Replacing water with slipperiness in an unexpected place can save energy.
"The architect Robert Fox, a partner at Cook + Fox Architects in New York, was talking about his favorite new urinals.
'The porcelain sides are extremely slippery, so when you urinate, the urine goes down the sides and down the hole,' he said. 'It is not sitting on a pool of water like a typical urinal. When you are peeing, the pee is going away immediately.'
The urinals he enjoys so much are a new kind of urinal, favored by 'green' builders, that use no water.
'There is blue liquid in the chamber underneath, and the blue liquid is lighter than urine,' he said. 'So the urine sinks and the blue liquid stays on top and forms a seal which keeps the odor in.'"
"Waterless urinals date to 1891, when a Swiss entrepreneur used sunflower oil instead of light blue liquid to make odorless outhouses. But they have experienced a rebirth now that the green building movement has taken a hold of our internal plumbing."
FULL STORY: It’s Urinetown 2006: Green Architects Use Heads of the Future

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Defunct Pittsburgh Power Plant to Become Residential Tower
A decommissioned steam heat plant will be redeveloped into almost 100 affordable housing units.

Trump Prompts Restructuring of Transportation Research Board in “Unprecedented Overreach”
The TRB has eliminated more than half of its committees including those focused on climate, equity, and cities.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train
The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.
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