The Big Necessity --Rose George Lecture at Science Center

Submitted by lmcshane on Sun, 03/21/2010 - 17:41.
03/23/2010 - 19:30
03/23/2010 - 21:30
Etc/GMT-5

Rose George, acclaimed author and associate editor of Tank Magazine, will examine the world’s biggest public health crisis at Great Lakes Science Center on Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 7:30 pm. She will discuss why disease spread by waste kills more people worldwide than any other single cause of death.

Admission to the lecture is free, but reservations are necessary. Call 216-621-2400. Includes free admission to the Water exhibition. Sponsored by Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District.

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POOP

Submitted by lmcshane on Tue, 03/23/2010 - 22:58.

Okay, I have to profess amazement along with the author Rose George, that 300+ folks turned out tonight to hear about POOP. 

Great presentation.  More later.  READ or buy the book.

what we take for granted

Submitted by Susan Miller on Wed, 03/24/2010 - 07:49.

Interview with Rose George:

 

I was struck by this issue a couple years back and changed something in my own bathroom. As a result of this video (below), I collect water in the shower before I shower (waiting for water to be warm) and while showering to flush the toilet. Yes, I am saving gallons of water, cutting back on my water bill and as a result on my sewer bill. I was also made to think about waste water when I visited my nephew and niece who were living in a summer home in New Hampshire where the septic tank was too small to accomodate their dishwashing water along with all the rest. They rinsed into a basin and threw it out onto the lawn - biodegradable soap, of course. We can conserve. It doens't take fancy technology and enigineering. It just takes some thought.

I have yet to unhook the pipes because the pedestal sink is a bit too close to the wall to fit a bucket in that space. I plan to experiment with that in another bathroom later this summer. She's right - it makes no sense to use clean drinking water to flush human waste away.

Another unmentionable is toilet paper. We Americans use it in excess, whereas in other parts of the world it is an anomaly.

One tree produces about 100 pounds of toilet paper and about 83 million rolls are produced per day. An average American uses 50 pounds of toilet paper per year which is 50% more than Western countries or Japan.

There's more data and history here. This is the image gallery that had me thinking twice about using a tree to clean up after elimination. Imagine packing toilet paper when you visit India. There I go again; typing about subjects most people don't want to discuss.