I want to thank HR Bartender for posting about the Blog Action Day 2010 Water project. Every year on 15 October, bloggers from around the world write about a single topic - in this intance Water. I have not seen or read this before and was immediately charged to action. Much of this post highlights thoughts and statistics directly from the Blog Action site. Visit the site, read and think.
The statisics about water usage in the developed world compared to the requirements and challenges in less fortunate locations are staggering. I will not pontificate - After all we use bottled water because the lime content in our tap water makes our water unpalatable - but not dangerous or polluted. Perhaps we need to rethink the worry about a 'fuzzy' kettle and slightly off-tasting cup of tea to a more environmentally aware approach to life.
Why is Water the topic today?
Right now, almost a billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water. That’s one in eight of us. But, water moves beyond just a human rights issue. It’s an environmental issue, an animal welfare issue, a sustainability issue. Water is a global issue, deserving a global conversation.
Let's look at an individual statistics that sits squarely in our recruitment hotspot today: the mobile/cell phone
Cell Phones vs. Toilets:
Today, 2.5 billion people lack access to toilets, but many more have access to a cell phone. The iPhone in your pocket requires half a liter of water to charge. That may not seem like much, but with over 80 million active iPhones in the world, that’s 40 million liters to charge those alone.
Plug your iPhone into the wall, and about half a liter of water must flow through kilometers of pipes, pumps, and the heat exchangers of a power plant.
Tools to measure water consumption
The Water Footprint of Products
The Virtual Water Project would like to show the world how much freshwater is used to produce selected products, hoping for people to rethink their consumption patterns. The vast amount of water consumed and polluted in the making of products has an enormous impact on the ecological footprint of human civilization. Carry the iPhone app Virtual Water digital companion anywhere and grow more concious about how much water our everyday.
The H2O Conserve Water Footprint Calculator
is an interactive tool designed to help you quantify how much water you use, find out how you use it and what you can do to conserve. The Calculator estimates the total amount of water you use, or your water footprint, using information you provide about your water use and habits. The Calculator takes into account not only the water used in your home, but also the water used to produce the food you eat, the products you buy, the energy you consume, and even the water saved when you recycle. You may not drink, feel or see this virtual water, but it makes up the majority of your water footprint.
Visit the site, vote to change the world.
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