“More than one-third of the world’s population, approximately 2.5 billion people, doesn’t have access to a toilet,” Jason Kass, founder of Toilets for People, writes in a New York Times opinion piece. “Poor sanitation contributes to 2,000 childhood deaths from diarrheal diseases every day,” he notes, adding, “Unfortunately for … the millions of people who live on marginal, waterlogged land, there are no cheap solutions available. What they need are the kind of toilets that they can buy or build with a few weeks’ savings.” Kass says, “Ecological toilets that use natural composting to break down waste are simple to construct, waterless and are easy to fix,” but “they’re too expensive, with price tags of over $1,000.” He notes his organization and others are developing low-cost versions. “If we embrace these low-tech toilets, we’ll be on the right track to getting 2.5 billion people one step closer to a safe, clean, comfortable and affordable toilet of their own. That’s something worth celebrating this World Toilet Day,” Kass concludes (11/18).