Potty Talk

A new report from The Nature Conservancy - Upgrading On-Site Wastewater Treatment Systems for Environmental Protection: Policies, Practices, and Pathways Forward - explores how policy, financing, science, and community engagement are critical components to accelerating wastewater solutions and reducing nutrient pollution across the United States.

Microbes are pros at cleaning wastewater, and it turns out they can also make electricity in the process. From urine-powered bathrooms to indoor food production, this technology taps the energy and nutrients in our waste to generate power, produce fertilizer and grow food.

At the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, a scientist witnessed raw sewage being discharged onto a reef inside a marine protected area. The moment revealed a global contradiction: we cannot achieve ocean protection while ignoring sewage pollution. Fortunately, the solutions already exist. What is needed is global action.

After decades of decline, mangrove forests are beginning to recover worldwide. New research shows that conservation, restoration and natural regeneration are helping reverse losses. From innovative chinampa restoration in Mexico to wastewater solutions in Kenya, successful projects demonstrate that when ecosystems are restored and pollution is reduced, mangroves can rebound and continue protecting people, wildlife and coastlines.