Category Archives: Uncategorized
Our Posters on Exhibit Tomorrow in Arizona
We’re dedicated to explaining natural resource cycles and developing alternatives to sewers. Our first project is on exhibit this Friday in Phoenix, six posters explaining the nitrogen cycle, aerobic decomposition, prominent decomposers, Portland’s sewers and composting systems, and toilets of the world. The original goache paintings have been selected to be part of an exhibit on [...]
New Instructable: DIY Moisture Test
Our problem: We need to know the % of moisture in each batch of manure to determine how much carbon material (sawdust, coffee hulls, etc) to add to achieve 50-60% moisture (typical ideal moisture for aerobic decomposition). We didn’t have an oven that could accurately maintain temperatures between 221-230 F (and we didn’t really want [...]
An Unsolicited Design Review of Composting Toilets & Composting Methods
In the course of preparing for our new business venture, New Ground Sanitation, we’ve done a lot of research on composting toilets and the issues of public sanitation in the urban US. This document is a collection of the best toilets and composting techniques we’ve seen. There are many social and legal obstacles to composting [...]
Native Plant Finder and Craigslist for Manure
Clean Water Services has a fantastic tool I just stumbled upon tonight called the Native Plant Finder. East Multnomah County also has it’s very own site for matching manure producers with gardeners. Doesn’t seem to have as much manure traffic as craigslist. My favorite poster of the week is from Portland’s very own Environmental Services: [...]
works in progress
first pages from our zine on containerized dry sanitation, in progress. here are two two page spreads from our 7″x 8.5″ zine, half-size legal 8.5″x 14″ format. I like this size because the 17:28 aspect ratio of a legal page is pretty close to the 16:9 of widescreen HD. a single 7″x8.5″ page also adapts well [...]
Come on Out This Sunday to Portland Stock
come out this Sunday to Portland Stock to vote for Mathew and I’s informational posters about the future and past of waste management!
Field Trip to Columbia Blvd Treatment Plant Recap
I was very humbled by our visit to the Columbia Waste Treatment Plant in North East Portland. The plant manages the waste of 614,000 Portlanders which amounts to about 120 million gallons per day in the dry season and 300 million gallons per day in the wet season. 99% of the water coming in to [...]
Illustrating Waste Management Techniques & Options
I’m working on completing a full illustration of Portland’s waste treatment plant and how it works for a series of posters I’m making about the past, present and the very hopeful future for waste management. If you’re interested in non-cartesian representations of physical processes drop me a line, I need all the advice I can [...]
sensors off the grid
I’m working on a 3.6v lithium ion battery charger based on the LT3652. more later, I just like how it looks in CAD.
What Do People Do All Day? FIELD TRIPS!
Tomorrow’s field trip day here in the Cloacina Bubble. I am fulfilling a life long dream of mine, visiting a wastewater treatment center. After spending yesterday reading about Portland’s 140 acre wastewater treatment plant I can not wait to see this $13 million a year operation at work. Considering the disaster that is water borne [...]
