Hans Schreier

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BC Drought Brings Water Conservation Issues to Forefront

This past summer, British Columbia faced a record breaking drought that brought water conservation issues to the forefront of public concern.

“We’ve never had to worry about water in BC before, so it’s come as a bit of a shock,” said Hans Schreier, Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Land and Food Systems. Schreier, who retired in 2007 after more than 30 years with the Faculty, has remained active with his research in land-water interactions, soil processes and water chemistry. “Until very recently we always assumed we have enough water and now we’re at the point where we’re going to have to compromise and share it with the environment.”

Paying for our water usage is one way to help conserve, according to Schreier.

“People think water is free,” he said. “We meter everything else but we still don’t meter water in Vancouver. If we don’t account for it and charge an appropriate rate for it, we won’t be able to pay for things like upgrading, pipes and leakage.”

In 2005, Schreier was involved with a project in the Columbia Basin that surveyed more than 20 communities to find out how much water was used on a daily basis. The numbers were eye-opening: the average person used up to 1,500 litres per person, per day – well above the Canadian average (The average Canadian consumes about 350 litres of water daily, more than double the European average of 150 litres). The project eventually led to a conservation program that offered financial resources to reduce water consumption. Nineteen of the 24 participated in the program, pledging to reduce their water consumption by 20% and 14 are about to reach this goal by the end of 2015.

But individual water consumption isn’t the only area that can be improved; agriculture consumes 70 per cent of our water worldwide.

“We need to find more water efficient ways to grow food,” said Schreier. “We’re going to need to increase food production by 50% over next 30 years in order to feed our growing global population, and Canada is one of about only five countries that has the capacity to do that. From an economic point of view, we have to be careful about what we decide to export, and focusing on products that have high value, are water efficient and don’t pollute the environment.”

We can also learn from other areas of the world that have faced drought. California, for example, experienced firsthand the effect drought can have, not only on the environment but also on the economy. In the past few years, the state has been forced to divert 6% of its electricity needs, normally met through hydro, to natural gas; a move that cost them approximately $1.4 billion.

“For the first time the world’s economic forum in Davos in 2015 has declared water as the greatest risk for business,” he said. “With climate change, drought and flood conditions are going to become more common. Too much water, not enough water, both will have huge global implications. We have a challenge ahead of us and we need to adapt to these new conditions.”

Until recently, BC didn’t have groundwater regulations. In 2014, the province introduced the Water Sustainability Act, which will provide new tools to help ensure that water stays healthy and secure for future generations of British Columbians. It will also allow government to manage surface water and groundwater as one resource, provide water users with greater certainty regarding their water rights, and establish clear rules about managing water during times of scarcity.

It’s a start but according to Schreier, even more regulations are needed.

“We’re still in the dark ages in BC in terms of water regulation,” and there are few incentives to conserve water he said. “Innovations, new regulations and conservation programs are key to effective, sustainable water management.”

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Food Science Alum Creates SIPsoda

Not many people can list gourmet ice cream bar consultant on their resume, but that’s just one of the interesting job titles food scientist Jennifer Martin has had over the course of her career.

After graduating with her BSc in Food Science in 1979, Martin earned an MBA through the UBC Sauder School of Business. She worked in food product development for a number of major companies - Loblaws, Heinz, and Dickie Dee Ice Cream – before striking out on her own and starting a company that placed water vending machines in grocery stores. That experience, along with an interest in herbs, eventually led her to create SIPsoda, a Vancouver-based company that produces “Simple Infused, Pairings of Botanicals and Fruit” set in a sparkling spring water base.

“I have a love for good water and I thought I could take herbs and use them the way the wine industry uses grapes to create unique flavours,” she said. “I wanted to develop an authentically healthy drink and lead the industry in bringing the level of added sugar down.”

Martin worked out of her kitchen, pairing fresh herbs and citrus peel, trying to come up with a unique beverage with strong health properties that used very little sugar. The result was compelling flavours like lavender lemon peel, coriander orange and rosemary lime, each with 80% less sugar than regular soda and only 25 calories a serving.

“We’re kind of a sophisticated lemonade stand,” she said, adding that as a small business owner, she’s responsible for overseeing manufacturing, distribution, public relations, and research and development. “Starting SIPsoda was a big risk because it’s a very different drink, but it’s been a lot of fun and it’s accomplishing what I wanted it to.”

SIPsoda is sold at Whole Foods, Urban Fare, Loblaws City Market and select Save on Foods, as well as served in restaurants around Vancouver, including UBC’s Point Grill.

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Postdoctoral Researcher Natural Insecticides

It’s no secret that insecticides can be harmful, not only for the environment but also for human health.

“Although there are good synthetic insecticides out there, many of those synthetic chemicals have negative effects,” said Jun-Hyung Tak, a PostdoctoralResearch Fellow in Applied Biology. “Botanical insecticides can provide a better, more natural and just as effective alternative.”

Botanical insecticides use naturally occurring chemicals extracted or derived from plants or minerals. Tak’s research involves studying the toxicological effects that botanical insecticides have on insects and why certain combinations of essential oils kill or repel them.

After completing his Masters in Entomology at Seoul National University in South Korea, Tak worked in industry for a number of years before coming to LFS to do his PhD in Plant Science (2015). What primarily drew him to the program was the chance to work alongside Professor Murray Isman, former Dean of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, and “one of the best scientists in botanical insecticides in the world.”

Botanical insecticides are typically used to get rid of common household pests — in fact, Isman helped to develop Eco Smart, a line of organic pesticides derived from plant oils sold in the U.S. — however Tak and Isman have now turned their attention to how botanical insecticides can be effectively used in agriculture.

Tak, who is planning for a career in academia, believes the way to get the most of a PhD program and become an independent researcher is to “ask the right questions. Work closely with your supervisor, but take responsibility and think of the project as your own.”

He also credits the Faculty’s welcoming environment with helping him to adjust to life in BC when he was an international student. “I’ve had the best experience in this Faculty,” he said. “The staff members are exceptional and always go the extra mile for students.”

About

Juli Carrillo’s fascination with bugs began during her childhood in Houston, Texas. “I opened an insect field guide and there were these beautiful pictures of insects in the kind of crazy colours you really only see in a jewelry box,” she said. “I just got very excited about bugs.”

That excitement, combined with her love of nature, eventually led Carrillo to pursue her graduate and PhD degrees in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at Rice University in Texas. Her postdoctoral research at Purdue University in Indiana focused on how the evolutionary history of plants has changed how plants interact with organisms in the environment, research that she will continue as part of the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm.

Carrillo uses the tomato plant as a case study. Tomatoes send out a chemical signal when they are being attacked by an herbivorous insects, like the tobacco hornworm.

“Wild tomato plants are really good at crying for help and attracting wasps, which are an enemy of the tobacco hornworm,” she said. “Domesticated tomatoes, on the other hand, perhaps due to cultivation or breeding practices, have become less resistant to insects and have reduced ability to call their wasp bodyguards in.”

Carrillo’s research will help to identify which wild and land race varieties of tomatoes are good at asking for help. Plant breeders can use this information to screen plants for particular traits which can then be bred into domesticated tomato plant to enable them to become more resistant to pests.

Carrillo is also interested in how soil affects a plant’s ability to defend itself against insects. “Soil conditions can influence how well a plant can communicate. Rather than using pesticides, growers can use soil to defend the plant against different types of damage.”

The UBC Farm is the perfect place for Carrillo to conduct this research. “We’ll be using the Farm to look at some of the different ways that soil can improve plant resilience,” she said. “There’s a lot of really interesting work being done at the Farm to try and improve the way food is produced and I’m happy to be part of that.”