Toilet home 'may have traumatised' compost worms
Posted 24 minutes ago
A New Zealand inventor has been forced to defend the use of worms in a composting toilet he has developed after officials became concerned that the creatures might become traumatised by the procedure.
Coll Bell was told to get an expert's report on the mental impact on the tiger worms being used after an official became concerned during a site visit.
He says the official felt that the worms were being unfairly treated, being expected to deal with human faeces, and that it could affect them in a psychological way.
Mr Bell was told he had to get someone with the necessary qualifications to say the worms were happy.
A vermiculture consultant was called in and she has found the worms are in excellent health and breeding happily.
- AFP
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/16/2120077.htm
Sunday, December 16, 2007
There's some strange people in NZ!
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If they weren't happy, wouldn't they leave? Ahhh, government is the same everywhere.
ReplyDeleteYes I think so Lois.I don't imagine worms freaking out about people poo. As far as I can tell, and admittedly I'm no worm expert (although I did have a little "worm farm" for a couple of years), worms don't seem to have the same value systems that people do. We might find it disgusting to swim in sewage, but works don't.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about getting my grandson a worm farm for Christmas. I would imagine they are contained right? I mean they won't get out and wander around his room, would they?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't think so-- unless his room is wet and full of worm food :)They are usually well contained, but I would put it in a garage rather than a bed room.The biggest problem I had was that some particularly gross insect would lay eggs which would produce these huge grubs that basically ate everything, turned the otherwise quite nice substrate into a sulphurous gooey mess and that basically killed the worms.I gave up after a few years as it just didn't work for me. I was probably putting too much food into it, I think.
ReplyDeleteThanks very much. I think he will enjoy it.
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