Earth systems, when understood and respected, have the intrinsic capability to be instrumental for sustainable international development. If applied wisely without sophisticated technology, natural processes themselves can serve to sustain and prosper life in specific situations. Global initiatives to provide safe surface and groundwater are booming, but a parallel emphasis on sustainable sanitation is lagging, leaving 2.5 billion people without access to improved sanitation. Many technically sophisticated sanitation systems exist but are beyond the means of those same billions. The Water and Sewage Transformation Endeavor (W.A.S.T.E.) is a program at Wheaton College (Wheaton, Illinois) bringing together undergraduate students and faculty...