And You Thought You Had Worries

Today of all days ... well yesterday in fact or really started yesterday with a NPR spot and research this morning ... I heard and read the scariest thing ... here are some of the facts, facts being what I find on the internet regardless of its validity or correctness because if it on the internet it must be true and then I will comment

ScienceDaily (Oct. 20, 2008) — Simply installing toilets where needed throughout the world and ensuring safe water supplies would do more to end crippling poverty and improve world health than any other possible measure, according to an analysis released by the United Nations University. ( imagine if you will that there is a United Nations University ... who goes there?)

The analysis says better water and sanitation reduces poverty in three ways.

• New service business opportunities are created for local entrepreneurs;
• Significant savings are achieved in the public health sector; and
• Individual productivity is greater in contributing to local and national economies.

Group wants clean, accessible public toilets
Oct 22, 2008 04:30 AM
Emily Mathieu Staff Reporter

Toronto may well be poised for a toilet revolution. And Ari Grief, a Toronto filmmaker, activist and founder of the Canadian Toilet Organization, wants to lead the charge (its probably not a surprise to some of you that Canada has a Toilet Organization ... what is a surprise is that you don't have one in your home town).

"Unfortunately, as a society we've become used to using poor public toilet facilities," says Grief, "... so if there is anybody interested in a toilet revolution in Toronto, (no toilet without representation ... free the toilet 7) contact us."

Yesterday marked a significant step in bringing the battle for clean and accessible public toilets closer to home, with the official launch of the CTO. The launch took place at the United Nations University's International Network on Water, Environment and Health site at McMaster University in Hamilton.

This year is the International Year of Sanitation and UNU is hosting talks from top sanitation experts from around the world.

But Toronto's toilets aren't being left out (where are they being left out ... is Toronto now putting there toilets on main street or in public parks out in the open?) . Today and tomorrow Grief will be taking Jack Sim, founder of the World Toilet Organization, around the GTA to check out our latest toilet technology. Sim was recently honoured as a Time Magazine Hero of the Environment.

Their first stop will be Toronto design company Cooler Solutions, a leader in sustainable design toilets. Their toilet can hold seven to 10 days of waste. When full, part of it can be removed and pushed into the ground, to mix the waste with soil and bury it for decomposition.

"Without a proper system, people will defecate anywhere and that contaminates water," said Jonathan Loudon, co-founder and managing partner of Cooler Solutions, who says there has been a lot of interest in the design for their toilet, but the company still needs a manufacturer. The meeting with Grief and Sim is to try to find ways to move the project forward, said Loudon.

Grief will also be taking Sim to Veritec Consulting Inc. in Mississauga to chat with William Gauley, a toilet efficiency expert. And tomorrow they will head to Guelph Civic Museum to see an exhibit called "Sitting Pretty: The History of the Toilet." The McMaster Museum of Art also has an exhibit running over the next two weeks called "Sanitation is Dignity."

The lack of public toilets in Toronto has become a regular news item. Councillor Howard Moscoe has been fighting to force large stores to offer customers access to a washroom.

"In Toronto we have an aging population and when a Shoppers Drug Mart says `You can't use our washroom because it's against our policy,' it's pretty infuriating," said Moscoe.

Toronto plans to install self-cleaning public toilets as well (what is a self cleaning toilet? Does it come with an automatic wiper? Is it gentle or firm? Is that an option? Does it use Charmin or a generic one ply?). The first one is scheduled to be installed next year, then two will be installed each year after that for a total of 20. (20 self cleaning toilets for all of Torontoin the next ten years ... what a city of progress!) The exact location of the toilets has not been determined.

"The fact that after use it closes (and) fully sanitizes itself is really appealing (but before it closes and fully santizes itself it ... it is kinda crappy)," said Kyp Perikleous, manager of the street furniture unit for the City of Toronto.

His goal is to push for more efficient commodes designed with sustainability in mind. "It's absurd that with worldwide water shortages that we flush drinking water down the toilet."

"We want to get people thinking about it, talking about it and realizing it's kind of unacceptable for women to have to squat in a public toilet."

Analysis:
This is a crisis on so many levels it boggles the mind and of course a boggled mind is not a pretty thing especially at my age. The fact that our news outlets have let this election thing get in the way of reporting on this major international crisis that may swamp our world is insane. Do you realize that solving this problem would could cure world poverty and all we have to do is provide proper flush toilets to the world? Do you realize that Canada is making women squat in public? Do you realize that flush toilets are the prime root of our global water shortage problem? It is scary.

I propose a number of solutions.

One: boycott Canada and especially Toronto. If they can not provide nice toilets and protect women from squatting in public ... well then they are not a civilized nation and should be treated as such.

Two: We need to elevate international awareness of this flush toilet deficiency. I propose that the incoming president, whomever they are, to create a cabinet level post of Secretary of The Toilet. This new position could then work on promoting a uniform guide to flushing and if time permits a standard for the amount of toilet paper one should use when cleaning up. The Democratic Congress, in all its liberalness, could establish mandatory minimums for number of sheets, amount of time for hand washing, how many hand towels allowable or whether hand towels should be outlawed and only blow dryers would be authorized.

Third: To demonstrate our concern, I propose a "do not flush day", yes for one twenty four hour period no one flushes their toilet and then at the same moment ... everyone across the country ... flush. The impact will send a clear message ... (write your own thoughts).

Reminder: This is The International Year of Sanitation, there is a World Toilet Organization, someone in the basement of Time Magazine established a Hero of the Environment, of course we all want a toilet that can hold 7 to 10 days of waste and Canada has a Canadian Toilet Organization. And as one of those guys said above ... consider this when you are flushing next time that you are flushing your drinking water down the toilet. He said "It's absurd that with worldwide water shortages that we flush drinking water down the toilet."... instead have your plumber come and reroute your toilet water to your kitchen sink so you can drink your toilet water ... and conserve ... you are a liberal, recycler, conservationist, Democrat aren't you.

Stop worrying about those things you thought were a crisis like: AIDS in Africa, droughts around the world, global warming, the financial meltdown, the fact that you either can not afford a home or if you have one to pay your mortgage, a Democratic Congress, this is the last season of ER and other things you thought were a disaster and start concentrating on the real issue ... the lack of flush toilets. Send a flush toilet to Africa, send a toilet to South America, send a toilet to the poor rural America, send a toilet to Detroit to help with unemployment and the crappy cars they design ... ha ha ... thats a pun I think.

Open your window and shout it out ... I mad as hell and I am going to flush till I am heard.