We have all heard stories of people lost in the desert who resorted to drinking their own urine to keep hydrated in the scorching heat. Along these lines, NASA has been testing a "urine processing" system which would allow astronauts to recycle their urine to provide potable water for long journeys in outer space. It is part of a 154 million dollar water processing system which, along with urine, can purify sweat and condensation for drinking water. The system is already being tested on the space shuttle Endeavor and at the international space station. But these rocket scientists are proceeding with caution, waiting until the recycled pee is tested on earth before imbibing.
Now, inspired by the revolutionary idea, a columnist at the Christian Science Monitor is wondering whether recycling urine is the way to deal with the planet's growing fresh water shortage http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2008/11/26/should-we-recycle-urine-on-earth-too/.
One out of six human beings on earth lacks access to fresh drinking water often making long, dangerous trips to secure enough for their daily use.
The popularity of bottled water has also been a concern among environmentalists since the plastic bottles find their way into already choked landfills. Furthermore, there is a fear that bottled water companies will use their profits to acquire rights to aquifers around the globe depriving local peoples of access to clean water.
One thing's for sure -recycling pee is only going to make bottled water more popular!
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