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FACTS
New Heat System Turns Human Excrement into Fertilizer
Innovative research from an Israel university has led to a process of using
a specialized heating process to convert human excrement into fertilizer.
Scientists at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel discovered the
process known as hydrothermal carbonization (HTC), which address two large
challenges faced by developing countries: sanitation and a demand for energy.
The HTC system heats raw human excrement in a specially designed “pressure
cooker” and the emerging product is hydrochar: a biomass fuel that looks like
charcoal. The study, published in the Journal of Cleaner Production, shows how
HTC heats raw human excrement to 356°F, 410°F, and 464°F for 30, 60, and 120 minutes.
The waste gets dehydrated and turns into hydrochar, which is sterile. Hydrochar can then
be made into “coals” for heating and cooking, while the liquid can be used to make fertilizer
because it’s rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
— marketbusinessnews.com
California Reigns as World’s Biggest Almond Producer
If you buy almonds, chances are they were grown in California. The
Golden State is the largest producer of the tasty drupes and America
produces the most in the world. In fact, California is the only place in
the US that commercially grows almonds. The state’s harvest is usually
enough to feed the nation and export to other countries. The US
produces more than two million tons of almonds every year. About 70
per cent of American almonds are exported in shelled form, with the rest
sold unshelled (an almond is like a peach but instead of the fruity part
becoming fleshy, most of it sizes up in the kernel). The California area is
perfect since almonds grow best in a mild climate with plenty of sunshine
and fertile soils. Spain (200,000 tons), Iran (147,000 tons), and Morocco
(112,000 tons) round out the top global almond-producing nations.
— worldatlas.com
Bacterial Resistance to Pesticides and Antibiotics Reaches Planetary Boundary
A report suggests a group of bacteria has passed a planetary boundary (“safe operating space for
humanity”) when it comes to resisting antibiotics and pesticides. Research from the journal Nature
Sustainability concludes Gram-negative bacteria, including E. coli and salmonella, are resistant to
all or most antibiotics tested. Lead researcher Peter Søgaard Jørgensen from the Royal Swedish
Academy of Sciences and Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University suggests
this type of resistance means societies will face large-scale agricultural and
health crises. “It appears as if we have crossed a tipping point
for Gram-negative bacteria, with doctors increasingly
reporting untreatable infections. We now need to manage
these ‘nightmare bacteria’ differently,” says Søgaard
Jørgensen. Pesticide resistance is also a major concern,
particularly resistance to glyphosate (the core
ingredient in Roundup) and insecticidal Bt-toxins
in transgenic crops. The research suggests some
herbicides and Bt toxins have reached regional
boundaries with some farming areas reporting
large-scale resistance to these pesticides.
— sciencedaily.com
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