While many scientists agree that Africa is the likely cradle of mankind, these days the whole continent is something of a mess. Rife with war, famine, poverty, and disease, Africa can use all the help it can get. And thanks to a $1.5 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a new refining process that turns fecal waste into usable biodiesel and methane has opened its first production plant in Ghana.
Poop is a problem for much of Africa’s population, as many countries and areas lack adequate waste collection services. This leads to overflowing latrines and toilets, making the spread of deadly dieseses a certainty. Ghana-based Waste Enterprisers, in conjunction with Columbia University and Kwame Nkrumah University, has used the aforementioned $1.5 million to set up a waste collection agency that doesn’t dispose of poo-water, but rather converts it into usable fuels. This kills (or rather, saves) two birds with one stone, as about 85% of fecal waste collected is just dumped back into the environment, untreated.
Poop is a problem for much of Africa’s population, as many countries and areas lack adequate waste collection services. This leads to overflowing latrines and toilets, making the spread of deadly dieseses a certainty. Ghana-based Waste Enterprisers, in conjunction with Columbia University and Kwame Nkrumah University, has used the aforementioned $1.5 million to set up a waste collection agency that doesn’t dispose of poo-water, but rather converts it into usable fuels. This kills (or rather, saves) two birds with one stone, as about 85% of fecal waste collected is just dumped back into the environment, untreated.
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