Recycling the waste from the toilet to fertilise the garden is called anaerobic biodigestion.

Jack Sim, Director of the World Toilet Organisation, recently made a suggestion about recycling the contents of toilets into the soil as fertiliser which could be a good idea in Africa.

This idea would be beyond most people and they would giggle and snigger at the preposterous idea of recycling the contents of toilets which they never see, as the sewerage system in their part of the world works all the time.

It’s a clever idea and it’s already been worked out, all it takes is putting the parts together which can cost quite a bit and is beyond most rural people, the people who would actually benefit most from something of this nature.

The Anaerobic biodigester is the mechanism through which this recycling idea literally springs to life. The waste from humans as well as livestock is processed through a system in an airtight container that produces not only a slurry, drained of toxins, that can fertilise the garden but also a form of biogas, made up of methane and carbon dioxide that can be used for cooking and lighting.

According to Wikipedia in more scientific language, “Anaerobic digestion is a process in which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. The process is widely used to treat wastewater sludges and organic wastes because it provides volume and mass reduction of the input material. As part of an integrated waste management system, anaerobic digestion reduces the emission of landfill gas into the atmosphere. Anaerobic digestion is a renewable energy source because the process produces a methane and carbon dioxide rich biogas suitable for energy production helping replace fossil fuels. Also, the nutrient-rich solids left after digestion can be used as fertiliser.


Exhaustive info on anaerobic biodigester


China is one of the countries that was in the forefront of developing Anaerobic biodigesters in the 70’s on a level where small communities had their own that were managed and maintained by the community. This kind of ownership develops a community spirit and contributes to people being more in control of their daily lives than before.

The lack of control over day to day developments is part of the burden that the rural poor have to live with. A simple matter like utilising waste for a more productive garden as well as providing biogas for cooking purposes could change their way of life totally.

The use of biogas produced from the biodigester would also take the pressure off the surrounding vegetation and trees which normally provide the fuel used for cooking fires.

The environmental aspects of the system are also a bonus with waste not flowing directly back into the water table via rivers and underground springs.

Sim made his suggestion at the World Economic Forum’s Africa Conference in Cape Town last week.

Almost all participants said that the problem of food shortages could only be tackled multilaterally but Obiageli Ezekwesili, vice-president for Africa at the World Bank stressed two critical things.

Firstly, that Africa had placed too much emphasis on developing resources and not enough on maintaining and building agricultural production.

And secondly, Asia has overcome hunger problems with governments investing 10% of their budgets into agriculture. Africa averages less than 3%.

The biodigester option seems small compared to investing more of the budget into agriculture but it would help rural communities solve waste management problems as well as providing fertiliser sustenance for the vegetable gardens and biogas for cooking and lighting.

An idea put forward that was taken as a bit of a joke. It won’t be a joke if government here in South Africa could build some biodigesters and train people to build and maintain them thereby creating job opportunities and giving poor, rural communities a chance to gain some independence and control over their lives.

Popular Mechanics can talk the talk but can't walk the dog.

Popular Mechanics is a great mag. It has plenty of science stuff, nifty DIY, updates on all the latest freaky gadgets and an affordable cover price. However, they don't seem able to maintain their website properly as the following link will testify to.

http://www.popularmechanics.co.za/content/science/singlepage.asp?fid=995&pno=1


While surfing I find an article on the human brain, for various reasons a major interest of mine, and proceed to click on the link only to get this message.

Read more in the December 2007 issue of Popular Mechanics on sale on 19 November.

This is just plain laziness from a mag that houses major insights into science and technology. The truth of technology is that it's only as good as the human who maintains it and no publicly available technology is sustainable on its own.

Left to its own devices the tech will stand down.

Pity I was really enjoying that article.

Machines rock and cogito ergo sum in the minority with deo.

Popular Mechanics June 2008 has an article entitled, 'Love + SEX with ROBOTS'. The capitals are intended as the piece explores some possible futures involving different levels of intimacy between humans and machines.

"Assume for a moment that instead of a newly found human lover being at the other end of an Internet link with their own haptic interface, engaging with you in whatever sexual activities your respective hearts desire, there is instead a robot, a sexual robot programmed with the knowledge of countless experienced lovers and all of the world's sex manuals.

"Would you know the difference?"

That is the bottom line and in two thousand years from now people or life forms might look back and smile at our reticence in engaging with this kind of "intimacy" but it doesn't solve our confusion right now.

The mag also features a stunningly inane and almost banal ad for BRUT deoderant.

There is a hand grasping a gearstick that has BRUT logos on the silver rim around the stick. The punchline in the bottom right corner cleverly placed next to a picture of a can of BRUT read, "The essence of man".

Is this kind of marketing really sustainable or do users wise up, upgrade and have to be replaced by gullible teenagers?

A stereotyped approach to targeting a market and also lazy in the extreme. Doesn't say much for BRUT users, but then deoderants do label their users egotistically don't they.

Cogito ergo sum.

Why local South African music is policed by airwave quotas.

Recenty I spotted a forum debate on Biz Community about South African music and why there are quotas for local music on local radio stations. The debate also raised the issue of why international and especially American music dominates.
http://www.biz-community.com/Forum/196/11/15863.html

There are two answers to this question and they are flip sides of the same coin. SA music buying public do not buy SA music out of choice compared with international. There are exceptions with some acts selling many albums in the SA market but most of the SA buying public buy internaternational without even really thinking.

SA bands and music acts are not motivated sufficiently to raise their level of performance and sound once they have achieved some success in SA. Being a big fish in a small pond is better than taking a chance, going overseas and not making it.

At home in SA there is a comfort zone for musos and reaching a certain level means that one has made it.

Radio stations do play local but if local is not selling they can't push local at the expense of international which is selling. That's just basic economics.

The solution could lie in more incentives from radio stations, not more idols drama, but incentives for bands to polish their stuff and search out mixing and production that complements and enhances their content and style.

Sounds like a dream, well the Rolling Stones once upon a time used to do Beatles cover versions. Seems like only yesterday but somewhere in SA there's singers and songwriters that could start a trend for SA bands to aim global and redress the balance making quotas apply to international music.

SABMiller could score positive PR by spending a small amount to help victims of xenophobia.

SABMiller are currently engaged in a Texas hold 'em style battle for global beer market supremacy. It has made a great deal of the stake it is currently playing with from sales of quarts in township shebeens here in South Africa.
Those quarts are not the root of the recent violent attacks on mainly foreigners but they fueled the 'Dutch courage' desperately needed by the perpetrators.
It would make a great deal of marketing positives for SABMiller to put some money into alleviating and reducing the root causes of these attacks. There is no need for SABMiller to accept blame and undertake to contribute out of guilt, simply putting themselves into the local picture in a positive manner.
The smoke has cleared with no evidence of any third force but many displaced and battered victims.
SABMiller, as by far the biggest seller of beer in South Africa, is conspicuous by its absence in providing any sort of assistance at all. With petty cash it could help current victims as well as provide a backbone for a way forward to alleviating the root causes of these attacks. Poverty and unemployment.