【推荐1】A new study by scientists at Utrecht University concludes that about half of global wastewater is treated, rather than the previous estimate of 20%. Despite this promising finding, the authors warn that treatment rates in developing countries are still very low.

Humans and factories produce vast quantities of wastewater per day. If not properly collected and treated, wastewater may severely threaten human health and pollute the environment.

The authors use national statistics to estimate volumes of wastewater production, collection, treatment and reuse. “Globally, about 359 billion cubic metres of wastewater is produced each year, equivalent to 144 million Olympic-sized swimming pools,” says Edward Jones, PhD researcher at Utrecht University. “About 48 percent of that water is currently released untreated. This is much lower than the frequently announced figure of 80%.”

While the results show a more optimistic outlook, the authors stress that many challenges still exist. “We see that particularly in the developing world, where most of the future population growth will likely occur, treatment rates are falling behind,” Jones explains. “In these countries, wastewater production is likely to rise at a faster pace than the current development of collection and treatment basic facilities. This poses serious threats to both human health and the environment.”

The main problem, especially in the developing world, is the lack of financial resources to build basic facilities to collect and treat wastewater. This is particularly the case for advanced treatment technologies, which can be extremely expensive. However, the authors highlight potential opportunities for creative reuse of wastewater streams that could help to finance improved wastewater treatment practices.

“The most obvious reuse of treated wastewater is to increase freshwater water supplies,” Jones states. Treated wastewater reuse is already an important source of irrigation water in many dry countries. However, only 11% of the wastewater produced globally is currently being reused, which shows large opportunities for expansion.

“But freshwater increasing is not the only opportunity,” says Jones. “Wastewater also has large potential as a source of nutrients and energy. Recognition of wastewater as a resource, opposed to as ‘waste’, will be the key to driving improved treatment going forward.”

However, the authors stress the importance of proper monitoring of wastewater treatment factories, accompanied by strong legislation (法律) and regulations, to ensure that the reuse of wastewater is safe. The authors also acknowledge public acceptance as another key barrier towards increasing wastewater reuse.

【推荐2】As new year approaches, crowds around the world may be expecting fireworks to light up the sky. But the fireworks could finally lose their appeal with the growing use of drones (无人机) for light shows. One obvious example was drone light show in the opening ceremony of Tokyo Olympics.

Ollie Howitt, a technician at SkyMagic, which used 300 drones to create a display for London’s new year celebration, said demand had increased substantially. She added that drones were increasingly able to fly in greater density and for longer. Howitt also said there were benefits of drones, “They give out no pollutants, they’re reusable, and there’s no fallout or that kind of thing. So in that sense they are a very sensible choice.”

Robert Neff, the general manager at Mercia Harbor, also said the decision to use a drone display at the harbor was down to a number of factors, including the impact of fireworks on animals — from wildlife to the pets of boat owners. “They’ve often commented on how much suffering is caused to their pets by the fireworks,” he said.

But not everyone agrees. Hans Rosling, a spokesperson from the British Fireworks Association said drones could also pose environmental problems. “Suggestions are that drones have less of an impact on the environment, but we have concerns about electrical demand and use of lithium (锂) batteries which are known not to be all that ‘green’,” he said. “The impact of firework use on the environment has been shown to be minor and very short-lived and recent studies have suggested that there is likely to be more pollution from a couple of cars driving to an event than caused by fireworks at an event.”

And there are issues with drone light displays, which need to receive specific safety approval from certain authorities. Some suggest the use of drones doesn’t mean shutting off fireworks. The bangs of fireworks create a sound feeling that is hard to replace. Meanwhile, others prefer the chance to tell stories in the sky by using a series of image.

【推荐3】There are jobs you take because you may find them fulfilling, or a stepping stone to your career. And then there are jobs you take for the money. The new book, Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands, is about the latter. It’s from Kate Beaton, a best-selling cartoonist. With her first graphic narrative, Ducks, Beaton examines her own life, specifically the years she spent working at the oil sands of Fort McMurray, in Alberta, Canada.

The book starts on Cape Breton Island, Beaton’s hometown. Once it was home to various industries, and then it wasn’t. So the island started sending its people out to wherever jobs were. This idea that you have to leave home to make a life for yourself is deeply rooted in the culture of Cape Breton. Her parents try to convince her to go into teaching, but she heads west, to the oil sands of Fort McMurray. It’s an oil boomtown populated mostly by men who are away from their homes and likely to fall into the traps of boomtowns-drugs, alcohol and loneliness.

The book follows Beaton as she tackles her own sense of isolation, while having to bear constant sexism. But she describes small moments of tenderness too, from people looking out for her in their own ways to those who are simply putting their heads down, just trying to get by.

In the book, a Cree elder talks about the impacts the oil companies have had on their community. “Everything’s ruined, our lives, our water, the air...as long as they get their money.” When the companies first came in, the locals weren’t given much say. And now they are economically tied up to the industries that are polluting their land, and leaving them with higher rates of cancer. But what choice did they have but to be involved, or be completely crushed?

Ducks is truly an untold story of Canada: a country that prides itself on its equality and natural beauty while exploiting both the riches of its land and the humanity of its people.