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

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

Has President Trump Met His Match?
Doug Ford, the no-nonsense premier of Canada's most populous province, Ontario, is taking on Trump where it hurts — making American energy more expensive.

Study: London ULEZ Rapidly Cleaning up Air Pollution
Expanding the city’s ultra low-emission zone has resulted in dramatic drops in particle emissions in inner and outer London.

San Jose Mayor Takes Dual Approach to Unsheltered Homeless Population
In a commentary published in The Mercury News, Mayor Matt Mahan describes a shelter and law enforcement approach to ending targeted homeless encampments within Northern California's largest city.

Atlanta Changes Beltline Rail Plan
City officials say they are committed to building rail connections, but are nixing a prior plan to extend the streetcar network.

Are Black Mayors Being Pushed Out of Office?
The mayors of New York, St. Louis, and Pittsburgh all stand to lose their seats in the coming weeks. They also all happen to be Black.
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