Toilet summit opens in Beijing

[emad]

By Louisa Lim
BBC, Beijing



Beijing toilets have been told to clean up their act

The fourth world toilet summit has opened in Beijing with declarations that having a loo is a human right.

Four hundred delegates from around the world are spending three days discussing the humble water closet.

At the opening ceremony, Chinese officials admitted their public amenities are not up to the mark.

Organisers say it is an attempt to break the taboo surrounding toilets, which is preventing developing countries from tackling the issue.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4018477.stm

[Newsjock]

1. I'm flush with excitement

sorry. :)

[htuttle]

2. Well, I am bowled over

Tank you.

[emad]

3. Colon Bowel to act as Junior's special rep at this summit-or-other?

???

[htuttle]

6. You know, in 2001 I was using an online Arabic-to-English translator

So I could read Al Jazeera from time to time.

The translator actually translated Powell's name as: "Colon Bowell" everytime it appeared. I kid you not.

(This translator also decided that 'malignant disobedient firebrand' was an adequate translation of the word 'anthrax'. It was a lousy translator...).

[emad]

7. Any link to fans of "colonic irrigation" eg Princess Di?

??

[billyoc]

4. I'm tinkling with anticipation. n/t

[Jack_DeLeon]

5. "a toilet is a basic human right"

Hmmm I dont know if I agree.

Yes toilets are something that most of us in the Western world cant imagine doing without, however I dont know if I would go out there and say that a toilet is a basic human right.

[yellowcanine]

8. Isn't a clean warm place to take a shit part of "pursuit of happiness"?

I am sure Tom Jefferson would agree.

[derby378]

9. I'm sure the convention will be loads of fun...

[Gregorian]

10. In case anyone is interested in he environment-

I'm saying this in order to put things in perspective. The rest of the world is now going to take off where we have essentially finished. That is, they want the things we have. Those things like cars and houses. Those things that have killed the environment, in just the tiny 250 million population amount that we have in the united states. A toilet is a very energy intensive item. The btu's that go into making a porcelin fixture are not insignificant. I hate to say it, but as the world shows evidence of joining the modern society, we will see an extremely rapid decline in nature as we know it. Just my theory. Glad I'm not young.

[wickerwoman]

13. China isn't building toilets for the Chinese.

They have a cultural aversion to sit-down toilets and when you think about it, it makes sense. You're exposed to less bacteria in reasonably clean flushable squat toilets than you are in sit-down ones. That's why even the brand new roadside stop toilets with marble floors, attendants and heating still offer several squat toilets and one "disabled" Western style toilet.

The whole point of this conference is to reassure Westerners that they will have a comfortable place to do their business during the 2008 Olympics.

So, while I agree that the U.S. will cease being the center of innovation in the next century, it isn't strictly inevitable that other cultures will make the same mistakes.

[ecoalex]

11. Nothing like an outhouse @ -30 Degs ...try it sometime

[Andrushka]

12. I wonder if they have any advice

on how to remove particularly large turds from the s-bend...