permaculture

["Kelly Finigan" <kfinigan@spots.ca>]

John:


> 
> These work great - used 'em myself - but they are
> non-optimal/high-maintenance, especially if communal and/or
> large/extended-family use.  Examples on request...
> 
hmmm...I'd like to know more about system failures...very important!


> For a community-use/large family situation I recommend lower-maintenance
> double-vault type composting toilets - can be built using 
> ferrocement, CMUs, soil-cement block, local rock, rammed earth, etc..
> 
YES! these are great anywhere I've seen them (especially retreat centres 
that get large fluctuations in useage)...

what's a CMU (cinder-mortar block maybe??)...for double vaults, you could 
also use old oil drums if you have them...when its full seal it up and store 
it while it "cures".


> This also keeps fecal matter out of other community compost piles, 
> which *in theory* is not an issue but in *practice*, if the practice 
> is not perfect, can be a very serious issue.  I would expect this to 
> be a bigger risk in Haiti because a) it's in the tropics and b) I 
> assume the general population is carrying more critters inside 'em 
> on average than most (for example) north americans.
> 
YES! However, based on work I've done in Cuba (waste planning for Havana and 
design of a Solar Aquatics system there), the people generally have a much 
higher RESISTANCE level too (I've seen the same thing in First Nations 
communities in Northern Canada). That's part of the reason visitors become 
ill when they vivist "third world" places but locals don't.

In general: humanure can be good (very good in fact), but it can also lead 
to problems. People need to LEARN what they are doing and why. This applies 
for Haiti and for Idaho.

ciao,
Kelly




> John Schinnerer - MA, Whole Systems Design
> ------------------------------------------
> - Eco-Living -
> Cultural & Ecological Designing
> People - Place - Learning - Integration
> john@eco-living.net
> http://eco-living.net
> _______________________________________________
> permaculture mailing list
> permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture



--
Kelly Finigan, M.Sc. P.Eng. Permaculture Designer
~ Sustainability consultant & ecological designer ~ 

744 - 4 Street NW
Calgary, Alberta T2N 1P2
phone 1-403-283-7270