Blog Action Day 2010

Change.org sponsors Blog Action Day once a year, and it's always focused on getting people involved in a cause that the members vote upon. This year, the topic I voted for got picked: water.

Blog Action Day 2010: Water from Blog Action Day on Vimeo.

Just so you know why I voted for water, I've watched several stunning and moving documentaries that have raised my awareness and fear about the ability to get access to clean water. And just so you have some solid facts, here's some stuff to chew on (or swallow, since we're talking liquid here):

• Conservation Starts at Home: The average person uses 465 liters of water per day. Find out how much you use and challenge others to do the same.


• 40 Billion Hours: African women walk over 40 billion hours each year carrying cisterns weighing up to 18 kilograms to gather water, which is usually still not safe to drink.


• 38,000 Children a Week: Every week, nearly 38,000 children under the age of 5 die from unsafe drinking water and unhygienic living conditions. Learn more.


• Wars Over Water: Many scholars attribute the conflict in Darfur at least in part to lack of access to water. A report commissioned by the UN found that in the 21st century, water scarcity will become one of the leading causes of conflict in Africa. Learn more.


• Food Footprint: It takes 24 liters of water to produce one hamburger. That means it would take over 19.9 billion liters of water to make just one hamburger for every person in Europe. Learn more.


• Building Wells: Organizations like Water.org and charity: water are leading the charge in bringing fresh water to communities in the developing world.


• Technology Footprint: My iPhone 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.


• Fashion Footprint: That cotton t-shirt you’re wearing right now took 1,514 liters of water to produce, and your jeans required an extra 6,813 liters. Learn more.


• Uninhabitable Rivers: Today, 40% of America’s rivers and 46% of America’s lakes are too polluted for fishing, swimming, or aquatic life. Learn more.


• Keeping Rivers Clean: We can all take small steps to help keep pollution out of our rivers and streams, like correctly disposing of household wastes. Learn more.