LONDON (AFP),
the 15-07-2004

The London Science Museum plans to use the droppings of its visitors to produce electrical energy and thus reduce its energy bill, announced its director.

“As the museum is free, it would be a good way for visitors to make a contribution,” explained John Tucker, director of the museum. "With three million visitors a year, we have significant electricity bills."

Estimates, based on the figure of 3 million annual visitors, predict that the energy produced would be 1.530 kilowatts / hour, enough electricity to power 15.000 light bulbs each year.

This idea follows the discovery in the United States of a way to exploit the bacteria in excreta to make an energy resource.

The desire to reduce energy costs is already at the heart of the concerns of the Science Museum, which installed solar panels on its roof last year.