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India Is Winning Its War on Human Waste

gatesnotes.com

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Re: India Is Winning Its War on Human Waste

#51

Post by weeksie »

nemacol wrote: post #25
blhack wrote: post #17

It's outlined in the article, but I think it's worth saying again: the most difficult part of what they're doing seems to be getting people to change their habits. It's the same psychology involved in pollution and climate change. Because people don't see an immediate reaction to for instance plastic-pollution, it's harder to get them to understand the serious effects that it is having.

I get what you are saying, but a turd on the ground is pretty immediate. :P

Spoken like someone who hasn't spent a lot of time in India ;)

Re: India Is Winning Its War on Human Waste

#52

Post by sqeaky »

lern_too_spel wrote: post #42
nojvek wrote: post #4

Two of the most forward thinking folks I believe are Bill Gates and Elon Musk. While Elon wants to carve way into science fiction, Bill wants to ensure no one gets left behind. Exciting time to be alive. In this case big kudos goes to Narendra Modi and the Indian govt to ensure this happens. I believe such fundamental things are the most effective when govt pushes for it rather than individuals.

You can't carve away at science fiction without the human capital to do the science. Lifting huge populations out of disease and poverty is going to have a larger effect on scientific progress than spending money on directing the few who can do science right now.

I don't know if you are right or not, and I think it is hard to measure. I certainly think you don't deserve downvotes for your otherwise positive message though.

Re: India Is Winning Its War on Human Waste

#53

Post by intended »

thowbit9 wrote: post #46

What I see and hear from the people on the field is that Narendra Modi is a show man with no stuff. Dashboard looks cool, but those toilets built are not maintained and is in the verge of wreck.

A long my time ago, a steel company installed toilets in Orissa (I hope I'm recalling the conversation exactly). They've just fallen into disrepair.

People didn't use them.

This is a habit change that has to be completed, once that happens, a lot will change on its own.

Re: India Is Winning Its War on Human Waste

#54

Post by CodeCube »

politicalthrow wrote: post #19
avar wrote: post #16

> Unfortunately, in many places, it’s not > feasible to lay down sewer pipes or build > treatment facilities. [...] But giving > people access to toilets isn’t enough. You > also have to persuade them to use the > toilets. I can't find it now, but there was a news video making the rounds a year or two ago that showed that this problem is much more fundamental than that. It showed a Indians in a tiny village who were…

Could it be an example of a tragedy of the commons? No one wants to drink water where someone shit but everyone would rather shit in the water than in a field somewhere far and away from the ability to clean oneself.

this is it right here ... what better way to get that baby-fresh feeling than just popping a squat in the river, where the current takes away your inanimate offspring downstream, and cleans your nether regions.

Humans are creatures of habit, and often, self interest (a clean arse) will win over benefits to others (see all politics ever, almost)

Re: India Is Winning Its War on Human Waste

#55

Post by hardlianotion »

Tharkun wrote: post #23
avar wrote: post #16

> Unfortunately, in many places, it’s not > feasible to lay down sewer pipes or build > treatment facilities. [...] But giving > people access to toilets isn’t enough. You > also have to persuade them to use the > toilets. I can't find it now, but there was a news video making the rounds a year or two ago that showed that this problem is much more fundamental than that. It showed a Indians in a tiny village who were…

I wonder how long it took for westerners to stop throwing their "night soil" out the window and start installing and using toilets. What always struck me as strange is that the Romans had and used public toilets, but afterwards Europe went back to shitting in a bucket and throwing it out the window. Puzzling.

I seem to remember that Roman toilets were often in the kitchen...

Re: India Is Winning Its War on Human Waste

#56

Post by chetanahuja »

msound wrote: post #44
victor106 wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who is Narendra Modi? Edit:- read the article.thanks...

Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister of India. He has a very interesting (and controversial) history. He grew up selling tea at a railway station and now he's Prime Minister of the largest democracy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narendra_Modi

> He has a very interesting (and controversial) history

Sure does. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Gujarat_riots

Re: India Is Winning Its War on Human Waste

#57

Post by sqeaky »

6d6b73 wrote: post #31
Tharkun wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder how long it took for westerners to stop throwing their "night soil" out the window and start installing and using toilets. What always struck me as strange is that the Romans had and used public toilets, but afterwards Europe went back to shitting in a bucket and throwing it out the window. Puzzling.

Still, buckets and "out the window" are better than "everywhere"

Where is "out the window"? People are going to be walking through that and it will flow downhill towards the water table and into well water. "out the window" is "everywhere" for most purposes.

Re: India Is Winning Its War on Human Waste

#58

Post by delecti »

nojvek wrote: post #4

Two of the most forward thinking folks I believe are Bill Gates and Elon Musk. While Elon wants to carve way into science fiction, Bill wants to ensure no one gets left behind. Exciting time to be alive. In this case big kudos goes to Narendra Modi and the Indian govt to ensure this happens. I believe such fundamental things are the most effective when govt pushes for it rather than individuals.

Two internet celebrities I follow (John and Hank Green) call those two approaches to making the world better "decreasing worldsuck" and "increasing awesome", and I really like that model of thinking. Obviously there are a lot of awesome things we can be doing in the world, but we can't let society leave people behind either.

Re: India Is Winning Its War on Human Waste

#59

Post by fizixer »

nojvek wrote: post #4

Two of the most forward thinking folks I believe are Bill Gates and Elon Musk. While Elon wants to carve way into science fiction, Bill wants to ensure no one gets left behind. Exciting time to be alive. In this case big kudos goes to Narendra Modi and the Indian govt to ensure this happens. I believe such fundamental things are the most effective when govt pushes for it rather than individuals.

I like to put it this way. Elon Musk is working on the cutting edge (make new tech), Bill Gates on the spine edge (make existing tech available to everyone).

You need both for humanity to progress.

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