Back when the 18-year-old in my house was 2, we had such a drought in California that we saved water from baths in the bathtub to keep the trees in the yard alive. We thought that was suffering.
Now, when I think sustainability, my mind first goes to the use and preservation of water. According to the U.N., more than 1 billion people lack clean water for drinking, and more than 2.5 billion lack basic sanitation. When I think of these numbers it helps me put my own water use and access to sanitation into perspective. The very naive part of me sometimes says (to nobody in particular), "It would be so easy if we, who have so much, could just turn over enough of what we have until everyone has enough [water, food, resources, education] until there was no way to tell the haves from the nots." But maybe it's not so naive: That's what all these stories we're telling at HumanKind are about -- there are people trying to do that.
It's World Water Day on March 22, and Tap Project week beginning this weekend. I've got some stories here for you about some of the great people and projects that are using our abundance to create more water -- that most important of all resources -- for those without.
You've probably heard of the Tap Project, launched last year in New York City. It raised $100,000 in one day for UNICEF and tons of media attention for water, just by asking New Yorkers to pay $1 for tap water when they went out to eat. If you haven't heard about the Tap Project, here's the really cool, really inspiring story of how it started (the ending made Liz get teary!):
This year, it's not just for New Yorkers; it's all over the U.S., and next year, it's going global. You can read more about the Tap Project here and find out where you can participate if you're planning to go out this weekend here. Such a simple way for us to help others have enough.
Among the many "water crusaders" I found, Scott Harrison is one with a great story about finding his own longing to make a difference in the world and taking steps to make it happen. After 10 years of trendy New York life, he took a few steps to change the world, and now the world is stepping with him -- his organization raises money for wells by selling $20 bottles of water, and is responsible for digging and repairing more than 70 wells in four of the poorest countries in the world. And Scott is just getting started. I think you'll enjoy this clip of his story:
Finally, during my search, I found what I think is the HumanKind Media equivalent for media about water: Prjkt Blu Lbl is a designer, blogger, idea person who got passionate about one idea -- getting water to those billion+ people -- and is on the way to making it happen. Prjkt maintains a blogroll that's a who's who in water work. Check out the first blog or this story about the big idea. I like this blog because it's the story of someone finding and following one idea -- being so determined about it -- and it's so inspiring to watch. If water's your soft spot for helping the world, maybe you'd like to help Prjkt Blu Lbl.
And speaking of sustainability, what would 10% more water conservation look like in your life? Seeing these videos makes me appreciate that I can get it whenever I want, and it makes me realize the many ways I take it for granted and even waste it. Just researching this project has made me decide to make a few small changes in my water usage -- not because we're experiencing a lack of water at my house, but because someone else is. What are your good ideas?
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Thank you so much for helping spread the word about these great projects!
I'm really liking your site and it's philosophy! Keep up the inspiring work!
_Nev
Prjkt Blu Lbl
Posted by: Nev | March 17, 2008 at 02:14 PM