World experts gather in Auckland this week to show how sustainable development can be achieved around the globe, including what the toilet of the future might look like.
"We were talking sustainability before it became the buzzword it is now," says Dr Carol Boyle, chairwoman of the NZ
Society for Sustainable Engineering and Science, which is hosting the conference. "For example, what will a toilet look like when we have double the population and half the water? Will we need all those pipes? How will we dispose of waste? It's not just a bit of tinkering that's required, it's a radical rethink.
"Our first conference in 2004 helped define the concept of sustainability, and the second, in 2007, focused on the reality of what was happening to promote it.
"This year, we're saying that sustainability is now essential."
Topics to be covered include the global response to climate change and managing your carbon footprint.
Key speakers include Dr Paul Anastas, professor in the practice of green chemistry at Yale University, Professor Peter Guthrie from Cambridge University, and Dr Jean Venables, president of the Institution of Civil Engineers in Britain.
Dr Venables presents a public lecture at Auckland War Memorial Museum at 6.30pm on Wednesday.
The conference runs from tomorrow until Friday at the University of Auckland.
