Re: Can human fecies be eliminated from existence?

Aloha,
     
     The question you have asked and the comments you make are quite 
interesting...very much like some of the students in my introductory 
nutrition course might ask, here at the University of Hawai`i.
     The simple answer to your question is both 'yes' and 'no.'  Let me 
explain.  I could envision a medical treatment that would eliminate all 
the bacteria in your large intestine (what make up the bulk of the fecal 
matter).  In fact, this is what sometimes happens to people on long-term, 
intense antibiotic therapy, say for ulcer treatment...their fecal 
production goes way down.  The same thing might happen if you went on only 
a clear liquid diet (although you might not survive very long, unless the 
clear liquid contained a number of nutrients in solution?!).
     Is this (eliminating feces) either acceptable or advisable?  Probably 
not. This gets to your comment about eliminating feces to make the world 
a 'better place.'  First off, it is not an advisable thing to not produce 
fecal matter for a number of reasons.  The human body evolved with a 
modestly lengthy digestive tract;  and the digestive tract is a muscular 
organ.  Muscles need exercise to keep healthy, so having nothing to work 
against (food and eventually fecal matter) would not be healthy for the 
large intestine (where much of the fecal matter is created/held).  Also, 
the bacteria that live/grow in the large intestine are there for a 
reason.  They help provide bulk to the feces and they actually help digest 
some of the left-over stuff that we can't...and we actually get some 
nutrients (B-vitamins, vitamin K) and other biochemicals (organic acids) 
from the bacterial metabolism.  In addition, fecal matter helps 
buffer/protect the lining of the lower digestive tract from toxins that 
are present in food or created in the body...not having normal bowel 
function and adequate fecal material is related to an increased risk for 
colon cancer (it is also tied in with not enough dietary fiber...found in 
plant food, like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains). So, as we humans 
are currently 'built,' eliminating fecal matter would not be in the best 
interest for health, no matter what.  Unless we evolve into something far 
different from what we are currently, producing fecal matter is necessary 
for normal, healthy functioning of our human bodies.
     What about for the environment?  Eliminating human feces, that is.  
In many countries, much of the fertilizer still used in growing crops is 
human feces, either raw or refined, in some way.  Not having this would 
put a large part of the world's population more at risk for 
hunger/malnutrition than they already are.  Also, why just stick with 
human fecal matter?  Why not try to wipe out all fecal matter?  This would 
cause a major mess...both literally and figuratively.  The bacteria that 
are in fecal matter are part of the natural life cycles that function best 
when all parts are there and working well.  To eliminate the fecal 
bacteria would bring many environmental cycles to a screeching halt...and 
would cause huge mountains of 'stuff' to build up, since there would be no 
bacteria to decompose and recycle it.
    I hope this helps answer your question.  While it is more esthetically 
pleasing, perhaps, to imagine a fecal-free world, the real world just 
won't/can't function well (or at all) without feces.  That, however, 
certainly is not to minimize the problems that occur when fecal matter is 
not treated well and carefully, or too much is produced, or when feces 
gets in the wrong place.  Those all can lead to very serious health 
problems, either for an individual or for the environment...which is 
another complete story in itself.