Humans waste an awful lot of readily useable stuff. Their faecal matter and urine (as well as biological household waste, ie: food scraps) could be broken down to basic chemicals by a long-term extractor/distiller, and the chemicals could be used around the home. Urine is rich in both iodine (perfect to put on cuts) and ammonia (a basic ingredient in most household cleaners.)

The faecal matter is rich in methane which could be burnt, and what was unuseable is perfect for use as a garden nutrient. Although it may not seem like there would be enough "stuff" to make it worthwhile, if this technology was used in extremely large office buildings, hotels, and homes, it would definitely make a difference.
-- thelumberjack, May 26 2002

Baked and Beyond http://www.discover...may_03/featoil.html
Feces, Medical Waste, old tires, whatever, into oil! [dbsousa, Oct 04 2004]

Baked, certainly as far as faeces in methane production goes. Dry toilet projects by charities in african villages were being set up 15 years ago: i can remember being told about them in school. Also, there was one waste disposal center in UK somewhere which burnt shit, then sold the ash pellets to local farmers for fertaliser. I'm pretty sure the energy gained was pumped into the national grid.
-- yamahito, May 26 2002


Also baked on the urine front: UnaBruce, as we all know, is adept at taking the piss.
-- yamahito, May 26 2002


And those of us who watched "Survivor:Marquesas" can attest to the efficacy of urine on sea urchin impalations, even at a million dollars per dose.
-- jurist, May 26 2002


Other than the smell, this is just about the only thing I remember from a tour of a sewage treatment plant in 1979. (Recommended only for the olfactorily impaired). Google "methane" and "anaerobic digesters". Information aplenty on capturing methane in sewage treatment processes.
-- half, May 27 2002


hmm... beside the fuel.... it can acts as fertilizer as well i suppose. But how do we collect and harness the resources?
-- hangman, May 27 2002


In this (admittedly old fasioned) country we use a network of "sewers," fed by household devices called "toilets" or more informally "the loo, the can" etc.

Are you suggesting that there is a better way?
-- yamahito, May 27 2002


Here in Phoenix, AZ, there are wastewater treatment plants that use the "sludge" resulting from the treatment process to fertilize some sort of planting near the treatment facilities. The sludge contains enough moisture to be pumpable and is injected in to the ground using a special type of tractor drawn piece of equipment.

I don't recall exactly what is grown with the fertililzer but, for fear of disease transmission, it is not a food product.

The one part of this idea that I can't call "baked" is the extraction of the various chemicals. I don't know if anyone is doing that. But I tend to think that the health officials might mark that idea for deletion.
-- half, May 27 2002


You have gold fillings?
-- dare99, May 28 2002


And a gold plate. In his head.
-- neelandan, May 28 2002



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