Toilets have been in the news:

Think outside the toilet bowl, historian says:

The Western World’s dependence on flush toilets could be its environmental downfall.

Toilets that use less water, such as the “squat toilet” in which one squats over a hole in the ground, are prevalent in parts of Asia, Europe and Africa, but a new historical study suggests that after decades of flushing, it will take radical innovations for the mainstream West to adopt any new system.

Since the 1900s, scientists have known that flushing away human waste comes with environmental consequences , such as using precious, potable water. Each year, a typical person will use almost 4,000 gallons of drinking water to flush away 75 pounds of feces and 130 gallons of urine, according to a 2001 study by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.

The author discusses alternatives, such as composting toilets and vacuum toilets. I’m all for research, and even changing how we think about dealing with human waste. However, I’ve seen enough hole-in-the-ground squat toilets in the past few years to not want to go with that option.

Fish Tank Toilet: For many goldfish and guppies, a trip to the toilet was their final journey. Instead, how about a fish tank for a toilet tank?

Gene Edward Veith asks, Which is the Crime? (a) Submerging a crucifix in a jar of urine, (b) Burning the American flag, or (c) Flushing a Quran down the toilet.

Grace and Peace