Blog Action Day 2010: Water

via We Heart It

This year, I'm joining thousands of bloggers from over 125 countries in Blog Action Day 2010, trying to highlight a growing crisis in the world: access to clean water.

Some statistics:

-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.

-Every week, nearly 38,000 children under the age of 5 die from unsafe drinking water and unhygienic living conditions.

-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.

-In July, to address the water crisis, the United Nations declared access to clean water and sanitation a human right. But we are far from implementing solutions to secure basic access to safe drinking water.

But, there are some things we can do to try to start fixing this problem, and every single person counts:

-The average person uses 465 liters of water each day. Learn how you can cut down the amount of water you use.

-Help build a well in a country where clean water is desperately needed. Organizations like Water.org and charity:water are building wells in Africa, India, and other countries in water crisis. Even the smallest donation can help them.

-Today, 40% of America's rivers and 46% of America's lakes are too polluted for fishing, swimming, or aquatic life. Learn how to keep pollution out of clean water.

-People in the US drink an average of 200 bottles of water per person each year. Over 17 million barrels of oil are needed to manufacture those water bottles, 86 percent of which will never be recycled. Drop the bottle and grab a glass!

We can make a difference. Join me in the effort to get clean, safe water for everyone.

Learn more at Change.org