“Used Water as an Ecosystem Equilibrator through a Modified Dish Rack”

____________________

A Research Proposal Presented to

The Senior High School Faculty

STI West Negros University

Bacolod City

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By:

Aguirre, Christine Joy

Bagcal, Genny Rose
Caguin, Clarice
Dela Gente, Dhanna Eunice
Divino, Ram Delle
Gamboa, Randy
Lauren, Curt
Ledesma, Cyren
Oquiana, Joshua
Pastias, Vanessa
Pronda, Schannah
Villeta, Jomar
 Introduction

Background of the Study

In today’s 21st century, the society we live in is in constant change. Due to a massive

increase in the earth’s population, affordable housing has become more limited around the world.

In Sweden, 94 percent of the population live in a municipality where there is a housing shortage,

and the overall housing deficit has drastically increased during the past year. This situation has led

to an increasing demand on compact housing and furniture, which can accommodate more

residents per square meter compared to traditional housing options (Eileen Huang, 2017).

In exporting countries, the sector of ornamental fish produced and bred in captivity is

undergoing rapid growth – a fact supported by both FAO statistics (2007) and data provided by

the University of Amazonas in Manaus. In a socio-economic context, this growth is important for

the development of rural and poor populations, who can use this sustainable and renewable source

of income with a minimal impact on natural ecosystems (Monticini, 2010).

Vertical farming is potentially suitable for crops that are produced quickly, have high

value, are perishable, are small and have a large harvestable index,” says Runkle. “This includes

leafy greens, such as lettuce, arugula and kale and herbs such as basil and mint, as well as

ornamental transplants for the floriculture industry and field transplants for the vegetable

industry. The concept is not that new, but the industry is just beginning to emerge in the United

States, where people increasingly want locally sourced, healthy and fresh food (Whetstone,

2018).
 When it comes to cleaning dishes, there's no contest: Hand washing uses far more water,

even if you're not filling up the dishwasher. In our tests, we found that it took just over 12

gallons of water to wash four place settings by hand. If your faucet isn't as efficient as ours—

which is rated at one gallon of water flow per minute—you might use even more water. In other

words, hand washing used 5 times as much water as an efficient dishwasher, and 3.5 times more

water as an average dishwasher. The more dishes you wash by hand, the more water you'd waste.

Many past studies (Whirlpool et.al 1993) have analyzed how consumers wash dishes and, in

particular, how they use their dishwashers. The findings indicate that the actual water and energy

usage for household dishwashing is to a large extent controlled by the consumer. Through such

decisions as machine versus hand washing, the extent of pre-rinsing dishes, the selection of

dishwasher cycles, and how fully and efficiently the dishwasher is loaded, consumers ultimately

decide the water and energy use involved in the dishwashing process. Despite the improved

energy and water efficiency of today's dishwashers, water and energy are wasted because of the

poor dishwashing habits and practices of many consumers. Many consumers are still pre-rinsing

their dishes in a sink before placing them into a dishwasher, despite manufacturers' instructions

stating this is not needed. Such a practice uses many excess gallons of water and energy (Journal

Extension, 2003).

The 2019 Global Vertical Farming research report suggests the industry is expected to

flourish over the next decade. Vertical farming is a new, innovative and sustainable urban

farming method, whereby farms produce food that utilises all available indoor space, these farms

are often situated near large towns and cities – meaning that food does not have to travel far to

reach the consumer. Vertical farmers incorporate growing systems into rooftop settings, onto the

sides of commercial high rises; or into “farmscrapers”, maximising even more urban square
footage without requiring real estate investment or changes to the growing process. According to

the Market report, in 2018 the global vertical farming market was worth approximately $2.1

billion (€1.86 billion). Over the next 10 year time frame, the market is projected to grow by 25.7

per cent. Despite the projected growth in the industry, vertical farming is currently still in its

infancy; with only one in three urban farmers able to make a profit from their harvest in

2016.The increase in popularity of vertical farms comes after the news that innovators in the

market are pledging to grow produce in ideal conditions indoors, without the use of pesticides;

and with dramatically reduced amounts of water and energy. Additionally, environmentalists are

keen to follow the idea of food being produced locally – potentially even in the buildings where

consumers work – as it means that food products will travel shorter distances from their source;

as well as retaining greater health benefits due to the reduced impact of travel on the nutritional

values of food. According to vertical farming research at Arizona State University: “[if] fully

implemented [globally], urban agriculture could produce as much as 180 million metric tons of

food a year — perhaps 10% of the global output of legumes, roots and tubers, and vegetable

crops.” (Europa, 2019).

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to create an ecosystem equilibrator through a modified dish rack using

used water.

Specifically, this study seeks the answer the following questions:

1. Who will benefit and be the new revenue of this kind of study?

a. Household

b. Marine breeders
 c. Manufacturers

2. How are you going to maintain this study?

3. How long will the water and marine fishes will be able to contain their life span?

4. Is this agricultural friendly invention will function its purpose?

Significance of the Study

This study will be conducted to provide benefits for:

Household. They can wash the dishes in their everyday lifestyle; first, the dishes will be well-

organized. Second, they can use the aquarium as their additional decoration and everyday

activity. Lastly, they will become an agricultural friendly in the society.

Seniors with Alzheimer’s. Aquarium is included as one of the therapies for them because base

on the studies, seniors with Alzheimer’s experiences a variety of health benefits from watching

an aquarium and helps their mind to relax.

Community. Given the undeniable issues on global warming, it is but of great importance of

that water conservation is a must. The community will be knowledgeable on how to conserve

water. It will give realizations on how important water conservation is.

Entrepreneur. The given data will encourage entrepreneurs to set an example on how to

conserve water and gain profit from this study.

Scope and Limitation

This research is conducted within the household and it aims to help people to dry their

plates but then provides water to the plants and also to the marine lives under the dish rack. Also,

it aims to help a family on their needs because the marine lives below can breed and sell.

This study will use true research design in the sense that it aims to innovate a

multipurpose dishrack that will help every household family and business correlation build

something new out of the market. It will help the attitude towards conserving water, agricultural

friendly and produce marine life in 1 idea. This study involves summative answers for innovative

biodiversity matters.

Definition of Terms

AGRICULTURE. Conceptually, the term refers to the science, art, or practice of cultivating the

soil, producing crops, and raising livestock and in varying degrees the preparation and marketing

of the resulting products (Merriam-Webster).

Operationally, the term refers to the importance of observing and measuring of the

variability of the crops. Support economy and be a global community practice.

CONSERVE. Conceptually, the term refers to maintain (a quantity) constant during a process of

chemical, physical, or evolutionary change (Merriam-Webster).

Operationally, the term refers to the process in which the usage of certain object is

minimized and lessen.

VERTICAL FARMING. Conceptually, the term refers to the activity of growing crops tall

buildings with many floors and promises to increase food supplies without using more land

(Cambridge Dictionary).

Operationally, the term refers to the alternative way of farming through using a vertical

designed container whether it has a large or small quantity in it.

LIFESTYLE. Conceptually, the term refers to the particular way that a person or group lives and

the values and ideas supported by that person or group (Cambridge Dictionary).

Operationally, the term refers to our everyday chores as Filipinos; helps us in preserving

Mother Nature through an innovative investment for others.

ECONOMIC GROWTH. Conceptually, the term refers to the increase in the production of

economic goods and services, compared from one period of time to another. It can be measured in

nominal or real (adjusted for inflation) terms. Traditionally, aggregate economic growth is

measured in terms of gross national product (GNP) or gross domestic product (GDP), although

alternative metrics are sometimes used (Investopedia).

Operationally, the term refers to be one of the factors that contributes in the increasing

economic growth and may held an alternative research for our country.

GLOBAL WARMING. Conceptually, the term refers to the the phenomenon of increasing

average air temperatures near the surface of Earth over the past one to two centuries. Climate

scientists have since the mid-20th century gathered detailed observations of various weather

phenomena (such as temperatures, precipitation, and storms) and of related influences on climate

(such as ocean currents and the atmosphere’s chemical composition). These data indicate that

Earth’s climate has changed over almost every conceivable timescale since the beginning of
geologic time and that the influence of human activities since at least the beginning of the Industrial

Revolution has been deeply woven into the very fabric of climate change (Encyclopedia

Britannica).

Operationally, the term refers as one of the main problems that we are currently facing.

Thus, the community should know how to conserve water to help ameliorate this problem.

AQUARIUM. Conceptually, the term refers to the glass tank filled with water, in which people

keep fish (Collins’ Dictionary).

Operationally, the term refers to one of the main points of the dish rack. It is where filtered

water goes and holds fishes to be displayed.

RURAL. Conceptually, the term refers to the sparsely populated area outside of the limits of a city

or town or a designated commercial, industrial, or residential center. Rural areas are characterized

by farms, vegetation, and open spaces (Business Dictionary).

Operationally, the term refers to Filipinos who live in rural areas can help breed and yield

ornamental fishes as a sustainable source of income.

FOREIGN LITERATURE

The introduction of innovative agricultural methods such as vertical farming is changing

the way the world thinks about food. Further developments in agri-food will require significant

levels of collaboration between industry bodies in order to boost production and consumption of

sustainable and healthy foods and ecological impacts of small hydropower plants on headwater

stream fish: from individual to community effects Ecological impacts of small hydropower

plants on headwater stream fish: from individual to community effects. Ecology of Freshwater

Fish 25 (2), 295-306, 2016 Hydroelectricity is increasingly used worldwide as a source of

renewable energy, and many mountain ranges have dozens or hundreds of hydropower plants,

with many more being under construction or planned. Although the ecological impacts of large

dams are relatively well known, the effects of small hydropower plants and their wares have

been much less investigated. In the impacted reaches, there was a significantly lower presence of

refuges for fish, poorer habitat quality, more pools and less riffles and macrophytes, and

shallower water levels. We also observed higher fish abundance, larger mean fish size and better

fish condition in the control than in impacted reaches, although the results were species‐specific.

Our study highlights the effects of water diversion of small hydropower plants from the

individual to the population and community levels but probably underestimates them, urging for

further assessment and mitigation of these ecological impacts. (Llorente, 2009)

Laboratory experiments and quasi-experimental field studies have documented beneficial

effects of indoor plants on outcomes such as psychophysiological stress, task performance, and

symptoms of ill health. Such studies have taken an interest in the value of indoor plants in work

settings, but they typically have not considered how the effects of plants might compare with

effects of other workplace characteristics. The present study makes an initial attempt to situate the

potential benefits of indoor plants in a broader workplace context. With cross-sectional survey data

from 385 Norwegian office workers, we used hierarchical regression analyses to estimate the

associations that plants and several often-studied workplace factors have with perceived stress,

sick leave, and productivity. Other variables included in our models were gender, age, physical

workplace factors (e.g., noise, temperature, lighting, air quality), and psychosocial workplace

factors (demands, control, social support). After controlling for these variables, the number of

indoor plants proximal to a worker's desk had small but statistically reliable associations with sick
leave and productivity. Although small, such associations can have substantial practical

significance given aggregation over the large number of office workers over time. (Olivar, 2009)

There is a growing body of research arguing the relevance of practice approaches to

understand resource consumption, and to highlight alternative pathways to sustainability. These

practice approaches offer an alternative conceptualization of demand and have been

demonstrated largely by qualitative research, particularly in the work on water and energy

consumption in the home. However, these historical narratives and qualitative research have not,

to date, lead to the development of quantitative or mixed methodologies that could potentially

reflect the diversity of performances of practice across populations in a more systematic way.

This paper reflects, critically, on one such attempt to scale a practice-based perspective into a

quantitative survey on water consumption and practice in homes in the south and South-East of

England. The use of quantitative and mixed methodology has substantial potential – from

translating practice-based research to policy; developing indictors to track patterns of practices as

they change over time; and the exploration of methodologies that reflect the bundling and

coordination of practices associated with water use inside and outside the home. The benefits and

utility of such a methodological approach are highlighted as cautions and future research

directions. (Brocineo, 2009)

LOCAL LITERATURE

Agricultural innovation typically arises through dynamic interaction among the multitude

of actors involved in growing, processing, packaging, distributing, and consuming or otherwise

using agricultural products. For innovation to occur, interactions among these diverse

stakeholders need to be open and to draw upon the most appropriate available knowledge. Aside
from a strong capacity in R&D, the ability to innovate is often related to collective action,

coordination, the exchange of knowledge among diverse actors, the incentives and resources

available to form partnerships and develop businesses and conditions that make it possible for

farmers or entrepreneurs to use the innovations (World Bank 2012).

Research, education, and extension are usually not sufficient to bring knowledge, technologies,

and services to farmers and entrepreneurs and to get them to innovate. Innovation requires a

much more interactive, dynamic, and ultimately flexible process in which the actors deal

simultaneously with many conditions and complementary activities that go beyond the

traditional domains of R&D and extension. These conditions and complementary interventions

have not been consistently addressed to date; new, additional ways and means of doing so are

needed (World Bank 2012).

An AIS approach looks at the multiple conditions and relationships that promote innovation in

agriculture. It may offer a more flexible means of dealing with the varied conditions and contexts

in which innovation must occur. Figure 1 presents a conceptual framework for an AIS modified

from Spielman and Birner (2008).

The essential elements of an innovation system include a) knowledge and education domain, b)

business and enterprise domain, and c) bridging institutions that link the two domains. The

knowledge and education domain is represented at the left-hand side of the Framework and is

composed of the agricultural research and education systems. The business and enterprise

domain is shown on the right-hand side and comprises the set of value chain actors and activities

that both use outputs from the knowledge and education domain, and innovate independently.

Between these domains are the bridging institutions such as extension services, political
channels, and stakeholder platforms that facilitate the transfer of knowledge and information

between the domains (Spielman and Birner, 2008).

The framework also includes reference to the frame conditions that foster or impede innovation,

including public policies on innovation and agriculture; informal institutions that establish the

rules, norms, and cultural attributes of a society; and the behavior, practices, and attitudes that

condition the ways in which individuals and organizations within each domain act and interact.

Implicit throughout the system are farmers who are considered as consumers and producers of

knowledge and information, as producers and consumers of agricultural goods and services, as

bridging institutions between various components, and as value chain actors. Beyond the borders

of the system are essential influencing factors such as linkages to other sectors of the economy

(manufacturing and services); general science and technology policy; international actors,

sources of knowledge, and markets; and the political system. Water plays an important function

in life's sustenance, but the sources of water globally are constantly under siege from naturally

occurring events, from continuing population growth and from economic development. As a

result of the rapid increase in both global population and industrialization, there are increasing

and conflicting demands for water for domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes. Supply and

access to water has become one of the most critical challenges confronting humanity today.

(Spielman and Birner, 2008).

The Philippines, a comparatively water-rich country, is not immune from the threat to its water

resources. Unfortunately, it faces the same problem of water shortage due to decades of

population increase, destruction of tropical rainforest and catchment areas, water pollution,

excessive extraction of groundwater, general water misuse, and poor resource management. The
government has attempted to establish market-based mechanisms based on a socially conscious

system of water tariffs. Despite all the regulatory efforts, little has been achieved in the way of

ensuring long-term conservation of the nation's water and other natural resources. The aim of this

document is to present the Philippine experience in terms of the institutional factors surrounding

water delivery and pricing and their implications for achieving sustainable water resources. The

document is structured in five sections: (i) international water pricing mechanisms; (ii)

Philippine water laws and policies; (iii) existing raw-water pricing schemes in the Philippines;

(iv) market-based mechanisms' experience in the Philippines in the case of payments for

ecosystem services (PES); and (v) current challenges. The paper concludes with a call for an

effective pricing mechanism as a means of protection. (Spielman and Birner, 2008).

 Chapter 2

METHODOLOGY

Source of Data

The researchers will take a look with its performance and conduct multiple tests on the

invention to make sure and to be liable that this product of ours is suitable with its stated

purpose. The most important and the first test the researchers will conduct is the “Functionality

Test”. It will be conducted on the multi-purpose dish rack to ensure if this invention will function

properly or not, based on the expected outcome. If the invention was not successful in the first

test, we will run again for more tests until we attain the right intended way for this research. The

second test to be managed is the “Efficiency Test”. This test is to oversee if it can still manage to

water the plants and escapes the water unto the aquarium by conserving water.

Source of Material

The material that the researchers need for their invention are, dish rack, elongated pots

for plants, filter box with the different components for filtration and aquarium with or without

oxygen machine.