The principal sources of excess nitrogen are man made fertilizer, animal wastes, and human waste. What we produce inside our bodies is part of the natural world. And a broken nitrogen cycle removes us from the natural world around us.
As principal of consulting firm Aceti Associates, Ms. Aceti tries to spread the word about "waterless" urinals, an environmental innovation that she hopes can ease the world's water problems.
Fresh water is a dwindling resource worldwide. A waterless urinal saves one to three gallons of fresh water per flush, compared with a normal model, according to a 2008 report Aceti's firm prepared for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. In an office with 1,000 men, that adds up to 1.56 million gallons of water saved annually.....
"Human urine is also a good and cheap source of plant nutrients," says Mr. Sim. Farms in the developing world can use it to improve crops without buying expensive fertilizers, he adds......
As a resource recycling specialist, she designed a "Garden Urinal" for green-product company Ecovita in New Bedford, Mass. The urinal can be plumbed or directed to a self-contained planter. This waterless urinal – which can also be used by women – will be available for sale this summer. "Ornamental plants use up the nitrogen in urine, keeping it out of receiving waters," she says.
Diverting and using urine in backyards may seem gross now, but Ms. Steinfeld predicts that the environmental benefits will eventually outweigh the icky factor.
Meanwhile, water savings from waterless urinals could be the main draw for consumers. "Why do we flush
drinking water down the urinal every time?" asks Mr. Judd, of Kohler's Water Conservation division.
Because people have always done it that way, he says, answering his own question. "But now, with well-designed waterless urinals, there is a chance to change that."
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Technology/Story?id=7136234&page=1
The pecan tree in my back yard is very green and healthy. I like pecans and so do those the dam squirrels.
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