What state has the highest rate of toilet access?

-Connecticut

What is the medium income of those with and without toilets?

-With toilets: $54,800

-Without toilets: $27,000

Which state has the lowest rate of toilet access?

-Alaska

What portion uses food stamps?

-22.7% of households (regions in orange) use food stamps

What region has the highest rate of toilet access?

-The Northeast region had many blue hexagons (households with toilet access) and also the West, if excluding Alaska.

What region has the lowest rate of toilet access?

-The South had many orange hexagons (regions with limited access to toilets)

In the novel “Ladies and Gents,” David and I read about Jews and the Loo and discovered some very interesting facts. I read about Jews in pop culture in relation to the toilet, and also the history of toilets during the dark times of the Holocaust. The toilet could be viewed by Jews in two different ways: a grim place with poor conditions, or a sacred place of resistance against Nazi’s dehumanization; a place for social relief and communication with other fellow Jews. However, some male Jews, even in modern day time, feel embarrassed to use the bathroom because they don’t want to be outed as a minority, (having a clear distinction of being a Jew due to circumcision). We also delved into learning about “Niddah” which is when any menstruating woman cannot have any contact with her husband. This period is marked by psychological and physical separation. I learned about this slightly in Israel, and being exposed again to this practice of the Jewish religion, makes it more clear about the limitations women had when dealing with a normal, human occurrence.

This topic also makes me frustrated about another issue, of the capitalist market that sells sanitation products for women. If every women has it, then why are we being charged, sometimes even more than $10 for these products. It’s just like water, for example. It is a basic human need, and getting a cup of water at a restaurant or concession is for the most part, free. So why is that women have to be charged high prices for a basic necessity?

This week we reviewed the toilet on a bigger scale, learning about the water sewage system connected to toilets, and our water quality in New York Overall. I thought it was interesting, especially in relation to The New School, how we recycle grey water for our toilets, and the process this water has to undergo everyday, in order for us to use with not only toilets, but for sink, shower, and drinking water. We think of toilets as these mundane things, but really we don’t realize this complex process that happens with the water we use inside the toilet. I also did not know before this week that most of New York’s fresh water comes from the Catskill aqueduct in Delaware, along with other aqueducts in upstate New York. I never thought about where this freshwater is coming from, which made me realize how much we need to value these things before water runs out. Yes, I do think it will be a long time from now, but I do think if we continue on the path of wasting this water by overconsumption, or overuse, we won’t have any water left. Then, that poses more questions about toilets in our future. Will toilets be usable, or can a toilet be designed to be used without water?

Our group ended up with a well- functioning biodigester, however we had some bumps along the road while making it. The first mistake I made was the step of putting special water (without chlorine) into the soda bottle using a contaminated water bottle (used with normal water). This would effect the results of the biodigester, so Davida gave us a new soda bottle filled with manure to put the special water into, using an uncontaminated beaker this time around. We then proceeded with the experiment, putting banana slices (80g) in the cow manure. Our group chose banana because they release a chemical called ethylene, which speeds of the ripening. So, we expected our biodigester to have the most  visible reaction to the gas being produced, because it is being mixed with the other chemical that is trapped without oxygen.

Towards the end of the experiment, after glueing the bottle cap and tub together, we had realized that the tub inside the water bottle was touching the water inside the soda bottle. It is supposed to be only gas that is being produced and transferred to the water bottle not water, so if water was transferred to the other bottle, our results would definitely differ from the original plan. Thus, Davida helped move the tubing out of the water, so that the natural gas being produced was not altered.

Davida set up a control experiment, which consisted of cow manure and water, just like the other experiments, with tubing that connected the two bottles, though without any food put into it. This is so that we have something to compare the other results to, and to see the differences in amount of natural gas being produced in other bottles due to the type of food each group picked.

I never realized how many differences there are in toilets around the world- differences in culture sensitivity, economy, and aesthetics. This first experience thinking about these differences, was going to the bathroom in the Oslo Airport of Gardermoen. I had to pay 10 kroner to get into a public toilet, and I was in amazement. The idea of me paying to do something that is a commonality between all humans was so alien to me. However, Norway’s economy is in great standing, and for the most part, people can afford to pay to go to the bathroom there. But in developing countries  its certainly not sustainable. In countries like Bangledesh, people’s average income a month can be as low as $30. So paying to go to the bathroom, isn’t really an option. Toilets that are not culturally sensitive can end in a non-sanitary environment, or worse. A place like India is known for open defecation, which can unfortunately lead to rape and disease, which is why having a toilet design that is sustainable and usable for all different cultures, genders, and the disabled is most important when creating a toilet design.