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Bill Gates to Reinvent the Toilet

Posted: 19 Jul 2011 04:10 PM PDT

Photo by Urban Woodswalker

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced the launch of a strategy to help bring safe, clean sanitation services to millions of poor people in the developing world.

In a keynote address at the 2011 AfricaSan Conference in Kigali, Sylvia Mathews Burwell, president of the foundation's Global Development Program, called on donors, governments, the private sector, and NGOs to address the urgent challenge, which affects nearly 40 percent of the world's population. Flush toilets are unavailable to the vast majority in the developing world, and billions of people lack a safe, reliable toilet or latrine. More than a billion people defecate in the open.

"No innovation in the past 200 years has done more to save lives and improve health than the sanitation revolution triggered by invention of the toilet," Burwell said in her speech at AfricaSan, the third African Conference on Sanitation and Hygiene, organized by the African Ministers' Council on Water (AMCOW). "But it did not go far enough. It only reached one-third of the world. What we need are new approaches. New ideas. In short, we need to reinvent the toilet."

The rest of the press release is available after the jump.

The foundation also announced $42 million in new sanitation grants that aim to spur innovations in the capture and storage of waste, as well as its processing into reusable energy, fertilizer, and fresh water. In addition, the foundation will support work with local communities to end open defecation and increase access to affordable, long-term sanitation solutions that people will want to use.

Improved sanitation can have a significant impact on the lives of millions of people worldwide. Reducing by half the number of people who don't have access to basic sanitation is a key target of the United Nations' 2015 Millennium Development Goals. Access to safe sanitation reduces child diarrhea by 30 percent and significantly increases school attendance.

Unsafe methods to capture and store waste lead to serious health problems and death. About 1.5 million children die each year from diarrheal disease, and most of these deaths could be prevented with the introduction of proper sanitation, along with safe drinking water and improved hygiene.

But Burwell emphasized that there are no silver bullets in reinventing the toilet. Addressing the needs of the 2.6 billion people who don't have access to safe sanitation requires hygienic, affordable, and sustainable ways to capture, treat, and recycle human waste. Most importantly, it requires close collaboration with local communities to develop lasting sanitation solutions that meet their needs.

The foundation and its partners are working to develop new tools and technologies that address every aspect of sanitation—from the development of waterless, hygienic toilets that do not rely on sewer connections to pit emptying to waste processing and recycling. Many of the solutions being developed involve cutting-edge technology that could turn human waste into fuel to power local communities, fertilizer to improve crops, or even safe drinking water.

One of the foundation's partners is the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which is launching WASH for Life through its Development Innovation Ventures program to fund projects that identify, test, and help scale up evidence-based approaches to delivering water, sanitation, and hygiene services to the poor. Both organizations will contribute $8.5 million to the four-year venture.

The foundation and its partners are focusing on affordable solutions. Sanitation services must cost no more than 5 cents per person per day and be easy to install, use, and maintain. The foundation's strategy involves gathering evidence to determine what people want and measuring what really works. It includes stimulating demand for improved sanitation in both rural and urban communities through education and raising awareness. It also involves advocacy efforts to engage governments and other public and private partners to prioritize sanitation policies that address this urgent issue.

"Across Africa, improved sanitation is an essential human need that we must take action to address," said Mamadou Dia, President of the African Water Association. "We welcome efforts to focus new attention, ideas and resources on this important issue."

Sanitation brings substantial economic benefits. According to the World Health Organization, improved sanitation can produce up to $9 for every $1 invested by increasing productivity, reducing health care costs, and preventing illness, disability, and early death. People with access to clean and convenient sanitation services also experience greater dignity, privacy, and security. This is especially true of women and girls, who often miss work or school when they are menstruating and risk sexual assault when they are forced to defecate in the open or use public restrooms.

"Disease caused by unsafe sanitation accounts for roughly half of all hospitalizations in the developing world," said Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, chair of the United Nations Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation. "This statistic is unacceptable, as is the fact that many decision makers remain reluctant to talk about sanitation, further stigmatizing the topic, and perpetuating a crisis whose solutions are within our reach."

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene is part of the foundation's Global Development Program, which addresses issues such as agricultural development and financial services—problems that affect the world's poorest people but do not receive adequate attention. With these new grants, the foundation's commitment to Water, Sanitation & Hygiene efforts total more than $265 million. While the foundation has been making grants in the sector for five years, the new strategy represents a shift to an increased focus on sanitation.

New investments announced today include:

Reinventing the Toilet Challenge
Totaling $3 million, this grant supports eight universities across Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America in the challenge to reinvent the toilet as a stand-alone unit without piped-in water, a sewer connection, or outside electricity—all for less than 5 cents a day. Grantees include California Institute of Technology; Delft University of Technology; Eidgenössische Anstalt für Wasserversorgung, Abwasserreinigung und Gewässerschutz (EAWAG); National University of Singapore; University of KwaZulu-Natal; University of Toronto; WEDC at Loughborough University; and Stanford University for a Hertz Fellows Multi-University Research Collaboration. Contact: Amandine de Coster / +32.479.811.866

WASH for Life
A collaboration with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) totaling $17 million, of which USAID and the foundation are each providing $8.5 million, to use USAID's Development Innovation Ventures program to identify, test, and help scale evidence-based approaches to delivering water, sanitation, and hygiene services to the poor. For more information, go to www.usaid.gov/div/washforlife.

African Development Bank, African Water Facility
The foundation will provide $12 million in funding for the development of sanitation pilot projects that may include fecal sludge management services in sub-Saharan Africa. The goal is to serve up to 1.5 million urban poor who now lack access to sanitation services. Contact: Katia Theriault / +216.71.10.12.79

Water Services Trust Fund and German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ)
In a project co-funded by the German and Kenyan governments, the foundation is providing $10 million to support efforts to scale up sustainable sanitation services for up to 800,000 people and water services for up to 200,000 residents in low-income urban areas in Kenya. Contact: Felgona A. Ochieng, WSTF / +254.20.272.0696; Roland Werchota, GIZ / +254.20.2719987; Dr. Charis Pöthig, KfW / +49.69.7431.4683

UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education
This $8 million grant supports efforts to transform the postgraduate water and sanitation education system through an increased focus on solutions that work for the poor and a robust online curriculum to reduce costs and increase accessibility to higher education. Contact: Alida Pham / +31.15.2151722

Photo by Urban Woodswalker.

Chopsticks: Made in USA

Posted: 19 Jul 2011 02:15 PM PDT

Chopsticks usa

Nearly everything today is “Made in China”; nearly everything that is, except for two million chopsticks that are made each day in Americus, Georgia at Georgia Chopsticks.

Business is booming, and the company plans to increase production from 2 million to 10 million chopsticks per day.

Video below. More info here and here.

Plus: Netflix for Baby Clothes

Posted: 19 Jul 2011 01:14 PM PDT

Orders

Before having her first baby Caroline O'Connor was sifting through piles of hand-me-downs and gifted baby clothes when ,in the excitement of pregnancy, she wondered who she’d be able to handle all of the stuff associated with babies. The mountains of quickly outgrown baby clothes were foremost on her mind when she quipped to her husband, “Why can’t someone drop of matched bundles of of my favorite brands to my door at the right size and already laundered with organic products?”

Suddenly the light bulb turned on in her mind and she realized that that someone was her, and Plum was born.

How It Works

  • They’ll create a mix of seasonally appropriate clothes based on where you live.
  • You can return them once every 30 days.
  • Seven outfits are $49.00 per month. Four for $29, and two for $16.00.

What Are the Most Expensive Keywords?

Posted: 19 Jul 2011 01:00 PM PDT

Google AdWords is a dynamic, auction-based marketplace where advertisers bid on keywords to compete for top ad placement. The minimum bid per keyword is 5 cents, but this research shows that in highly competitive categories, Google can make up to $50 per click.

According to Wordstream, these are the top 10 most expensive keywords to buy from Google Adwords, ranked by their search volume:

  1. Insurance $54.91 per click
  2. Loans $44.28 per click
  3. Mortgage $47.12 per click
  4. Attorney $47.07 per click
  5. Credit $36.06 per click
  6. Lawyer $42.51 per click
  7. Donate $42.02 per click
  8. Degree $40.61 per click
  9. Hosting $31.91 per click
  10. Claim $45.51 per click

Big infographic after the jump.

Cork N Canvas: The Accidental Franchise

Posted: 19 Jul 2011 12:44 PM PDT

Cork n Canvas

Wall Street Journal (In Charge):

Like many new small-business owners, Cathy Deano knew nothing about franchising when she and a partner launched a series of bring-your-own-wine painting classes in Mandeville, La., four years ago. Yet from the moment Cork'n Canvas opened its doors, the business started getting offers from enthusiastic clients who wanted to buy into the concept and host their own classes.

Deano, 57, the subject of SmartMoney's latest Take Two column on 50-plus small-business owners, says she's as surprised as anyone that the business has branched out into 44 up-and-running locations, with 10 more in the works. A career fundraiser who heads a local art association, Deano says the initial concept was less about founding a fast-growing brand than creating a fun social event with fundraising potential for community needs.

Two years after flood waters from Hurricane Katrina ended her home-based catering service, Deano, along with her partner, Renee Maloney, came up with an idea of hosting painting classes led by local artists where participants were invited to bring wine and snacks.

Tough Times For Restaurants

Posted: 19 Jul 2011 09:30 AM PDT

When the economy beings to sag, restaurants are one of the first to feel the strain. According to The Dayton Beach News-Journal, one restaurant is facing financial troubles if business doesn’t pick back up.

The restaurant in its first four years had built a formidable following, attracting tourists, snowbirds and local workers.

But the last three years have been a drag, the restaurant’s owners said. Foreclosures and joblessness have decimated Flagler County, and workers who remain pack their lunch more often instead of forking over a chunk of change for a chili cheese dog and a soda.

The Sabias said they don’t know what to do. Their customers like the food, previously electing the hot dogs “Best Around” in the News-Tribune. And they haven’t raised their hot dog prices.

There are about 180 restaurants in Flagler County, said Peggy Heiser, vice president for tourism development at the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce.

Ten restaurants in Flagler County have closed in the last six months, while 16 have opened during that same period. In Bunnell, one restaurant has closed, while five have opened in the past half-year.

Heiser said she recognizes running a restaurant in today’s climate is tough, but said conditions are starting to improve. She said she intends to reach out to the owners of Hot Diggity Dogs to see if she can help, including going over their social marketing strategy and encouraging them to partner with other local businesses for events.

Photo by Toshihiro Oimatsu

Completing A Patent Application

Posted: 19 Jul 2011 08:30 AM PDT

Are you currently working on a patent application? IPWatchdog offers some advice that can help you make the most of your invention description.

What is the structure of the components? What is the overall structure of the unit? How are things connected? How do they interact? How would they be made? How are the pieces assembled? What are the alternatives for making, connection, interaction? What materials can be used? What optional features are present? What could be present? These and other descriptive questions need to be answered in order to particularly define the invention.

Failure to consider the various combinations and alternatives that make up an invention is a fairly common mistake, but one that cannot be made without severe consequences. If you do not fully describe the invention the patent application you file will will wind up be worth little.

Even if you never embark upon drafting your own patent application the better you can describe your invention the better the resulting patent application. As the inventor you are the one who has the most information about the invention. You know your invention best. If you are going to hire a patent attorney to represent you the more you give them to work with the better the resulting patent application will be, which will undoubtedly make the patent ultimately obtained as strong and useful as possible.

Photo by Rennett Stowe

Weird: Corn Growing Robot

Posted: 19 Jul 2011 07:30 AM PDT

The corn farmer might soon become extinct. According to Kahleej Times, Eduardo Rodriguez Hernandez recently created a unique robot that can plow, plant, care for, and harvest corn. The farmer up at five am to begin the day’s chores may finally get to sleep in during planting season.

"This kind of parallel robot is made up of four towers that could be installed on any kind of land, either flat or on a slope, even on rough, rugged ground," the aspiring engineer said.

His invention has advantages including its low cost, and its drawbacks, like the fact that being a robot controlled by cables it has little freedom of movement in some cases.

Despite that, its inventor believes it will be able to "prepare cropland and spread chemical fertilizers – nitrogen or phosphorus – and natural fertilizers" without any major problems, and will also plant corn seeds to a certain depth.

"Another facet is the spraying of chemicals to eliminate weeds and pests like rodents and insects. Finally there's the harvest, when it cuts and retrieves the product," the scientist said.

Photo by fishhawk

botl Filters Tap Water On The Go

Posted: 19 Jul 2011 05:08 AM PDT

As more people choose take the initiative to lead a greener life style, they are filtering the water they drink from the tap. While most on-the-go bottles have a built in filter that cannot switch between bottles, botl offers a unique botlfilter that can drop into almost any bottle. The ability to use any bottle you want is not the only feature that makes botl impressive. Their fully biodegradable filter bag makes this unique product even more green.

I recently asked the owner of botl, Emily Wilkinson, a few questions about her unique product and its green benefits.

Tell us a little about your business.

botl inc., is a Canadian company with a mission to create environmentally responsible products. Our initial focus is developing products that reduce plastic waste. The botlfilter™ portable water filter system is the first such product. It is a simple and unique concept: a replaceable botlfilter™ bag of activated carbon in a reusable botlfilter™ case!

The botlfilter™ system delivers the fresh taste of filtered water on the go, at a fraction of the cost of bottled water, with no plastic waste! Use it anywhere drinking water is available.

What inspired it?

As a mother of two, I became increasingly alarmed by the environmental impact of disposable plastic bottles. I wanted to create an alternative to disposable plastic bottles of filtered water . . . so I invented a product that separates the filter from its container so one can reuse the filter case (one-time purchase) and simply toss the filter bag into the compost. Some claim activated carbon actually assists the composting process. Our filter bags are fully biodegradable! The result is the botlfilter™ – a portable water filter that solves the problem – providing filtered water – on the go – without harmful plastic waste. The botlfilter™ system delivers fresh tasting filtered water anywhere good tap water is available. It's my contribution to reducing plastic waste in my community.

How do the filter bags work?

The botlfilter™ bags rely on the amazing properties of activated carbon. In water, carbon attracts and traps unwanted substances, such as chlorine, pesticides, and detergents. Unlike other personal filters, the botlfilter™ system requires no pre-soaking, uses biodegradable and compostable filter material, and generates no plastic waste!

How long do they last, and what makes them eco-friendly?

Each botlfilter™ bag filters 4 Litres/1 Gallon of tap water. To ensure great tasting water, change the botlfilter at least every three days. You may want to change your filter more frequently depending on the amount of water you consume. We recommend changing your botlfilter™ bag daily if you are drinking a gallon or more of water a day.

Environmental impact has been carefully considered in each element of our production.

The concept: Separate the filter material from its case for disposal. You keep the case and recycle only the filter bag, a simple but unique idea.

The filter material: Coconut Shell Activated Carbon is a sustainable and renewable resource. No plastic resins. botlfilter™ bags are made of high-quality abaca (manila hemp) and wood pulp, cellulose fibres are 100% biodegradable.

The botlfilter case: Food-grade North- American stainless steel body and caps of food-grade (BPA free) plastic.

Paper Packaging: 100% recycled fibers, is 100% recyclable, is 100% carbon neutral and purchases 100% clean renewable energy to offset energy used in its manufacture. The inks are vegetable based, non-toxic, low-VOC and direct-contact eco-certified

Manufacturing: We have chosen the most local supplier of all our components and operations to minimize the carbon footprint of manufacturing. A small carbon footprint toward a cleaner, greener planet!

Other Companies like Brita have had water filter water bottles on the market for a little while now. What separates you from the competition?

The botlfilter™ system is intended for use in stainless steel, aluminum, glass and other reusable water containers. It is the only free floating unit of its kind. It goes to work as soon as you drop it in water. Shaking accelerates filtration delivering fresh, filtered water on the go! The botlfilter™ system requires no pre-soaking and offers natural filtration with a fully biodegradable filter bag in a reusable, durable, stainless case (no waste filter case).

Do you have any goals you’d like to accomplish within the next year or so?

Botl inc. is focused on developing products that help our customers reduce plastic waste; we are developing the line as we grow. I would like to see this product in University/Campus stores in North America. Young people are very eco-conscious and bring water containers to school. I think certain countries in Europe would be good markets for the botlfilter. Fewer plastic water bottles in the blue bins would make me very happy!!

What are some lessons your business has taught you?

Lessons I have learned from being an entrepreneur . . . to be patient and trust your instincts!

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Don't let anyone tell you that you can't achieve your goals. I believe if you have a will, you will find a way!

Do you have any advice you’d like to offer fellow entrepreneurs who are just getting started?

I am a big believer in setting goals and tasks each day. That way one has a reference to chart progress. Sometimes when we are unfocused it is difficult to see the end results. I also recommend finding a mentor to help you in areas that are unfamiliar. Some people are afraid to reach out to others, but I have found that most people are flattered to offer their experience. I am so grateful to all those who have helped me along the way!