If you've been keeping up with the Play City, you already know about the World's water crisis. If you're reading this blog, you will probably never know what it is to be so thirsty that you have to walk miles to the closest river and drink muddy-looking water full of bacteria that could kill you. In fact, although most Americans have perfectly drinkable water coming out of their tap, many still don't want to drink it unless it's been filtered even further.
According to Blue Planet Run, 1.1 billion people in the World do not have access to safe drinking water. Through their program, they can guarantee one person a lifetime of clean water for only $30. So with a little basic math that means that $33 Billion Dollars would eliminate the World's water crisis.
$33 Billion dollars (according to google) also happens to be:
-what Americans spend PER YEAR on getting thin (to no avail, says cnn.com)
-what Americans spent on holiday shopping in 2007
-what the Oil & Gas industry is receiving in handouts from taxpayers over the next 5 years. (Friends of the Earth, foe.org)
-what the new airport in Dubai will cost to build
-what the Food Industry spent in advertising in 2002 (now its more!)
-the Budget that Bush gave the Dept. of Homeland Security for 2005
We have spent over $860 BILLION in war since 2001. (That could have solved the Water Crisis, eliminated World Hunger, and then some!)
It's kind of crazy when you put it in perspective.
Luckily, there are many people that DO care, and are working hard to come up with ways to make it easier to solve the problem like the LifeStraw
(image courtesy of Vestergaard-Frandsen.com)
Created by Vestergaard-Frandsen, "The aptly-named LifeStraw is an invention that could become one of the greatest life-savers in history."(gizmag.com) It is a straw that can filter bacteria such as Salmonella, Shigella, Enterococcus, Staphylococcu, Aureus and E.Coli. It lasts for a year and costs about $3 to make. 2.2 million people die every year from bacteria-related illnesses associated with no access to clean water. Meanwhile, "the most prolific killer of human beings in developed countries is the automobile, followed by a host of diseases resulting mainly from an indulgent lifestyle." (cnn.com)
To donate a few life saving LifeStraws click here
Another invention comes from Dean Kamen, who has created a water filter that can turn raw sewage into drinkable water.
Dean Kamen is responsible for the Segway and the stair-climbing wheelchair. Now he has invented two devices, both the size of a household washing machine, that can provide clean water and power to rural villages. Also called The Slingshot, "the water purifier makes 1,000 liters of clean water a day, and we don't care what goes into it. And the power generator makes a kilowatt off of anything that burns." (CNN.com) His water filter uses a vaporization method that claims it can even filter raw sewage. The power generator runs on cow dung. The problem is financing. Kamen has already spent $50 million of his own money developing it, but needs the help of big money to build one in every village that needs it.
We have all the tools & resources, so why is there still a problem?
It is in our hands! We can each do our part to raise awareness and raise funds. One way to do it is through sports. Swim for it, run for it, play for it, get out there and let people know! We can all make a difference. Take example from Peter Vanderkaay, an Olympic swimmer who has a Blue Planet Run Page where you can sponsor him based on how many laps he swims in training.
