Sauri's Untapped Resources

Prepared by Annie Abbate Department of Biological Sciences. Elmira College. Elmira, NY. Illustrations by Hillary Irvine Sauri’s Untapped Resources

Executive Statement ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]

Personal Statement ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]

Problem 1 : VIP Toilets ,[object Object],Rainwater running underground toward community water sources can become contaminated with fecal matter and harmful bacteria by even the best insulated latrines and pit toilets.

Problem 2: Chemical Fertilizer ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]

Model for Solution: NYC Sewage System ,[object Object]

Solution 1: Composting Toilet ,[object Object],Composting toilets in Mastatal, Costa Rica (Above) and at a Lake Superior Campsite (Right). Top right is fertilizer produced by a composting toilet. Right center are young pineapple plants grown on the same farm in Costa Rica as the above toilet, with the organic fertilizer made from this toilet. Duel compartments for storage and natural decomposition of human waste and other carbon rich ingredients into fertilizer. When the first compartment fills, the seat is moved to the second opening that, until this time, has been closed. By the time the second compartment fills, the waste in the first compartment has been completely digested by natural bacteria. It is now a harmless and natural source of fertilizer. Model composting toilet Seating compartment

Solution 2: Biodigesters ,[object Object],Like the composting toilet, biodigesting toilets are built above ground. Unlike the composting toilet, waste is not stored in two aerobic compartment but transferred through a pipe to long, typically plastic, aerobic containers. This is the anaerobic container where waste is digested. Under these anaerobic conditions, fecal bacteria produce methane gas as a byproduct when breaking down waste. The methane gas is harvested and can be utilized for cooking on a flame stove or processed through a generator Solid waste products can be removed from biodigesting container after they have been digested and methane gas has been harvested to be used as fertilizer, just as with composting toilets. This is a generator powered by methane gas. The mechanism is simple; “methane is lit under a tank filled with water which evaporates in to another tank above it. The steam is pressurized and when released shoots out a pipe and spins a small turbine creating electricity,” (learn.uvm.edu).

Summary of Composting Toilets and Biodigesters ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]

[object Object],Problem: Maize Production

Permiculture: Nitrogen Restoring Plants ,[object Object],Crotalaria grahamiana Tephrosia vogelii (Also an effective insecticide) Sesbania sesban Cajanus cajan (Pigeon Peas) Edible and an excellent source of protein.

Model Solution: Pequot Indians “Three Sisters” ,[object Object],Above: Wasted space and weeds growing between maize Below: Three sisters depicted on the back of US $1 coin Squash plants were planted at the base of the mounds. Squash have large leave which shades the soil and prevents weeds from growing. The shade also prevents the soil from drying out and the leaves trap in moisture. The maize is planted on top of the mounds which is approximately one foot tall and has a 30’’ diameter. The maize provides a tall structure for the beans to climb. Beans are planted at the base of the maize (on the mound). Beans are nitrogen fixing plants and provide nutrients to the maize while growing up the stalk.

Extra: Abba’s Refrigerator ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],“ The pot-in-pot refrigerator: Water seeps through the outer pot from the damp sand layer separating the pots, or from the food stored in the inner pot. As the water evaporates from the surface of the outer pot, the food is cooled.” (Chemistry and Chemical Reactivity 2006) Inventor, Mohammed Bah Abba, with his invention. Mohammed Bah Abba and his pot-in-pot refrigerator won the Rolex Award (2000), the Time Magazine Invention of the Year (2001), and the Shell Award for Sustainable Development.

Sauri's Untapped Resources

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