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Lifting the Lid
Examines alternatives to the flush toilet, how to manage your household's output of sewage, conserve water, and turn a potential pollutant into a nutrient for use in improving the environment. This book includes chapters on the biology of breakdown, how to choose a composting toilet, maximising septic tanks, and utilising grey water in the garden.
160 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2001
7 people want to read
About the author
Peter Harper
7 books1 followerPeter Harper is a Welsh environmentalist.
Peter Harper about himself
I have spent fifty years thinking about The Future, but with a twist. I put the physics before the politics. The solutions to the big sustainability problems have to work physically. So we should get the physical arrangements right first, then adapt the necessary politics and economics.
This is the opposite of what is normally done, but it's just common sense. Think about it.
The results of this perspective are often at odds with both conventional thought and mainstream environmentalism. See for yourself. Luckily the sheer geekiness of the site repels trolls.
About his writing
I don’t usually write as a hired gun.
On the other hand, I could be persuaded to write articles, even books, on subjects which interest me, if somebody will pay the bills. I won’t do anything if someone is has already done it, or is likely to. It has to be original, or fill a gap.
Peter Harper about himself
I have spent fifty years thinking about The Future, but with a twist. I put the physics before the politics. The solutions to the big sustainability problems have to work physically. So we should get the physical arrangements right first, then adapt the necessary politics and economics.
This is the opposite of what is normally done, but it's just common sense. Think about it.
The results of this perspective are often at odds with both conventional thought and mainstream environmentalism. See for yourself. Luckily the sheer geekiness of the site repels trolls.
About his writing
I don’t usually write as a hired gun.
On the other hand, I could be persuaded to write articles, even books, on subjects which interest me, if somebody will pay the bills. I won’t do anything if someone is has already done it, or is likely to. It has to be original, or fill a gap.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 28, 2008
This book from the Center for Aternative Technologies (CAT), an Educational group based in Wales, is filled with as much information about alternative treatment and collection methods of human waste. It has sections on not only toilets, but greywater,artificial wetlands,and your basic composting toilet. It focuses on the idea of stopping waste of clean water, but takes a very practical approach. If you're already connected to a sewer, it's probably best to stay connected. You could install a waterless urinal for the men in the household, and super-low flow toilets. That would eliminate a great majority of the water waste in most bathrooms.
But this book is nothing if not thorough. So it goes on to show the state of the art in alternatives to the traditional sewer hook up, as as well as the safest ways to go low-tech. The CAT actually uses these systems at its headquarters, and they describe the pros and cons of each system with practical experience.
But this book is nothing if not thorough. So it goes on to show the state of the art in alternatives to the traditional sewer hook up, as as well as the safest ways to go low-tech. The CAT actually uses these systems at its headquarters, and they describe the pros and cons of each system with practical experience.
Displaying 1 of 1 review