As humans wreck the planet more and more, their consciousness make them feel guilty and then ask themselves, “What can I do to help?” After asking this question they realize effort and time has to be put into any cause that helps the environment, and then truthfully turn away to feel indifferent on the matter. BUT WAIT!!! You the everyday person can help, in a big way with almost little or no effort at all and absolutely any time added to your already busy schedule. So what the plan? Well all you have to do is poo.
You may be scratching you’re heads thinking this is crazy but it’s true, your biosolids (human waste) is being used this very instance somewhere in the world as fertilizer. What how can this be possible you ask, well biosolids are being treated from sewage plants as sustainable agriculture fertilizer.
In regards to the matter, many people have many different opinions, so here are the pros and cons so you can come up with your own on the matter.
PROS
- Creates jobs
- It is a cost effective method of disposal
- Recycles versus filling landfills
- Reduces emissions from transportation to landfills
- Good free fertilizer
- Land reclamation
- It’s regulated according to EPA law 503
CONS
- Potential health hazard
- Effects irreversible
- Contamination resulting from accumulation of industrial waste
- Its true composition is unknown
- May contain hazardous chemicals
- Possibly transferable to crops
- Decreases property value
- Not sufficiently regulated
- Odor
(list form Lynchburg College)
My personal opinion on using our feces as fertilizer is that it’s a better option than using who knows what number of chemicals; by all means I say go for it. I see that the con list is slightly longer than the pros, but much of the cons can be invalidated. Our western perspective of thinking has made us associate human waste with nothing other than gross and gross. But in reality human waste can be useful such as diagnosing illnesses, and as you now know a better alternative to fertilizer. It is also cheaper because no one is paying to use the waste that we no longer want. All in all I think biosolids is the future of fertilizing in agriculture, and here’s how I’ll prove it.
Here's another example. An experiment was conducted in Vancouver Island. A certain number of trees were planted, and half used biosolids as fertilizer, while the other half used chemical based fertilizers. After 11 years, tree grew approximately the same diameter and height. Biosolids appear to be as effective as chemical fertilizers in promoting conifer growth on these nutrient-poor sites, but their effect is neither greater nor more prolonged.[1]
If biosolids have the same effect as chemical based fertilizers, why are we killing our planet for no reason? Not much can justify not using biosolids because if you think carefully many of the cons on the list have strong counter defenses. Humans just need to get over themselves, and just do what’s best for the environment, their home. Will be selfish, depriving the earth of essential needs, or be stewards of the earth as God intended, nuturing the planet? Only the near future will tell.
Works Cited:
1)"Ingentaconnect Eleven-year Growth Response of Young Conifers to Biosolids or Nit..." Ingentaconnect Home. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. Web. 01 June 2011.
2)"BIOSOLIDS: Fertilizer or Pollution?" Lynchburg College, Apr. 2006. Web. 1 June 2011.
4)"Frequently Asked Questions Sewage Sludge (Biosolids) US EPA." Index Water US EPA. Web. 01 June 2011.
Video:
1)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjxcFu_HSR8
Image:
Blogs commmented on:
1)http://natashasbioblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/give-poop-i-mean-bio-solids-chance.html
2)http://jessy3149.blogspot.com/2011/03/human-waste-as-fertilizer.html
