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Urine Diversion – Moving Ahead!
Kneeling: Dan Marks, David Cedarholm, Daniel Michaelson Standing: Neil Patel, Nancy Love, Abe Noe-Hays, Kim Nace, Krista Wigginton, Ali Gagnon, Treavor Boyer, Konrad Scheltema, Tamar Kohn, Lola Olabode, Harold Leverenz
They began arriving Thursday evening; a team of scientists, engineers and sanitation entrepreneurs for the first Urine Diversion Round Table discussion at the Rich Earth Institute.
Participants traveled from California, Michigan, Switzerland, Maine, New Hampshire, Virginia, Washington DC, and Florida all the way to Vermont for some Green Mountain hospitality and a relaxed, invigorating discussion.
Breakfast and introductions on the back porch.
Plenty of time for discourse and detailed Q and A about our favorite subject: liquid gold.
Friday morning activities for the whole group included:
- each participant giving a brief presentation to showcase their work
- brainstorming a list of other individuals/organizations working in this emerging field to be invited to the next conference
- listing perceived barriers that need to be addressed in order to move ahead in the US with more pilot projects, more funding, more research and case study analysis
In the afternoon, we broke into four groups to discuss and report back about:
- regulation and public policy
- public perception and communication
- practical implementation and infrastructure
- agriculture and farmers’ needs
Abe, Research Director at the Rich Earth Institute, explaining the mobile urine pasteurizing unit.
Although a few folks had to catch flights and leave before dinner, the rest of us shared a meal and talked together late into the evening. It was great to have this opportunity to report on our research findings and consider the many possibilities for future collaborations. Now that we have met each other, we know who to turn to share ideas and for collegial support.
Plans for a second expanded conference in August of 2016 are already underway!
