Posted on 07/30/2007 7:55:43 AM PDT by Millee
The Western World's dependence on flush toilets could be its environmental downfall.
Toilets that use less water, such as the "squat toilet" in which one squats over a hole in the ground, are prevalent in parts of Asia, Europe and Africa, but a new historical study suggests that after decades of flushing, it will take radical innovations for the mainstream West to adopt any new system.
"Most people can hardly imagine that other ways of handling human waste have ever existed," said study author Maj-Britt Quitzau, an environmental sociologist with the National Environmental Research Institute of Denmark. "But actually, systems did exist prior to the flushing toilet where human waste was collected within the cities and re-used in farming areas."
Since the 1900s, scientists have known that flushing away human waste comes with environmental consequences , such as using precious, potable water. Each year, a typical person will use almost 4,000 gallons of drinking water to flush away 75 pounds of feces and 130 gallons of urine, according to a 2001 study by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
The article, if you read much of it was about other options than the traditional toilet. Although squatting over a hole was one of the options, I prefer other possibilities such as composting waste systems, http://www.clivusmultrum.com/index.htm . Unlike some who refuse to budge when warned about things to come until it's too late and they find themselves being forced to do things that are just plain unacceptable, I intend to be in a position where I can make as much money off of the rest of you as possible. Did I mention that I'm a plumbing engineer?
“Spreading human waste on cropland was outlawed around 1970, at least in Illinois.”
Now they just shovel it out of City hall in Chicago and Gov. Blago drives it down to Springfield.
That’s the “if it’s yellow, let it mellow; if it’s brown, flush it down” method.
Looks like the solution on that site is not a viable option for my home as the basement is not big enough for the composter and my yard doesn’t have enough space for their other products. Maybe that is a fine company to support public and commercial needs, but not yet private.
We used some interesting toilets in Canada. On out fly in fishing trips the cabins have all changed from out houses to indoor compost toilets. Looks like a regular toilet with no water. When you through you just drop in a scoop of compost. Other than a fresh compost smell there was nothing offencive. On the toilet was a sign saying “ If you take a poop, leave a scoop”. Now there is a little problem when swapping out the full container for an empty.
i think you were right the first time.
I’ll follow the lead of Al Gore Jr., Mikey Moore and Rosie on this one.
Leave it to Swedes to conduct such a study.
Actually, your TOTO commode was most likely built by TOTO USA, Inc. at its plant in Morrow, Georgia. I agree, though, they are extremely efficient.
It’s kinda pointless to have those damned things when you have to flush them 5 times to work.
If you only used 1 square of TP, the low flow would be enough.
they charge for use and removal of the water.
talk to your city about getting a second meter on your home solely for irrigation.
There's got to be a better way.
By the way, I know all of this because I just got involved with running a water company and just recently took and passed the Certified Water Distribution Operator examination.
Then economically, I am better off staying in my house and paying the rates as they continue to increase. However, if better solutions present themselves, I will keep my eye on them.
Ah, I’m not worried one bit about my grass. As long as it is dormant, then I don’t have to mow it....Not only am I a miser, but I am lazy too!
“talk to your city about getting a second meter on your home solely for irrigation.”
No way! I like it when the grass is dormant. It means less manual labor and more time to relax. ;-)
Laziness is the true mother of invention!
i grew up on a farm without indoor plumbing until i was 10 years.
they can take their out house and shove it.
I’ve read that the capacity of composting toilets is limited. I wonder how many you would need for year-round use by a family of six?
Mrs VS
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