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Far left: Coal fires from mine tailings Middle left: Tallow from food processingLeft: Sludge from domestic sewageRight: Algae harvestingBelow: Mining wastewater environments is about 1,500 billion tons, affecting soils, rivers, lakes, and coastal areas (UN WWAP 2003). This contributing to more than 500 dead zones around the world, affecting 250,000km2, the number doubling every decade since the 1960s (UN 2013). Inextricably, our fate is tied to the ocean, with a healthy ocean absorbing 1/3rd of carbon emissions – but this carbon sink is weakening due to wastewater pollution (WMO GAW 2014).‘More than 15 billion tons of polluted water (containing useful nutrient) flow through underground networks into the Ocean along the Continental US Coastline every year.’The Maritime Executive 2016‘Over 30,000 sewer overflows discharge untreated sewage into UK rivers and beaches, many are unregulated and over used.’Surfers Against Sewage 2016A healthy Ocean is responsible for keeping our planet cool. Ending marine pollution is not just the right thing to do, it is critical to our survival. Wastewater is typically more than 99.9 per cent water. If universally managed, it would benefit natural water cycles indefinitely. Notably, the World Health Organization (WHO) has published practical guidelines for sustainable irrigation with raw sewage.“... it is a great use of the waste and the nutrients it contains. The best answer is not to ban the practice, but to improve it.” Colin Chartres (IWMI) in an interview with New Scientist reporter Fred Pearce August 2008Wastewater re-use for irrigation revitalises a plethora of ecosystems providing the next most influential means to cooling the planet – the Earth’s flora. Humanity has drained the land of water for far too long, it is now essential to return water to the land to quench essential ecosystems. ■OCEANS 087