[Greenbuilding] ... device to purify human waste, make compost and generate electricity

[Michael O'Brien]

Hi, all--

Speaking as a former Peace Corps volunteer in a rural school (Ethiopia 1967-69), I strongly agree that more attention needs to be paid to the adoption or implementation of technologies that are appropriate within the context of local cultures. If no one understands the technology well enough to maintain it, repair it, find spare parts, prevent it from being damaged by ignorant users and so on, it will have a short life. That's not to say complex technologies won't work--today many Ethiopians have cell phones--but they need to have the accompanying support infrastructure.

Somebody in China designed a plastic water tank that is on houses all over Ethiopia now, because it's affordable, thoughtfully designed, easy to install and hook up to hoses, stable, no/low maintenance (no moving parts to wear out), can be readily moved if necessary, and meets a need for indoor water. As far as i know the cost is not subsidized. Maybe we could put the company to work on a toilet?

Best,

Mike O'Brien

On Aug 17, 2012, at 9:56 AM, Carol Steinfeld wrote:

> Great points, Sanjay. Although the situation is very complex and variable, so it's hard to make brief sum-ups. 
> 
> There are many wastewater-fed microbial fuel cell technologies already developed, but as is pointed out here in Silicon Valley: the challenge isn't the technology, it's the adoption. 
> 
> Gates Foundation has been told by many that it needs to fund implementation models, not high tech that's not going to be adopted, financed, and maintained. 
> But Bill Gates made his fortune on technology, so he thinks the world's problems need a technology fix funded with cash. 
> 
> But it's good that more technologies have been highlighted, such as this one. 
> 
> Unfortunately, the Gates money dump is elbowing out attention to the actual challenges to be met. 
> Stanford and some institutes have conducted gatherings to address the question of whether the Gates funding is helpful or if it somewhat displaces more sustainable nonprofit solutions work.
> 
> Carol
> 
> 
> On Fri, Aug 17, 2012 at 8:42 AM, sanjay jain <sanjayjainuk at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> Urine diversion may prevent electricity generation (from article: the organic waste matter is the fuel and nitrate is the oxidant)
> 
> IMO - it makes more sense to use the urine as a fertilizer than generate electricity - those people who don't have access to electricity know how to use latrines at night, usually by using 10 cent candles.
> 
> What I find offensive about these projects (composting toilets for the poor) is that they miss 2 vital issues:
> 
> 1) Composting toilets projects have been tried many many times, they FAIL. In fact toilet projects in general fail because they are technology orientated. The fact is (and I know this from experience) that people who live without toilets don't really want them. The real issue is changing their mindset about water and sanitation, before giving them a solution. 
> 
> 2) The real problem (from an environment perspective) is us, not the poor. We need to change before we can ask others to change. What gives us the right to ask others to use technology we don't use them selves? If we adopted eco-friendly technology, the poor will follow suit.
> 
> ~sanjay
> 
> From: Reuben Deumling <9watts at gmail.com>
> To: sanjay jain <sanjayjainuk at yahoo.co.uk>; Green Building <greenbuilding at lists.bioenergylists.org> 
> Sent: Friday, August 17, 2012 9:50 AM
> Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] ... device to purify human waste, make compost and generate electricity
> 
> sounds intriguing but also very complicated. A urine diverting (composting) toilet, presumably would accomplish some of the same things and has no moving parts. 
> 
> 
> On Fri, Aug 17, 2012 at 5:55 AM, sanjay jain <sanjayjainuk at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> http://www.umass.edu/loop/content/engineer-builds-low-cost-device-purify-human-waste-make-compost-and-generate-electricity
> 
> 
> 
> 
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