Taking out the Garbage in Space

--- Chris Smyth wrote:

> You all may be aware that composting toilets and
> grey water
> treatment systems (treatment by essentially using
> grey water to
> irrigate non-edible plants in the immediate area)
> have become more
> popular with the "green" movement these days.

I lived briefly at Angel's Nest:

http://www.angels-nest.org/

It is out in the high desert in New Mexico, so water
use is at a premium. There, gray water (from the
sinks and showers) is used to feed edible plants
(bananas and papayas grow indoor there, year round ...
not bad for 7500 feet above sea level in the desert).
The gray water is then used for the toilets, and the
black water feeds the inedible plants. Water
respirated by the inedible plants is then extracted
from the air by an "Air2Water" machine, which is
basically a dehumidifier and several filters,
producing drinking water. It isn't anywhere near a
closed cycle, but it is a much more efficient use of
water than any other home in the area.

Ed