This is a good argument for renewable energy in general. Other than in the actual manufacture of the equipment, wind, solar, tidal, and hydroelectric power generation create no wastewater. Eliminate the water used and sullied by coal mining and coal-fired power plants, and you could flush your old toilet from now until kingdom come and still have enough water for that lush and thirsty rectangle of St. Augustine in front of your house.
Just as decentralization is the solution to our fuel crisis, it is the solution to our water crisis as well. If every house had efficient rainwater and greywater collection and storage systems as well as rational xeriscaped yards, then the need for municipal water supply and treatment systems would be supplemental at worst and superfluous at best. -BRAH -----Original Message----- From: Maud Essen [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2003 12:07 AM To: biofuel@yahoogroups.com Subject: RE: [biofuel] Re:Water saving toilets Unfortunately, the relatively recent availability of efficient toilets has (at least in my area) apparently affected only new construction. I don't know anyone who has changed out their old toilets for the type that only flushes 1.6 gallons of water per use. Like that of many other rehabbers, my situation presents a technical challenge. My home is nearly 100 years old, and the plumbing rough-in for the toilet is not standard. This makes it impossible to change out my old, inefficient toilets for the efficient models. Although I don't know for a fact how many gallons of water we use per flush, it could be more than 3.5 or 4 gallons. So, for the time being, the only way to reduce this massive waste of water is not only to put bricks in the tank to reduce the volume of water but also to reduce the frequency of use. I can understand why you think the second option is disgusting. But to me it's more important not to waste water, which is a luxury in much of the world. Even years ago when I lived in Europe we were much more conservative in our use of water than we are in the US. It's all about sustainability (rf. http://www.earthcharter.org/). We've recently discussed on this list that the US, with only 4% of the earth's population, consumes a disproportionate amount of the planet's energy. Similarly, in the US we're consuming our aquifers at a rate that can't replenish and poisoning them at a rate from which they can't recover. When you combine those factors with with global warming and a growing population, water shortages are going to be the norm in the near future. That's why it makes so little sense to poison processed drinking water with our own waste. Here's a very interesting book... http://www.weblife.org/humanure/ It offers another perspective that may at least help you understand why our practices (which BTW already include every one on your list plus we're planning to replace our gas water heater with a tankless model) don't disgust me or my family. Maud St. Louis, Missouri >That's nice. Why only leave urine to "mellow"? I had food poisoning >once, and I swear I had clear water coming out my ass. Why bother using >the toilet at all? You could just urinate and defecate in the open? >After all it is a "natural" process. Skip the whole septic field system >and crap directly in your garden. > > > >So-called "low flush" toilets use 1.6 gallons per flush versus about 3.5 >gallons for older toilets. This is less than half the water per flush >(about 46%) of the old models. This is a significant savings that >obviates the crass need of leaving your waste for others to see and >smell. If you want to save water, try turning off the tap while >brushing your teeth, washing your dishes in a sink of soapy water rather >than under a running faucet, laundering your clothes only when you have >a full load, and installing a low-flow shower head. Better yet, take >camp showers (wet yourself, turn off the shower, lather up, and then >turn the shower back on to rinse). If you really want to save water, >then replace that thirsty lawn with native plants, and install a >rainwater collection system to save and store water for them. What I'm >saying is that there are scores of other water-saving appliances, >technologies, and techniques that are cheap and easy, and that do not >subject others to the sensory experience of your urine or feces. > > > >I rue the day that flushing the toilet becomes an unnecessary luxury! > > > >-BRAH > > > >-----Original Message----- >From: Dan Maker [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Sent: Monday, December 29, 2003 4:19 PM >To: biofuel@yahoogroups.com >Subject: Re: [biofuel] Re:Water saving toilets > > > >Maud Essen said: >> >> Even at the home of my sister who is married to an >> anti-environmentalist, they only flush on solids. Liquids and >> associated paper are accumulated until that time. I do the same at my >> house. It's just a case of awareness and commitment. In the case of >> my brother-in-law, it's cheapness (water is metered), but it has the > > same result. > >My sister used a little rhyme to teach this to her children: > >When it's yellow >let it mellow >when it's brown >flush it down > >While it may offend some peoples sensabilities, it is plain enough to >get >the point across to children (and presumably adults). > >Cheers, >Dan >-- >Jack of all trades, master of none. >Fiber Artist - Genealogist - Kilt Maker - Linux Geek - Piper - >Woodworker >http://www.xmission.com/~redbeard > > >Biofuel at Journey to Forever: >http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > >Biofuels list archives: >http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel > >Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. >To unsubscribe, send an email to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > _____ > >Yahoo! Groups Links > >* To visit your group on the web, go to: >http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ > > >* To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] ><mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >* Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of >Service <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> . > > > >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > >Biofuel at Journey to Forever: >http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > >Biofuels list archives: >http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel > >Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. >To unsubscribe, send an email to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >Yahoo! Groups Links > >To visit your group on the web, go to: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ > >To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Your use of Yahoo! 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