It seems that world phosphorus sources, essential to farming and the 'green revolution', are going to be running out in about 50 years. As with oil this is probably a case of extraction cost. There's still lots of stuff in the ground, but all the cheaply accessible deposits will have been extracted and further extraction will cost more each year.
This article suggests that since the most concentrated source of phosphorus is urine (we manufacture artificial urine for farming) we should tap the primary source, us. This would involve replacing toilet facilities to handle dual waste streams and would save water, another essential and dwindling resource.
The biggest hurdle is not technical but psychological, people have irrational taboos about their toilet habits.
This article suggests that since the most concentrated source of phosphorus is urine (we manufacture artificial urine for farming) we should tap the primary source, us. This would involve replacing toilet facilities to handle dual waste streams and would save water, another essential and dwindling resource.
The biggest hurdle is not technical but psychological, people have irrational taboos about their toilet habits.
No comments:
Post a Comment