| Author | Message | ||
     Whatever |
I thought this was actually sort of funny, but sad in a way... when I was in Morocco this was a huge problem... and dare I say we were forced to shit on the hard pan in the desert and then just plop a rock on top of it... hoping it wouldn't move around too much... of course EVERYONE does this in third world countries and drinking water gets contaminated and makes people sick... I do wish more filthy rich people would follow the Gates' and actually do SOMETHING to better the human condition... will be interesting to see what the engineers come up with... http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20080711-10 391704.html?tag=pop;stories Blake fix link.  (Message edited by Blake on July 20, 2011) | ||
| Whatever |
Stupid link... (CBS) Bill Gates may have given up running Microsoft, but he isn't taking his retirement sitting down. The software-entrepreneur-turned-philanthropist's charitable foundation has launched a new initiative aimed at improving the health of the billions of people who have no safe, sanitary way to get rid of their waste. That's right, Bill Gates wants to reinvent the toilet. "No innovation in the past 200 years has done more to save lives and improve health than the sanitation revolution triggered by invention of the toilet," Sylvia Mathews Burwell, president of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's global development program, said in an address at a conference in Kigali, Rwanda, according to a written statement released by the foundation. "But it did not go far enough. It only reached one-third of the world. What we need are new approaches." Forty percent of the world's population lacks access to flush toilets, and more than a billion people defecate into the open, according to the statement. That's not only revolting but also tragic. UNICEF estimates that at least 1.2 million children under age five die of diarrhea each year, and contact with human feces is the main cause, Time reported. Access to toilets could go a long way to preventing these deaths, the statement said. In addition to preventing diarrhea, better access to toilets could boost school and work attendance of girls and women, who risk embarrassment and sexual assault when they are forced to defecate in the open or use public restrooms. To jump-start the effort, the foundation is ponying up $42 million in grants aimed at spurring innovation in the "capture and storage of waste." It will also work with local communities to end open defecation and boost access to "sanitation solutions." What sorts of solutions are envisioned? The foundation is working to develop waterless toilets that do not rely on sewer connections - and which might turn human waste into fuel to fertilizer, fuel, or even safe drinking water. In one project the foundation is funding, a team from Stanford University is looking to build a system in Nairobi that would turn human waste into charcoal, the Seattle Times reported. And a Swiss team is working on a toilet that would turn urine into water used for cleaning. The World Toilet Organization has more on toilets, sanitation, and health. | ||
| Geforce |
I've often wondered myself why we still need to use 3.8 liters of water to flush urine or a little turdy. I'm sure he'll come up with something, making it just as effective... cheap and affordable will be the next step. | ||
| Hootowl |
Pardon my cynicism, but if a functional toilet saves a million people in Africa, won't they just die of hunger, AIDS, the neighboring tribe's multi-generational penchant to hack off limbs with machetes, etc.? Again...pardon my cynicism. Africa is a complete mess, and I don't think a toilet is going to save them. | ||
| Mtjm2 |
The money may be better spent on Birth Control . Geforce , if its yellow let it mellow if it brown flush it down ! but you may have to flush twice if you wipe to much . | ||
| Whatever |
Ummm... have you guys even ever been to Africa ? Might open your eyes and your minds a little bit if you did go... might help your ignorance to see how most of the world lives... just a suggestion. | ||
| Hootowl |
I wouldn't go Africa if you paid me. Please don't mistake my frustration for ambivalence. Getting rid of disease related to sanitation seems like a great idea, but I think it is akin to saving someone from a lion so they can be eaten by a tiger. AIDS has wiped out most of the working age generation in those impoverished areas that have these sanitation problems. Rape is commonplace, and men feel that it is a rite of passage to manhood. They line up to rape a woman who is HIV positive and they don't know or don't care. Africa (not all of it, just the places stricken with with famine, war and pestilence) will not be saved by toilets. In fact, the toilets will be stolen or destroyed by the same jackasses that come in and pollute wells and slaughter farm animals, kill boys and rape and murder women. That's not fair, sometimes they just cut their nipples off so they can't breastfeed their babies. Because, you know, starving babies to death is fun. If pouring money into Africa would solve the problem, I'd be all for it, and frankly the problem would have already been solved. We're just treating the symptoms. Sanitation and poverty are not the cause of Africa's problems, they are simply the results. | ||
| Swordsman |
I'm with ya Hoot. Civilized nations have been trying to "save" Africa for as long as I can remember, and probably longer. Pouring money into that hellhole for 3+ decades hasn't done much of anything but turn some barbarians into well funded barbarians. Gates needs to develop something that will change mindsets. ~SM | ||
| Rocketsprink |
And that attitude is exactly what is wrong in the world and this Country. So god damn negative this website has become | ||
| Hootowl |
"Gates needs to develop something that will change mindsets." That shouldn't be a problem. He's convinced us all to use Windows hasn't he?  | ||
| Swordsman |
Er... sorry if reality has bummed you out there, Sprink. I don't see my statement as being an "attitude". How many billions of dollars have been sent, and what has been accomplished? That's all I'm saying. I'm all for some high tech toilets. But based on what we've seen in the past, I simply don't expect it to accomplish very much. Char, I think I'm missing something... what was the point of the rock on top...? ~SM (Message edited by Swordsman on July 20, 2011) | ||
| Hootowl |
Again, please do not mistake my frustration for ambivalence. I think the civilized world needs to do something. I'm not wishy-washy on that point. I don't think toilets is the thing we should be concentrating on. Even Bono, the man whom has done more for Africa than any other, expresses his frustration about his work being impeded by corruption and the culture of violence that pervades Africa. I think the state that Africa is in is abhorrent. People should not have to live like that. I just don't know what we can do about it. Money doesn't seem to be helping. It has created a level of corruption seldom seen in modern times however. So I guess that's something we can all be proud to be a part of. Where's the sarcasm emoticon? | ||
| Blake |
>>> Sanitation and poverty are not the cause of Africa's problems, they are simply the results. That is a sound observation. Still not a bad idea to try to help at all levels. | ||
| Strokizator |
So god damn negative this website has become Let's all join hands now and sing "kum ba ya". | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
And that attitude is exactly what is wrong in the world and this Country. So god damn negative this website has become You all can help as long as you do it with YOUR money. | ||
| Moxnix |
Now, Char....I went to Africa five times in the 1970s in my "various offshore appointments of a contractual nature." Last two times had infections and decided to never go back below the Sahara. However, I feel I know a bit about it and have friends there. This guy used to be my best friend: http://francisgnango.org/2.html I knew him when he was just a kid with a machine gun. Now he runs a decent little NGO from Germany. I'm in the "TIA" camp when it comes to problems (hey, this is Africa). The problems are huge and the cures are overwhelming, no matter how many NGOs we support. Chinese and Indian companies are gaining control with mining and other exploitations, riding roughshod over locals, stealing farms after paying off a crooked politicians, etc. Gates is invested in the same Nigerian Delta oil concerns that poison those living near them. Africans want to save themselves. My motto is, "don't eat the pygmies." | ||
| Whatever |
You know, as long as I have been a part of the badweb community I have never been so close to at a loss for words... but I am truly stunned... THE TOPIC OF THIS THREAD WAS TOILET TECHNOLOGY, NOT AFRICA !!! If you want to talk about Africa, start your own ••••••• thread on Africa!!! Do you think that India is hopeless because there are millions of people there that have to drink their own shit infested water? How about Pakistan, South America, Central America, Malaysia, China... after all, they do breed more than we do... Rocco, I am right there with you on this one... I went there in 1989(Morocco) and in 1991 (Kenya). And, hands down, the attitudes that the people in Africa that had absolutely nothing were not short of miraculous in my opinion, given the situations people were in. Have any of you ever been outside of your own suburban, white bread, racist, hate filled neighborhoods ???  I was trying to put it politely... now start acting like the grown men you are supposed to be or get off my ••••••• thread !!!  | ||
| Moxnix |
Sheese, don't sugar coat things for us sanitational luddites. | ||
| Pwnzor |
Thanks for the driveby, Rocket!  Seriously, does any thread actually belong to anybody? Sort of pretentious, if you ask me. Do you see the grey poupon colored background? This is BadWeB, the land of skewed viewpoints and vicious logic. I flush my toilet at least twice every time I take a dump. I have power-assist high flow toilets in my home. Grew up in a ghetto, the one white chip in a chocolate chip cookie. Got no problem with my non-hyphenated American friends, or how they flush their toilets. (Message edited by pwnzor on July 20, 2011) | ||
| Mtjm2 |
WOW Whatever !! REALLY ? . Thanks Hootowl | ||
| Hootowl |
"suburban, white bread, racist, hate filled neighborhoods" I do not live in such a neighborhood, and quite frankly I resent the implication. The race card is played out. The topic was toilets as they would relate to helping the situation in Africa, making the situation in Africa a fair topic. Now I will quit your thread as you so graciously requested. | ||
| Moxnix |
I'll email Francis and tell him we can't be friends anymore based on my hate. Oh, wait, one third of my employees are black. The bridge two streets down is named for a well known local black guy who lives near it. I'm urban, though I might well drive a Suburban if gas were less expensive. We have a sense of community in our neighborhood. I wonder if I should tell the folks around us that is just hateful. Thank you Sir Thomas Crapper, inventor of the modern loo. We used honey buckets in much of rural Alaska, or outhouses. Did I mention I was employed by the Village Safe Water System up there, keeping the water safe and the sanitation system working. Oh, I know nuthin' 'bout nuthin.' And am full of hate. Group hug. And showing folk the bedouin system ought to improve things without spending a lot of money. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I just came back from Honduras where we dug a fresh water well, installed water lines, installed a gravity feed tank, installed a pump system and set up 32 families recently displaced by the Honduran government with fresh water for the first time in this community's history. The previous team set up a sanitary ceptic system to prevent ground water contamination. Subsequent teams are working to help this community to create permanent living structures as well as help them to establish economic opportunities. They have just recently created a very small talapia farm with 230 fish, a tiny shrimp farm, and we helped them dig irrigation trenches for the new lettuce farm. Once they can prove that they are self sufficient economically and from a sanitation stand point, they will be granted ownership of the land parcels by the Catholic church. It ain't Africa, but some of us evil greedy capitalists are doing our part. I'm treating bug bites, intestinal bacteria, and lice upon return to prove it.    | ||
| Mtjm2 |
I think theres a bigger crapper problem in Washington D.C. than in Africa  . Couldnt help myself  | ||
| Pwnzor |
Ft Bstrd, Your name should be Righteous Son. Good on you, sir. | ||
| Moxnix |
My heartfelt thanks to you and your group. | ||
| Whatever |
Fat Bastard... The voice of reason... Glad to see you act Christian and put your words to action... | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Can't wait to go back. We are also working closely with the Copprome orphanage in El Progresso. Each of the children there is sponsored there by a family here. That sponsorship pays all the educational costs for that child to attend school for the year. The oldest are being sponsored for travel to the US to attend American university. We find the best and most effective assistance to bring people out of poverty comes directly from US citizens. Four of us drug that 200lb tank up onto that tower via ropes. Our group went to the Ace Hardware El Progresso to purchase those ropes. I picked them out. Three white 340lb test and on yellow 280lb test (they didn't have another 340lb test to match). I paid $4600 out of pocket to take myself, my wife, and two children to Honduras. We skipped any vacation this year. We spent another $1000 dollars to help while we were there including providing clothing and shoes for several of the kids at the orphanage. Here's the fam with our "adopted" son Alan:  I would LOVE to do more, but I can't seem to keep the government out of my pockets. If I had another $5000 to spare, I'd go back again tomorrow. Unfortunately for the folks in El Progresso, they will have to wait until next year. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
There have been charcoal crapper toilets in the back of Popular Mechanics since I have been reading that magazine. I have one in my shanty in Montana, it has been there for over twenty years. Works great.... Like with 'Windows' where Bill bought an existing program with someone elses money, branded it as his own, and sold the nonfuntionality and 'priveleges' of expiring EULAs and endless 'upgrades'.... well actually I can think of no better place for it than the Crapper. PS - he is the Anti-Christ. Bill Gates backwards is Satan Lives. | ||
| Pwnzor |
Cityx, I live for your posts. |
