Comments on: Poo-Powered Rickshaw Unveiled At The Denver Zoo

Poo-Powered Rickshaw Unveiled At The Denver Zoo

novenator — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 03:49:14 -0800

Poo-Powered Rickshaw Unveiled At The Denver Zoo Poop. Is there anything it can't do? On Wednesday, The Denver Zoo introduced what is believed to be the world's first poo-powered motorized tuk tuk showcasing The Denver Zoo's very own patent-pending gasification technology.

By: novenator

novenator — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 03:50:13 -0800

As long as it doesn't muffle the Tuk Tuk sounds, I'm all for this innovative technology.

By: vacapinta

vacapinta — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 03:56:25 -0800

I don't know how I lived without the phrase 'poo-powered tuk tuk' before. Now, I'll be saying it all the time!

By: orme

orme — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 04:03:43 -0800

1. Does this also work with cat poop? 2. Do they accept donations of cat poop?

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 04:16:33 -0800

Here in Japan, toilet manufacturing giant TOTO ran some ads a few months back drawing attention to some work they're involved in in this direction. The ads featured a motorcycle that sports a seat which is... a toilet. It so happens that I got a gig doing vocals for one of those commercials. Here it is. You'll note the driver's helmet features a little stylized pile of shit on the top.

By: Segundus

Segundus — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 04:35:27 -0800

"Poop, poop!"

By: fetamelter

fetamelter — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 04:54:26 -0800

this is all well and good until we hit Peak Shit.

By: eriko

eriko — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 04:59:44 -0800

MetaFilter: patent-pending gasification technology.

By: DU

DU — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 05:07:34 -0800

The Tuk Tuk sounds are completely eliminated, since the thing now runs on electricity. Also no sounds were heard while it was running. I think it's pretty neat they are able to use 90% of the zoo's waste....although how neat it is depends on how they define that. Animal poop + concession waste is all that was mentioned. How about plant waste (that isn't already fed to animals), human waste, etc?

By: DU

DU — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 05:11:57 -0800

Also "inventor of sustainable mechanical devices at the zoo" would be my dream job.

By: stevis23

stevis23 — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 05:26:23 -0800

this is all well and good until we hit Peak Shit. Congress reconvenes every year, don't they?

By: GenjiandProust

GenjiandProust — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 05:27:42 -0800

Now wait a minute, According to my memory (and backed up by the OED, so there), "rickshaw" is a contraction of jinrikisha (人力車） or "human powered vehicle." Calling a motor-driven vehicle, however green, a "ricksha" seems to be missing the point a bit.

By: eriko

eriko — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 05:48:06 -0800

Well, that depends on who's poo it is, doesn't it?

By: rebent

rebent — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 05:59:34 -0800

when I was a kid I had a book with a picture of a motor vehicle powered by chicken poo. So... no, this is not the first "poo-powered vehicle." for example, Chicken Manure Fuel

By: eriko

eriko — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 06:01:47 -0800

It just hit me. I'm on MetaFilter making poo jokes.

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By: GenjiandProust

GenjiandProust — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 06:17:35 -0800

Rather than "ricksha," I think it should be called "the dump tuk."

By: MCMikeNamara

MCMikeNamara — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 06:18:41 -0800

I'm not if it's more embarassing that I just laughed out loud on a crowded train at the word "gasification" or that I'm admitting it. But here we are. I've never worked at a zoo but I've got to think they're rolling in the stuff. And just think, formerly the person responsible for cleaning it up with just a shit scooper, now he's an oil man!

By: RobotVoodooPower

RobotVoodooPower — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 06:19:57 -0800

The poo-powered tuk tuk is the second prototype The Denver Zoo has put together to show off their sustainable energy system -- the first? A blender used to mix margaritas at a zoo event. Do NOT drink the margaritas.

By: stormpooper

stormpooper — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 06:21:18 -0800

that is the shit.

By: DU

DU — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 06:31:37 -0800

this is not the first "poo-powered vehicle." Please identify the source for the words in quotes.

By: oneironaut

oneironaut — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 06:35:22 -0800

No denying the sniggerability of this, but the truth is that the faster we can go down this technology path, the better. There are vast untapped sources of energy in organic waste that can be used for stationary and transportation power, with massive co-benefits of harnessing it--sanitation and reducing methane emissions.

By: Strange Interlude

Strange Interlude — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 06:43:18 -0800

Who runs Bartertown?

By: Scientist

Scientist — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 06:48:39 -0800

Yeah, we need to get on this. Trash and shit are vital resources to any efficient society, and just through our sheer numbers we create both in absolutely mind-boggling quantities. The fact that we simply dump this stuff and forget about it is a travesty. I mean, sure in the short term dumping is easier than collecting all the useful waste, separating it out from the stuff that's not so useful, and then putting it to use either as new raw materials or as energy. It's also totally wasteful and robs us of a massive store of ever-renewing resources. We have made some strides in terms of recycling and such but we need to get much, much better about this. Work is definitely being done, and in fact what amazes me is that the underlying technologies are all there! None of the processes involved in recycling or fermentation or gasification or incineration or whatever -- it's not as important exactly how we use this stuff so much as that we use it at all, at this stage -- are particularly cutting-edge. What is lacking is infrastructure, political will, and the cultural mindset that waste is bad and that uses should be found for the by-products of civilization.

By: schmod

schmod — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 08:01:25 -0800

flapjax at midnite: "Here in Japan, toilet manufacturing giant TOTO ran some ads a few months back drawing attention to some work they're involved in in this direction. " Seriously. What is it with Japan and toilets? Is there any other place in the world where a company (ie. Toto) can become an industrial giant and technological innovator by just making toilets? And, also, winning the award for designing the world's most needlessly complicated and intimidating user interface. 38 inputs. For a toilet. I'm pretty sure that my car has fewer controls.

By: samsara

samsara — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 08:45:08 -0800

Obligatory?