Why is human fecal matter worse for the environment than animal fecal matter?
Something in our diets?
andy99 · 3h ago
I'd guess it worse for us because it's a vector for disease. (And grosser to see for related evolutionary reasons). There's probably a greater volume in heavily trafficked places vs similar predators. Otherwise doubtful that pound for pound it's actually worse for "nature".
No comments yet
vbezhenar · 2h ago
I think that the main reason is that human population is unusually huge, humans live in the huge dense groups. So there's just too many fecals and environment struggles to process them.
Just to compare: there's an estimation that there are around 300 000 gorillas in the entire world. There are over 20 000 humans for every gorilla.
Though I think that "environment" is too vague. Planet doesn't care. Some bacteria probably would think that it's pretty nice environment. It's more about human waste making environment bad for humans themselves.
There are just too many of us, so we need artificial ways to produce food, artificial ways to protect from cold and heat. And also artificial ways to safely dispose of our waste.
SR2Z · 3h ago
We are apex predators, and our shit contains the condensed toxins from all of the lower rungs on the food chain. The other extreme would be an animal like a cow, which shits basically smellier grass.
That's basically it. A human being that's only eaten plants has much less devastating poops.
dmurray · 3h ago
I don't think this last conclusion is true. It's really about harmful bacteria, not "toxins". Even vegetarians have a complex digestive system that can harbour pathogens. Perhaps their faeces are safer to use as manure than those from a meat-eating human, but much closer to that than to a cow.
FollowingTheDao · 3h ago
It is far from a certain that we are apex predators since we can survive on a largely herbivore diet.
And "our shit contains the condensed toxins from all of the lower rungs on the food chain." lacks any credibility unless you can provide a link I have never seen.
sugarpimpdorsey · 2h ago
This needs to be printed onto leaflets and dropped over SoMa.
aoki · 3h ago
Well, at least “smearing” isn’t a default choice anymore
FollowingTheDao · 3h ago
It is not the pooping that is the problem, it is the density of human pooping that is the problem. All they are talking about in the article are the national parks, and yes, this is a problem in the parks. Human feces is no more or less dangerous than animal feces.
andy99 · 4h ago
> Mount Everest – known as Sagarmatha in Nepali – to national parks in Norway and Aotearoa – known as New Zealand to English speakers
Very hard to read around this stuff
ecshafer · 2h ago
Weird how they don't say "Norge - known as Norway to English Speakers".
simondotau · 3h ago
This is bad copy editing. Detail like this belongs in parentheses at minimum, preferably footnotes. They should at least be consistent about using common or traditional names first.
slowmovintarget · 4h ago
tl;dr: Prepare ahead of time and take it back with you, or bury it at least 6-8 inches deep and 200 ft. from a water source.
my mom handed me a shovel before heading out on a cross continent road trip,lived in vans and busses for years, back roads mostly, best camp spots are not on any map what so ever....hay roads, or just some ruts leading off
then lived way back away from the road in a few different spots
I have noticed that many "popular" sites are truely disgusting and rarely go to them, and stick to the path, or bushwack cross country well away from the main route
https://offbeatoregon.com/2501d1006d_biliousPills-686.077.ht...
Something in our diets?
No comments yet
Just to compare: there's an estimation that there are around 300 000 gorillas in the entire world. There are over 20 000 humans for every gorilla.
Though I think that "environment" is too vague. Planet doesn't care. Some bacteria probably would think that it's pretty nice environment. It's more about human waste making environment bad for humans themselves.
There are just too many of us, so we need artificial ways to produce food, artificial ways to protect from cold and heat. And also artificial ways to safely dispose of our waste.
That's basically it. A human being that's only eaten plants has much less devastating poops.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apex_predator#Human_trophic_le...
And "our shit contains the condensed toxins from all of the lower rungs on the food chain." lacks any credibility unless you can provide a link I have never seen.
Very hard to read around this stuff
https://lnt.org/why/7-principles/dispose-of-waste-properly/
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/idkt_lnt_3.htm
I have noticed that many "popular" sites are truely disgusting and rarely go to them, and stick to the path, or bushwack cross country well away from the main route