Mick Lorusso: Waste to Light Proposal

The Central de Abasto, in the southern part of Mexico City, is the largest market in Mexico, and has been referred to as the stomach of the city. Fruit, vegetables, meat, and seafood all come into the market in giant quantities, totaling 30,000 tonnes of produce daily. Of course much of the food that arrives also rots, and as a result the Central de Abasto daily produces 500 tonnes of organic waste, which mainly ends up in the landfill. Researchers in Mexico have been looking at ways to put this organic waste to use as an energy source. At the UNAM, the IPN, and the UPIBI, scientists have been developing systems for extracting biogas from the rotting organic matter, while at the UIA they have been working on producing ethanol.

Biodiamond Energy Project:
As an impetus for the construction of a bioenergy plant nearby the Central de Abasto that could supply the energy needs of the whole market complex, I propose to begin a media campaign that involves posters, stickers, pins and educational events. The insignia that I have designed for the project depicts the transformation of organic waste into light via a diamond form, which symbolizes alchemical transmutation and transmission of light. The icon provides the name for the campaign: the Biodiamond Energy Project.

Once the power plant is actually running, each group of vendors that contributes waste to this new system receives an insignia on their stand, indicating that their waste is producing their energy.

Ultimately, the altars they have set up to the Virgin of Guadalupe for the success of their businesses would be illuminated through their contributions of organic material.