Bill Gates is flushing his money down the toilet.

darelsalam · 08-15-12 at 06:34 PM

Bill Gates looks to new toilets to improve world sanitation
Prof Michael Hoffman with winning design at Gates Foundation's Reinvent the Toilet fair Prof Michael Hoffman shows off his winning design - a solar-powered toilet
Bill Gates is, in a manner of speaking, flushing his money down the toilet.

His charitable organisation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is looking for future loos that can improve sanitation around the world.

At the Reinvent the Toilet fair, hosted at its Seattle campus this week, designs included a lavatory that used microwave energy to turn poo into electricity.

Another turned excrement into charcoal, while a third used urine for flushing.

In total 28 designs were shown off at the fair and the winner was a team from the California Institute of Technology.

Led by Prof Michael Hoffman, the toilet they designed was solar-powered and generated hydrogen gas and electricity. They won a $100,000 prize.

"We couldn't be happier with the response that we've gotten," Bill Gates said at the event.
Preventable deaths
Walter Gibson shows off his loo design One low-tech solution uses fly larvae to recycle waste

The project challenged inventors to come up with a toilet that operated without running water, electricity or a septic system. It needed to operate at a cost of no more than five cents (3p) a day and would ideally capture energy or other resources.

Walter Gibson, from a team of scientists at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, showed off a toilet that used black soldier fly larvae to process waste and create environmentally-friendly animal feed.

The toilet is already being field tested in South Africa.

Traditional flush toilets waste tons of drinking water and are often impractical in many areas of the developing world.

The UN estimates that disease caused by unsafe sanitation is responsible for half of the hospitalisations in the developing world. About 1.5 million children die each year from diarrhoeal disease.

The Gates Foundation has committed $370m (£235m) to its future toilet initiative and hopes to field test the prototypes within three years.

Code: Select All

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/62290000/jpg/_62290545_015724133-1.jpg

**L1b3rta** · 08-15-12 at 06:57 PM

Sounds good, but I hope it's not some good deed to attempt to make his company look a bit better. That would be really low. :)

**Always.drunk** · 08-15-12 at 07:16 PM

fascinating that bill gates instinctively invest his money in poop related matters like his other venture named "windows"

**pkg81** · 08-15-12 at 07:23 PM

Big props to him. Can't wait to see how well this goes.

**dormin** · 08-15-12 at 07:29 PM

I would not consider it a waste of money. Even if one life is saved it will have been worth it. Kudos to Bill for a change. And no 640k will not be enough.

**Always.drunk** · 08-15-12 at 07:29 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Notorious_dog

Dude... He could probably make more money with this venture alone!

I'm telling you, recycling is where the money is at! It's were the world is supposed to be heading.....Stuff is supposed to be clean green and safe...

And obviously you're not using windows right now... right?

i'm using ubuntu right now, & if i were using windows, i always keep wipes nearby so my tosh stays fresh & dainty.

Panhandler · 08-15-12 at 07:35 PM

tax write off

**acdc137** · 08-15-12 at 07:48 PM

Quote:

At the Reinvent the Toilet fair, hosted at its Seattle campus this week, designs included a lavatory that used microwave energy to turn poo into electricity.

Another turned excrement into charcoal, while a third used urine for flushing.

Why over think it? Poo already releases methane and urine is enough acidic to power up some devices already.

**WillowSun** · 08-15-12 at 11:56 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by L1b3rta

Sounds good, but I hope it's not some good deed to attempt to make his company look a bit better. That would be really low. :)

I think you may find that he's one of the biggest celebrity donators to charity in the world. Leaves Oprah way behind.

Code: Select All

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1300336/34-billionaires-away-half-wealth.html

Quote:

He's given $28bn to charity and is still worth $56bn.

**CyberKingdom** · 08-16-12 at 12:28 AM

I really hate the fact that he puts Melinda's name in there with him. I hope it's for tax reason because if you didn't earn the money, you don't deserve the fame.

**Vivit4r** · 08-16-12 at 02:39 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by acdc137

Why over think it? Poo already releases methane and urine is enough acidic to power up some devices already.

Hopefully Apple doesn't try to patent that for the new iPhone 5! Low on battery? Take a wiz on your device!

Apart from the that, what's up with all the negativity about this? This is a good thing, stop trying to find negatives. Gates is old and super rich, not to mention he helps out those less fortunate. He has got enough money, and believe it or not, he is more down to earth than a lot of the other "billionaires" out there.

P.S. Windows 7 is great, but so is Ubuntu. Which has made more money though?

**GrimmCro** · 08-16-12 at 02:56 AM

Considering the world politics at the moment, the only hope for something done to better mankind, even if it begins with a new toilet, is bound to come from someone with too much money and free time.

Philanthropy is the way to go.

**tomandsusan** · 08-16-12 at 05:17 AM

Weather you like BG or not, he doesn't have to do anything with his money that he doesn't want to. As a tax write off, you don't get 100% tax deductions of your donation. All you get to deduct is the taxes you owe on the money you donated. If he donated 100 dollars, all he could deduct from his taxes is 35 bucks so he is still out 65---something he doesn't have to do. I think he is pretty cool for doing it.

**Silvergrin** · 08-16-12 at 06:43 AM

Bill Gates gives alot of his money away hes not like most rich guys. Gotta respect that.

08-15-12 at 11:56 PM	#9
WillowSun Therianthrope Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 5,187	Quote: Originally Posted by L1b3rta Sounds good, but I hope it's not some good deed to attempt to make his company look a bit better. That would be really low. :) I think you may find that he's one of the biggest celebrity donators to charity in the world. Leaves Oprah way behind. Code: Select All http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1300336/34-billionaires-away-half-wealth.html Quote: He's given $28bn to charity and is still worth $56bn.

08-15-12 at 06:57 PM	#2
L1b3rta Guru Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 6,053	Sounds good, but I hope it's not some good deed to attempt to make his company look a bit better. That would be really low. :)

08-15-12 at 07:16 PM	#3
Always.drunk Apprentice Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 496	fascinating that bill gates instinctively invest his money in poop related matters like his other venture named "windows"

08-15-12 at 07:23 PM	#4
pkg81 tehPARADOX Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Earth Posts: 2,523	Big props to him. Can't wait to see how well this goes.

08-15-12 at 07:29 PM	#5
dormin Illuminati Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: 3rd Rock Posts: 2,510	I would not consider it a waste of money. Even if one life is saved it will have been worth it. Kudos to Bill for a change. And no 640k will not be enough.

08-15-12 at 07:35 PM	#7
Panhandler Newcomer Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 25	tax write off

08-15-12 at 07:48 PM	#8
acdc137 Done Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 698	Quote: At the Reinvent the Toilet fair, hosted at its Seattle campus this week, designs included a lavatory that used microwave energy to turn poo into electricity. Another turned excrement into charcoal, while a third used urine for flushing. Why over think it? Poo already releases methane and urine is enough acidic to power up some devices already.

08-16-12 at 12:28 AM	#10
CyberKingdom Master Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 1,130	I really hate the fact that he puts Melinda's name in there with him. I hope it's for tax reason because if you didn't earn the money, you don't deserve the fame.

08-16-12 at 02:39 AM	#11
Vivit4r The world is yours Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Florida, USA Posts: 2,038	Quote: Originally Posted by acdc137 Why over think it? Poo already releases methane and urine is enough acidic to power up some devices already. Hopefully Apple doesn't try to patent that for the new iPhone 5! Low on battery? Take a wiz on your device! Apart from the that, what's up with all the negativity about this? This is a good thing, stop trying to find negatives. Gates is old and super rich, not to mention he helps out those less fortunate. He has got enough money, and believe it or not, he is more down to earth than a lot of the other "billionaires" out there. P.S. Windows 7 is great, but so is Ubuntu. Which has made more money though?

08-16-12 at 02:56 AM	#12
GrimmCro Your Point Is Invalid Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Zagreb, Croatia Posts: 1,495	Considering the world politics at the moment, the only hope for something done to better mankind, even if it begins with a new toilet, is bound to come from someone with too much money and free time. Philanthropy is the way to go.

08-16-12 at 05:17 AM	#13
tomandsusan Guru Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Never Never Land Posts: 5,815	Weather you like BG or not, he doesn't have to do anything with his money that he doesn't want to. As a tax write off, you don't get 100% tax deductions of your donation. All you get to deduct is the taxes you owe on the money you donated. If he donated 100 dollars, all he could deduct from his taxes is 35 bucks so he is still out 65---something he doesn't have to do. I think he is pretty cool for doing it.

08-16-12 at 06:43 AM	#14
Silvergrin Hunter's Moon Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 924	Bill Gates gives alot of his money away hes not like most rich guys. Gotta respect that.