Blog Action Day 2010

Updated 3/2017-- photos and all links (except to my own posts) removed as many are no longer active and it was easier than checking each one.

This years topic for Blog Action Day is water.  Many of us take clean water for granted, but even in the United States we are finding more and more that our drinking water is contaminated with prescription drugs.  Dry years put our water reservoirs at risk and often result in mandatory restrictions on water use.

I am guilty of taking water for granted.  I do try to use a full load when washing my clothes.  I do turn off the water while brushing my teeth.  I don’t water my lawn regularly.
But I am still guilt of taking it for granted.  I expect clean water to be there for me to drink and use for bathing.
Clean water is not the norm for many in the world.  Nearly one billion people lack basic access to safe drinking water.  That’s nearly 1 out of every 8 of us. 

Organizations like CharityWater.org are trying to bring clean wells to areas in Africa that lack clean water.

water as a catalyst: disease prevention.
charity: water focuses on life’s most basic need -- water. But to significantly cut down disease rates in the developing world, water is just the first step. Almost everywhere charity: water builds a freshwater well, we also require sanitation training. In some communities, we build latrines; at the very least, we promote simple hand-washing stations made with readily-available materials. Clean water can greatly alleviate the world’s disease burden, but only with education and hygienic practice. charity: water is committed to using water as a gateway to sanitary living.

Access to clean water would help eliminate the nearly 38,000 deaths of children under the age of 5 who die weekly from unsafe drinking water and unhygienic living conditions.

Learn more. Perhaps donate to one of the charities like CharityWater.org.  Sign the petition for an International Water Treaty to Provide Clean Water Everywhere.

Earlier this year I made some quilt blocks for Global Quilt Project who is making a quilt that will be auctioned off and 100% of the proceeds will go to a new well for a village in Central African Republic and a latrine for a school in CAR.