… urine – the world’s most abundant waste – could become the “fuel of the future”
There’s another powerful reason to separate and recycle urine. It turns out that urine — the world’s most abundant waste — could become the “fuel of the future.” Ohio University researcher Geradine Botte has developed a catalyst that can extract hydrogen fuel from urine. While it takes 1.23 volts to split two hydrogen atoms from H2O, it only takes 0.37 volts to strip four hydrogen atoms from a urea molecule. That’s twice as much hydrogen for one-third the effort. The Royal Society of Chemistry’s journal, Chemical Communications, confirms Botte’s discovery: “While water is an increasingly limited essential resource,” the journal notes, “there will never be a lack of urine.”
Existing nickel electrode technology can be easily scaled up to produce hydrogen from the effluent of today’s sewage treatment plants. As Botte notes: “We do not need to reinvent the wheel.” But tomorrow’s water-smart homeowners will need to adapt. There will be one more container to add to the line-up for weekly curbside pick-up — the urine bin.
Solving two problems for the price of one is a rare deal, especially when tankless toilets will start paying back the investment immediately as household water use falls by one-third. Sometimes, relief can come from surprising places. If this all pans out, we may need to replace the phrase “piss-poor” with “urine-rich.”
Gar Smith is Editor Emeritus of Earth Island Journal. He also is a co-founder of Environmentalists Against War (
www.envirosagainstwar.org).
Related articles:
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No Impact Week, Day 6 – Friday: Water
WECalc – an online tool to help you save water at home
Composting Toilets for Self-Sufficient Living: Is One Right For You?
How to Save Water During a Heat Wave: 5 Easy Ways
Global food problems are about justice, not scarcity
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Posted in HEALTHY HOME Tags ENERGY EFFICIENCY, TOILETS, WATER CONSERVATION
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