The Stream, November 5: 40 Percent of Treated Middle East Sewage Is Un-Recycled

The Global Rundown

In the water-scarce Middle East, at least 40 percent of treated sewage effluent ends up in the sea instead of recycled, but that’s not stopping Coca Cola: there are now plans for the first ever Coke factory in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, drought isn’t stopping California’s tomato farmers. Hydropower reservoirs may be spewing far more methane into the atmosphere than previously thought. Finally, your chances of ever visiting a pristine, unpolluted location are slim-to-none, but if you’ve ever wanted to see what the world looks like from inside a floating ball of water, it’s your lucky day.

“Whether our contaminants take the form of a discarded lunch, human excrement or billions of metric tonnes of airborne pollutants, we’re left with an unfortunate but clear answer: there probably is no place on Earth without pollution.” — Rachel Nuwer, science writer, on the end of pristine places. (BBC)

By The Numbers

40 percent Amount of treated sewage effluent that is wasted to the sea in the Middle East. Bloomberg News

16 percent Increase in California tomato crop from last year. Despite the drought, higher demand has pushed higher production. Bloomberg News

20 percent Share of man-made methane gas thought to come from the surface of reservoirs, until recently. Scientists now believe that number may be much higher, although they aren’t saying how much. Climate Central

Science, Studies, And Reports

According to an investigation by the science writer Rachel Nuwer, there may not be a single pristine, unpolluted location left on the planet, excepting caves too deep in the earth to experience air exchange with the outside, and glacial formations that date from before the industrial revolution. BBC

3-D glasses required: Astronauts have shot a video from inside a ball of water, using a GoPro and zero gravity. CNET

On The Radar

A Palestinian entrepreneur named Zahi Khouri is planning to expand his Coca-Cola business from the West Bank into the Gaza Strip, and has already received Israeli permits for building materials. The Jerusalem Post