Toilet Talk – fixated on flushing
by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC
“More than 40% of the water available for domestic purposes is used for transporting shit.” This from Madhu Suri Prakash (Yes magazine), author and professor at Pennsylvania State University. Ouch. That’s a lot. There has been
and still is a better way, but are “civilized” nations ready to embrace it? Instinctively being uncomfortable with the sound and sight of any amount of water rushing down a drain, I’ve readily accepted my one flush/day rule at home and composting alternatives. We will all have to make radical changes in this area sooner or later, so we may as well get started.
As part of her extensive grassroots initiatives, Madu heralds the ecological toilet (composting) as a celebration of science, simplicity and sensibility – one way to return the power of autonomy to the people. She has authored two books celebrating cultural activism, Grassroots Postmodernism and Escaping Education.
Not only water-wasteful, flush toilets take 3 “marvelous” substances – water, urine and shit, make a toxic mess, then use countless chemicals in an attempt to clean it up – placing our water and our health at the mercy of the industrialized technology of treatment plants. Consider instead, a town in Sweden who, a few years ago, made flush toilets illegal allowing them to quit making waste and reclaim traditional practices of waste composting, nourishing the soil and food supply – the nurture of nature.
Like many large and looming ecological issues facing societies today, ending our addiction to flush toilets gets little press and is continually pushed to the periphery, even as the water wars have begun. Procrastinating on tough problems only negates our other sincere efforts towards change. It’s time to face the the shit that has hit the fan, so to speak.
As the Japanese say, “Shi Do Fu Ji” – The soil and body are one. Maybe it’s time start acting that way.
January 14th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
A needlepoint towel in my grandmother’s beach cottage says: “In this land of fun and sun, we dont flush for number one.” I always thought that was amusing as a child and now know its because the septic can’t handle too much. However, I might just make one for my own bathroom.
January 16th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
I like that one! I remember being at “lake houses” in the summer as a kid and at summer camp, where people got along with outhouses just fine. The good old days! Thanks for the comment Sarah. Tao
February 4th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
cottage toilet…
You are SICK MANÂ……