How Bill Gates hopes his new toilet will change the world (CNN)
— Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates thinks one of the answers to
improving health is in the bathroom. A year ago, his foundation
issued a challenge to universities to create a new toilet,
launching a worldwide effort to improve sanitation. This week
the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced who won the
challenge. California Institute of Technology was the big winner
and was awarded $100,000 for its idea of a solar-powered toilet
that generates hydrogen and electricity. The United Kingdom’s
Loughborough University won second place and was awarded $60,000
for a toilet that produces biological charcoal, minerals, and
clean water. The University of Toronto in Canada garnered third
place and $40,000 for a toilet that sanitizes feces and urine
and recovers resources and clean water. The new commodes are
being showcased at a “Reinvent the Toilet Fair” Tuesday and
Wednesday in Seattle. The foundation also announced a second
round of grants totaling som