Creativity abounds at the 2009 IBDAA exhibition.

Summary: Dubbed IBDAA, an acronym for the International Biodiversity Day At AUB which also means "innovation" in Arabic, the poster forum included more than 100 posters, works of art, and products which were displayed near the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences. The theme this year was "chemistry in the city."

Creativity abounds at the 2009 IBDAA exhibition

More than 200 AUB students recently exhibited on campus posters, works of art, and green products to raise awareness about biodiversity.

Dubbed IBDAA, an acronym for the International Biodiversity Day At AUB which also means "innovation" in Arabic, the poster forum included more than 100 posters, works of art, and products which were displayed near the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences. The theme this year was "chemistry in the city."

IBDAA is the brainchild of the Nature Conservation Center for Sustainable Futures (IBSAR) which was created in 2002 by AUB faculty based on the belief that human beings are entrusted with Nature "to coexist with it, benefit from it, and conserve it for future generations."

"Through IBDAA, we make sure that our teachings extend beyond the walls of the laboratories and classrooms into the university's neighborhood and the country at large," said landscape design and ecosystem management professor Salma Talhouk, Director of IBSAR and one of the key organizers of the event. "We also aim to prepare messengers that promote the protection of nature, and appreciate its value to society."

"Students keep amazing us year after year," said chemistry professor Najat Salibi, one of the main organizers of the event. "They are applying what they are learning in the classroom in very practical and creative ways. We hope that more and more disciplines start contributing to this exhibit in the future."

The annual event has been attracting a growing number of advocates. This year students from a diverse group of courses that included non-science disciplines such as business, English, or fine arts, participated in the event.

Creativity abounded and the result was impressive to teachers and visitors alike.

One group from Chemistry class produced a "deodorizing daban" or an insole that kills bad-smell-causing bacteria in shoes. Ingredients included cornstarch, oregano, basil and lemongrass on recycled paper.

Another team may have happened on a natural anti-obesity recipe made from pomegranate extract. Still others created a garbage can that decomposes garbage and kills odor-causing bacteria, producing a pleasant banana smell instead.

While tobacco usually grabs headlines for its cancer-causing effect, students found a useful aspect to the crop: it inhibits corrosion thus potentially protecting steel in buildings and boats.

Another team of biology students studied green roofing as a method to prevent flooding, reduce air pollution and energy consumption, and cooling a city.

Sewage and algae also proved useful when converted into biofuels in the presence of solar energy.

Works of art also promoted biodiversity and so did posters on the business side and economic side of sustainable practice and green products.

Some students also devised a way to produce organic "white coffee," a staple Lebanese hot drink made from orange blossom water and usually drunk after elaborate meals. Another group produced a fun board game that tests players' knowledge of biodiversity.

So many ideas, so much energy. Students were eager to market their ideas and turn them into practical products that are green and sustainable.

2009 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

2009 Al Bawaba (Albawaba.com)

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