What the modern fridge does for household electricity consumption, the modern toilet does for water. Actually, the toilet - in its most common form - is not modern at all, and it's time for a makeover. But toilets that use little or no water face the same problem I mentioned yesterday in relation to the energy-efficient refrigerator: poor public image. I am not talking about the low-flow models that are now fairly common in some countries. Five- or six-litre flush toilets are a bit like the hybrid car: better than gas-guzzling 4x4 vehicles, but not something that will really wean us off liquid fuels.
I am talking about a litre or less per flush. We need a revolution in the water closet, and Dwell magazine presents a few models that might do the trick. But they are a long way from price levels that will encourage widespread adoption, and some of them still look like they belong in a caravan, not a house. Design, design, design.
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