Women Are the Victims Again

Women and kids are two of the biggest victims of any global or local crisis. In many parts of the world women have to work in the field, search for water, give birth, cook, clean, etc. Women are the ones who do most of the work in many parts of the world but when it comes to decision-making they are the ones who are ignored most of the time. The global water crisis is one of the subjects in which women are being ignored. The United Nations (UN) was aware of this gender inequality and they have added this to the Millennium Development Goals project: Promote gender equality and empower women (goal 3) and ensure environmental Sustainability (Goal 7).  These are two of the important goals to bring gender equality and to solve the global water crisis.

With Gender and the Water Millennium Development Goals the UN is trying to promote gender equality. The UN only can not provide help to those women and kids. You can take an action and raise your voice to stop this inequality. By raising your voice you not only save the environment. You also save women’s lives, you save kids, you help girls to go to school instead of searching for water in rural areas where many of them are faced with sexual abuse. Do not deny women their human rights.

http://www.unwater.org/downloads/unwpolbrief230606.pdf

Yusuf Celik  

Lifesaver Bottle

Michael Pritchard challenged himself to provide clean water to those who need it. Water purification devices are bulky and expensive. What if people that really needed clean water had their own way of cleaning the water there in front of them? Now they might have just that. Pritchard invented an efficient and portable water purification device. Check out this TEDtalk he gave about it.

Who wants to find out how to deliver these bottles all over the world? I do.

Every Day Activism That’s Affordable

          Recognizing the water crisis is a global concern is necessary to adequately address the problem. But, it can be intimidating and give community members the idea that the issue is too huge for any person to singly address. While there are organized groups dedicated to delivering relief from this crisis to developing countries, where it is greatly needed, there are also things each of us can do, every day, that will contribute to combating the global water crisis.

            Part of the crisis is the concern about water shortage due to population growth and industrial advances. With only 1% of the earth’s water being fresh water, and the fact that we only have the water we started with—the amount doesn’t grow, we need to do what we can to preserve it. The average American uses around 1,800 gallons of water each day. If each of us made little efforts to conserve water, every day, it would make a big impact at a global level.

            Technology has allowed for the design of water-efficient appliances that home owners can choose to reduce water usage, like low-flow shower heads and low flush toilets. There are also special irrigation systems that can be put in to lessen the amount of water being used for landscaping, such as gray water systems that use water waste from the house to water their yards and gardens.

Of course, not everyone is living in a home they own, and do not have the option to switch to these kinds of water-efficient devices, or cannot afford the expense of doing so. There are other practices individuals can adopt to decrease their daily water use that do not require budgeting for an extra expense. Being mindful of when your faucet is running is something we can encourage all household members to do. If someone is brushing their teeth, they can make sure to turn the water off when they are teeth brushing, and only turn on the water to rinse. Taking a shower instead of filling an entire tub up will use less water. Running dishwashers and washing machines only when they are completely full will help reduce wasting water. And, outside, you can set up a container to catch rainwater and use this for watering the yard and garden.

            The global water crisis can seem intimidating, but each one of us can make a difference by choosing to implement one, or more, of these practices into our daily routines. All of our small efforts will combine to equal a much larger one.

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/top-ten/

http://eartheasy.com/live_water_saving.htm

           

           

Fourth Time is the Charm: Portland, Oregon Fluoride Decision

Once again, Portland voters turned down efforts to fluoridate the city's water. The proposal was hotly debated and the pro-fluoride side had three times the amount of campaign funds to spend than those on the opposing side. Despite the lack of money, the message from Portland, Oregon residents is clear, over 60% who voted, said "No".

To read more about the decision, USA Today profiled it here.

The Big Thirst

Water may be the most important thing on the planet that we take for granted. We can enjoy a day at the beach or a run through a sprinkler in the summer, but we aren't likely to really appreciate all the ways in which we use and waste water. In a 2011 book by Charles Fishman, the true value of water is explored, as well as the myriad ways it is being depleted. Many of us will consider how much water is being wasted by an excessively long shower, but how many of us think of the amount being wasted by our television? There are other hidden losses of water; a substantial amount of water is lost through leakage. According to Fishman, “1 out of 6 gallons of water acquired, treated and pumped by water utilities in the United States leaks back into the ground before anyone can use it.” An ignorance to these kinds of factors limits us from taking the appropriate steps to correct them. 

The overall message of the book is that water is not limitless. It isn't a completely bleak story however, Fishman describes water conservation success stories that make use of more efficient systems and technology.

“Many civilizations have been crippled or destroyed by an inability to understand water or manage it. We have a huge advantage over the generations of people who have come before us, because we can understand water and we can use it smartly.” –Charles Fishman

To listen to Fresh Air’s Terry Gross’ interview with Charles Fishman, go here.

A summary of the book, as well as many links to purchase it can be found here