During our class brainstorming for the final project, three major topics emerged: 1) food production, 2) waste management, and 3) energy production. No one seemed content to head towards just one of these three directions because of the vast potential that lies behind each of these topics. Besides, why limit yourself to one? If you are given the chance to resolve the world’s problems it’s just that much more convenient to come up with an answer that can cure everything.

Of course, a dash of practical thinking is probably necessary to progress past the brainstorming stage, but the potential connections between the three topics should not be overlooked. For example, linking waste management solutions to energy production makes sense to me. In the medieval ages, alchemists have been obsessed with turning junk into gold (okay..maybe not really ‘junk’ but other elements of less value). Although we all know better now, it still has not stopped the modern alchemists from keeping the same concepts alive. In Cambridge, MA, the Park Spark Project (link) created containers that use bacteria to extract methane from dog poop, which is then used to power street lamps. This idea has now spread to parks in Denver, CO. In Japan, toilet maker TOTO fitted one of their toilets onto a motorcycle that runs entirely on human/animal waste (link). The idea is simple: find/make poop –> motorcycle converts poop to biogas –> biogas powers motorcycle –> rinse and repeat. TOTO’s “Toilet Bike Neo” is currently on a month-long journey across Japan to promote green practices. These initiatives to turn waste into energy is just a glimpse of what the future holds for alternative energy solutions.

If you think about it, being able to turn something useless into something of value like energy is a simple concept that’s easier said than done. However, the Park Spark Project and TOTO’s toilet motorcycle are steps in the right direction, and I am eager to see more ideas jump-started by these initiatives. There’s a saying that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. As we develop to become more and more self-sustainable, perhaps one day one man’s trash can become everyone’s treasure.

TOTO's Toilet Bike Neo