Im working with "Gemini" AI to come up with a post for facebook, which includes a short story to make it more personal. I feel like im falling behind in this effort, but I also want make this digestible, shareable, and the kickstarter link clickable Here is what i have so far:
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The Uncomfortable Truth About Your Flush (and How We're Changing It)
From our tent, just 30 meters from the riverbank, life here in Poland is simple, beautiful, and sometimes, a little too real. Mimi and I moved here for the quiet, the nature, the promise of pristine waters. Our property is nestled between two stunning lakes – Lake Ińsko, fed by springs and famously clean, and Lake Wisola (also known as Studnica). Connecting them is the Ina River, or what locals tell us used to be a river.
Twenty years ago, the Ina flowed almost year-round. Now? It's dry for most of the year. And when it does flow, it carries a secret.
You see, the water from Lake Ińsko, pure as it starts, takes an unfortunate journey. It spills into an overflow channel, meanders through the heart of the quaint town of Ińsko, past community gardens, right by our tent, and then, crucially, past a sewage treatment plant before emptying into Lake Wisola.
Despite its spring-fed origins, within just a few meters of leaving Lake Ińsko, the water quickly becomes... less than pristine. It picks up plastic trash, chemical runoff, winter de-icing salts from the streets, and likely agricultural chemicals from nearby fields. It’s a sad sight, a stark reminder that even in paradise, our footprint is undeniable.
And here’s the uncomfortable truth, the one we often try to ignore:
every time we flush, we're sending something somewhere. And often, that "somewhere" ends up in our precious rivers, lakes, and oceans. Even modern sewage treatment, while better than nothing, isn't perfect. It's a band-aid on a gushing wound, often releasing treated wastewater that still contains pollutants, pharmaceuticals, and microplastics.
But here's the real kicker, something most folks never consider: When you flush, you're not just sending water down the drain. You're flushing away incredible, valuable nutrients – nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium – that our gardens and forests are starving for. We spend billions to create synthetic fertilizers, while simultaneously polluting our water with the very nutrients we need. It's like throwing away gold and then complaining you're broke!
So, what's the solution? Do we just stop flushing? (Well, not exactly, but we do stop wasting.)
I don't have all the answers, and truly, it takes a community – and a shift in mindset – to tackle environmental challenges of this scale. Especially when powerful interests often prefer the status quo.
But what if there was a way to capture those lost nutrients, reduce pollution at the source, and actually feed our planet, all while dealing with human waste in a way that's safer and smarter than what's currently considered "normal"?
Enter the
Willow Feeder.
Now, hold on a second. When I say "Willow Feeder," most people picture some kind of fancy septic system or a giant bog. Nope! The biggest misconception to debunk right off the bat is that this system involves any water treatment. It doesn't. In fact,
no wastewater enters the Willow Feeder system at all.
Think of it more like a highly evolved, hyper-efficient composting toilet system. Here's how it works:
Urine Diversion: First, we separate the liquids. Urine, rich in nitrogen, is diverted away. It's fantastic for direct application to the landscape or into mulch pits, feeding the soil directly without overwhelming the system.
Poop Bins: What's left – the solid stuff – goes into specially designed bins. These aren't just buckets; they have internal piping that maximizes airflow and promotes rapid dehydration. This is key!
Dehydration is the Magic: Unlike traditional composting toilets that rely on active decomposition (which can be slow and sometimes smelly if not managed perfectly), the Willow Feeder focuses on dehydration. By drying out the manure, we drastically reduce the pathogen load. It's like turning a potentially messy problem into a stable, nutrient-rich, and much safer resource.
Feeding the Trees: Once a bin is full and the contents are thoroughly dehydrated, it's moved. And this is where the "Willow Feeder" gets its name. These dehydrated nutrients are then used to feed hungry trees – like willows, which are nitrogen-guzzling champions. I use willows here in my climate because they thrive on this nutrient boost, growing fast and strong. But in other climates, you could be feeding banana trees, fruit trees, or even your garden beds. The trees aren't treating the water; they're eating the concentrated nutrients!
Why willows (or other trees)? Because they're the ultimate nutrient recyclers. Instead of flushing valuable carbon and nitrogen into our waterways or releasing it as greenhouse gases, we're capturing it, cycling it back into living biomass, building healthy soil, and sequestering carbon. It's a closed-loop system, just like nature intended.
But Paul, isn't that... gross? Unhygienic? Primitive?
Let's bust some myths right here:
Smell? When properly designed and managed for dehydration, the Willow Feeder is surprisingly odorless. Most "toilet" smells come from the interaction of urine and solids, or anaerobic decomposition. We address that with diversion and dehydration.
Pathogens? This is where the dehydration is genius. By removing the moisture, we create an environment where most pathogens can't survive. The reduction in pathogen load is huge compared to just about any other system, including many municipal treatment plants.
Primitive? What's truly primitive is continuing to pollute our rivers and oceans with valuable resources, and relying on energy-intensive, centralized systems that fail. The Willow Feeder is sophisticated ecological engineering, mimicking natural processes to solve a modern problem. It's for anyone who wants a healthier planet, whether you live off-grid or in the suburbs.
Why should you care, especially if you live in a city?
Because the water that flows through our Polish stream eventually makes its way to the Baltic Sea. And the water that flows from your city's treatment plant eventually ends up in your local river, which flows to your ocean. We are all connected by water, by soil, by the very nutrients that sustain life. The "Willow Feeder" isn't just a rural permaculture dream; it's a scalable, replicable model that can inspire and inform how we manage waste everywhere, reducing the burden on municipal systems, creating fertile land, and protecting our shared global water supply.
This isn't just a Kickstarter; it's a movement. It's a chance to invest in a tangible, eco-logical solution that can truly save our rivers and oceans, one
nutrient-captured, pathogen-reduced, tree-fed contribution at a time.
Join us in making this vision a reality. Support the "Saving our Rivers and Oceans" Kickstarter. Let's turn our waste into wonder, and help bring our waterways and our soils back to life.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/paulwheaton/willow-feeders?ref=2mtm5n
Every contribution, big or small, helps Permies.com bring this vital technology to more people, educate communities, and ultimately, clean up our planet. And yes, your support through my personal link means I can reinvest even more into this incredible project, creating a positive feedback loop for a healthier world.
Let's make a splash, not a mess!
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Thoughts? Any adjustments I should make before posting? I will want to share in a few permaculture related groups - not just on my own page.
Some images to help with visuals should help with making it go more viral. Gemini AI suggests using images showing a clean stream next to a polluted one, diagrams or simple animations showing how the system works, a permies.com logo or recognizable imagery,
