ABSTRACT
In order for complex life-forms to survive on planet Earth, humans must make significant transformations to how we live, at the most basic level. Human survival depends on access to water and food. Rightful consideration has been given to these essential needs. But far less consideration has been given to the equally essential human need to release excess water and food from our system through urination and defecation. The freshwater flush toilet uses a disproportionately high amount of water, and despite concerted efforts, there remains a dearth of dignified, sustainable sanitation options and systems worldwide. Promoting and providing ecological sanitation is a place where religious leaders and practitioners can play key roles in reorientation and reclamation. Currently, conversations about sanitation are taboo because they are connected bodily “waste.” Ongoing taboos reduce crucial innovation in the sector needed to position human excreta as a discarded resource rather than a waste and provide pathways for its safe reintegration and fertilization of soil.
