The Water/ Energy Link

Major investment is flocking to the world’s water resources, with tycoons referring to water as the new oil.  Originally a clean water discussion, water for energy production is beginning to receive main-stream attention.

While the energy side often receives much of the publicity, individuals and business are becoming aware of the link to water.  Most people understand that it takes energy to produce water and that water can produce energy (hydroelectric power); however, the complexity of the relationship can be seen in just about every aspect of our society.

•    Water and energy are essential to every aspect of life: social equity, ecosystem integrity, economic and business sustainability.

•    Water is used to generate energy; energy is used to provide water.

•    Water and energy are used to produce crops; crops can in turn be used to generate energy through biofuels. 

Recent growth in eco awareness has accelerated research to expand within technical circles towards framing the water and energy related issues and searching for solutions. A report by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development discusses the complexities and interrelationships between water, energy and climate change.

The report comments: “If we truly want to find sustainable solutions, we must ensure that we address all three in a holistic way.  They are pieces of the same puzzle and therefore it is not practical to look at them in isolation.”

Leading businesses are beginning to understand the implications of the water/energy link and are improving business sustainability through the implementation of best practices.

•    Reduce water and energy consumption through improved operations

•    Treat and recycle own water and waste water (with associated energy costs)

•    Recover and reuse water and energy (e.g., using steam or heat, recycle other industrial and municipal waste water)

•    Develop new markets for water and energy-saving technologies and services

•    Engage with local communities to reduce water and energy consumption

As a sustainability consultant, I encourage clients to examine their energy and water consumption.  Through greater eco awareness of the links between water and energy, businesses and individuals can make internal improvements and be advocates for change within their communities and industries.

Passing Water Without the Water! Waterless Urinals Save H20, Dollars | 3BL Media

Al Gore has put his money where his, uh, urine is. The former VEEP and current environmental leader has invested in waterless urinals as a way to save energy and fresh water. I’ve used them, and I assume that Al tested them before investing as well. It’s something we have in common. These flushless, odor free urinals are a seemingly small step, but a significant one.

A recent article in Christian Science Monitor lays out the benefits of passing water without passing it through water. We all know that fresh water is a strained resource all over the world. Every drop counts. According to a report for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, a waterless urinal saves one to three gallons of fresh water per flush, compared with a normal model. Take a big office building or university campus with 10,000 men in it, peeing several times daily. That represents a savings of nearly 16 million gallons a year.

Waterless urinals have been installed everywhere from ballparks in the USA to the Taj Mahal in India. Still, less than 1% of the world’s urinals are waterless. With fresh water resources stressed all over the globe, pardon the pun, that should piss you off.

Some people think the idea of waterless urinals is gross. But they are well designed to let the stream flow, so to speak, while using special sealants and designs to keep odors out. Regular urinals, which are wet all the time, actually grow biofilms of growing organisms. And flushing creates a spray that lands on the rim, floor and as I can attest, sometimes the user, creating a breeding ground for bugs and germs.

Human urine is sterile and can be captured and made into fertilizer – it’s full of nitrogen. This waste to resource approach saves dollars and avoids petroleum based fertilizers, as well as avoids flushing nitrogen rich water into streams and oceans where they create algal blooms that suck the oxygen out of the water killing fish. And you thought peeing on your mother’s bushes was a killer.

A green-product company Ecovita in New Bedford, Mass has a urine diverting toilet and a waterless urinal that can be directed to a self-contained planter. This waterless urinal can also be used by women and is available on their website. Ornamental plants use the nitrogen in the urine- don’t tell the neighbors why the flowers are so fragrant!

Al Gore’s investment, Falcon Water Free Technologies has models that come in several styles and true to “guy stuff”, come with snappy names, from the F-1000 on the left, to the slimmer F-7000 and the sleek stainless F-9000SS! Why pee in an old plodding urinal when you can use one of these sleek models named like a jet plane?

The Benefits of a waterless urinal:

1. Cheaper to buy than flush urinals

2. Cheaper to maintain – no moving parts to break or leak

3. No water costs to operate

4. No more teenage boys stopping them up and flooding the men’s room

5. Water savings – one urinal can save up to 40,000 gallons of fresh water annually

6. Energy savings from water that does not need to be pumped, piped, or treated

7. Odor free

So men, stand up for waterless urinals! I mean, you’re standing anyway, right? Take matters in hand, so to speak, and hold your water until there’s no more water in your urinal! Ok, enough for now. All this writing and drinking coffee has gotten to me. I gotta go “water the garden.” And when you gotta go, you gotta go. Here, watch this video until I get back.

Falcon Water Free Urinals

Related Greenopolis posts:The Old Man and…the Urinal?

Greenopolis.com is dedicated to our users. We focus our attention on changing the world through recycling, waste-to-energy and conservation. We reward our users for their sustainable behaviors on our website, through our Greenopolis Tracking Stations and with curbside recycling programs.

CSR Minute: 11/24/09 – Pepsico Saves Water in India; McKesson’s LEEDS Center

Corporate Social Responsible News: Pepsico Saves Water in India; McKesson’s New LEEDS Center