, students can keep their compost inside in a confined bin. “[Vermicomposting] is ideal

for apartments because it’s confined, small, and basically the worms do all the work for you.

All you have to do is feed them the decomposable material,” Nakamura said.

Project Compost holds free workshops throughout the year giving an in-depth tutorial on how to practice vermicomposting and starting participants off with their own worm bins. Other workshops are held throughout the year as well on other ways students can incorporate composting into their lives.

Project Compost’s next workshop is on June 2 in front of the Tri-Co-ops.

Kim believes the most important aspect of composting for students is that it makes them aware of the state of today’s environment.

“It brings people closer to the earth, gives them more understanding about the impacts of living the way we do and is a great start to learning about the environment,” Kim said.

CLAIRE MALDARELLI can be reached at science@ theaggie.org.

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Sudoku

EXPERIMENTAL SUBJECTS participants needed for easy 60-90 min. experiment. Perform group decisionmaking task. Must be 18 years or older to participate. Register: www.experimetrix2.com/ucdesp. One time participation only. You will be compensated $10-20. Payment determined in part by individual success in task.

www.theaggie.org Hard Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Every row must contain one of each digit.

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Science &Technology

4 wednesday, MAY 30 2012

The california Aggie

The science and practice of composting How and what to compost

By CLAIRE MALDARELLI Aggie Science Writer

As a student at UC Davis, one of the most prominent agricultural universities in the country, you are probably well aware of the practice of composting. However, other than throwing away your decomposable garbage in the designated “Compost Bins” at the MU, you may not know much about it.

But many students and UC Davis professors argue that composting is not only vital to our soil and environment as a whole, but also fun, easy and doable no matter where you live.

In simple terms, composting is the decomposition of plant materials and other once-living or-

ganisms into a stable, dirt-like composition known as humus.

However, the science of composting can also be very complex.

“Composting requires four main [ingredients] for it to work effectively: carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and water,” said Natsuki Nakamura, a junior environmental science and management major and piles director at Project Compost, a student-run and -funded unit dedicated to composting.

As Nakamura explained, each of these four ingredients has a specific purpose for the microbes that decompose the once-living organisms in the compost pile.

Carbon is specifically needed for energy and high carbon materials tend to be brown and dry.

Nitrogen is needed for building proteins, which in turn would help grow and reproduce more microorganisms. Oxygen and wa-

Zach Land-Miller / Aggie

The Project Compost truck carries bins from around campus. ter are added to speed up the decomposition process.

Oxygen is especially important

Where and how trees are used affects greenhouse gas emissions

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By RACHEL KUBICA Aggie Science Writer

Want to read the classics without shelling out the cash? Project Gutenberg has you covered. As the largest online collection of free e-books, Project Gutenberg has everything from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice to H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine.

By RACHEL KUBICA Aggie Science Writer

The volume of greenhouse gas released when a forest is cleared depends on the part of the world where the trees are grown and how they will be used, according to a new study by UC Davis researchers.

In the study, lead author and doctoral student with the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies Jeffrey Mason Earles, along with Sonia Yeh and Kenneth E. Skog, found that when trees are felled to create solid wood products such as furniture or lumber for housing, the wood stores Deforestation in Southern Mexico.

See COMPOST, page 3

Tech Tips

New UC Davis study looks at impacts of deforestation

See FOREST, page 2

because most microorganisms in the compost pile work in an aerobic, or with oxygen, environment.

“Oxygen is what accounts for the heat in compost piles. The oxidation of carbon by the microorganisms produces heat. Often, it can get hot enough that the compost pile begins to steam, which is pretty cool,” Nakamura said.

Science aside, composting is most importantly a simple means to help the environment.

“Compost is a viable resource for gardening and agriculture.

Any diversion of the waste we produce would be beneficial to prevent detrimental effects to the environment and to humans,” said Alisa Kim, student unit director at Project Compost.

Composting is important to the environment in many ways, but mainly it helps restore soil to its most ideal state.

“Adding compost to soils has

courtesy

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Is it legal?

The website is easy to use; it provides a top-100 list of popular books for those who might want somewhere to start, as well as a search function for those who are looking for something specific.

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Project Gutenberg publishes their books in a variety of formats, so owning an e-book reader is not a requirement. You can read from the browser (online) or download the plain text formatted book and read from a file on your computer (offline). In addition, many mobile phones have free e-book reader apps that allow you to read these books on the go, provided you download the appropriate format for e-readers.

Project Gutenberg can be accessed at www.gutenberg.org.

RACHEL KUBICA can be reached at science@theaggie. org.