The readings this week were illuminating in that I never really thought about how waste was utilized historically or how it may be utilized in the future. To call it waste in itself is not entirely true, although I believe that some inherent disgust exists around shit (negative feeling tones involved with smelling it), it holds a chemical value that shouldn’t be ignored. I have a sort of underlying belief that we’re quite vampiric and parasitic to the planet at this current scale of functioning and economic complexity, so especially as we push the planet to its limits, it’s going to be important to utilize as many potential resources as possible. I think creating societal change around the utilization of our shit is a great way to keep a little more balance behind our reliance on the planet for sustenance. Perhaps there are modern solutions to repurposing sewer systems and plumbing to not be so reliant on water, as I know some planes utilize vacuum systems to accomplish this goal. In the 21st century, our better understanding of pneumatics and air pressure may allow us to transfer not just shit but more general waste too around an underground network of pipes, which may allow us to sort waste and shit more efficiently without compromising its chemical integrity. Additionally, I think the use of human shit in fertilizer isn’t as much of a disgusting reality when you consider the food content already present in America. I recently learned some of the parmesan you probably buy at the grocery store is cut with cellulose powder (derived from sawdust) or that fake truffle scent is derived from oil. To me, this means that eating produce grown in human shit is a better alternative then ever consuming these food peculiarities most people are not aware of.