There is a simple and effective solution to the sanitation issues Tim is dealing with, which I learned about last year – humanure composting. Before you dismiss this as crackpot ravings, please note the method described below involves far less time hauiling or dealing with human fecal matter than Tim is already described as having.

Our homeless shelter hosts a client reading program and last year I contacted a variety of local sources to ask for the donation of reading materials. One of the people who very generously donated books to our program was Joseph Jenkins of Pennsylvania – he has published a book called THE HUMANURE HANDBOOK and more information can be found at http://humanurehandbook.com/

In short, he suggests using ordinary 5-gallon buckets and compost techniques to dispose of human waste; one simply uses these toilets in the normal way [the bucket takes the place of a toilet bowl] and then covers the material with a dry, biodegradeable plant material such as sawdust or even grass clippings – according to Jenkins, this will completely eliminate any odor or pest attraction.

Once the bucket toilet is filled, it is emptied into an outdoor compost pile, the bucket scrubbed out with the use of rainwater collected in a nearby barrel and the compost completely covered once more, this time using a more bulky material like straw or grass clippings – doing so not only masks odor and prevents the infestation of pests but also provides the heat blanket necessary to break down any harmful organisms in the fecal matter and transform it, in the space of approximately 18-24 months, into compost suitable for use in gardening of any kind.

By Jenkin’s account, he’s raised his family for years on food grown using this type of compost and none have suffered any ill effects. The book details methods of both making one of these compost toilets and the compost area to recycle the contents – one of the suggestions describes using a number of scrap wooden shipping pallets to make a waist-high enclosure to contain the compost long enough for the natural, organic process to take effect.

This method offers several advantages over the system Tim is currently using – he’d no longer need to transport these heavy bags of waste, the “waste” itself would be recycled into something useful and it’s a system which can be easily adapted to almost any location with ready access to the relevant raw materials.

From what i understand after visiting his website, Jenkins has recently been traveling to Haiti to demonstrate the use of this sort of process in the wake of the earthquake and economic devastation.

In closing, I’ll just note that I have no direct relationship with Jenkins or his various business endeavors, aside from being the reciepient of a generous donation he made to our clients. If you or someone you know is interested in this concept, please pass the information along.

I can prove that what my former landlord is slandering my good name and neglected my apartments needs. If I didn’t pay rent for 5 1/2 years why did he keep me there? Why wait for 5 years to take me to court? I missed paying rent because I had no rent and they were informed. I had very personal unexpected trauma going on in my life at that time and I can prove that too. Of course this story goes much deeper but I am researching and advocating myself. The reason I contact you, is I hope you can help. You may contact me at the above E-mail address and cell number.