Blog Action Day 2010: WATER

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OCTOBER 15 IS BLOG ACTION DAY! Blog Action Day is that day of the year when blogs the world over write about a common topic to highlight a pressing concern that warrants the world's attention and immediate action

THIS BLOG ACTION DAY ON OCTOBER 15, 2010- LET ALL OUT BLOGS RESOUND WITH THE CLAMOR FOR BETTER ACCESS TO SAFE AND CONTINUOUS SUPPLY OF- W A T E R !

Maria of the Blog Action Day 2010 Team put together this list of WATER facts and figures to underscore the world's need for wiser use of our water resources:

Unsafe drinking water and lack of sanitation kills more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Unclean drinking water can incubate some pretty scary diseases, like E. coli, salmonella, cholera and hepatitis A. Given that bouquet of bacteria, it's no surprise that water, or rather lack thereof, causes 42,000 deaths each week.

More people have access to a cell phone than to a toilet. Today, 2.5 billion people lack access to toilets. This means that sewage spills into rivers and streams, contaminating drinking water and causing disease.

Every day, women and children in Africa walk a combined total of 109 million hours to get water. They do this while carrying cisterns weighing around 40 pounds when filled in order to gather water that, in many cases, is still polluted. Aside from putting a great deal of strain on their bodies, walking such long distances keeps children out of school and women away from other endeavors that can help improve the quality of life in their communities.

It takes 6.3 gallons of water to produce just one hamburger. That 6.3 gallons covers everything from watering the wheat for the bun and providing water for the cow to cooking the patty and baking the bun. And that's just one meal! It would take over 184 billion gallons of water to make just one hamburger for every person in the United States.

The average American uses 159 gallons of water every day – more than 15 times the average person in the developing world. From showering and washing our hands to watering our lawns and washing our cars, Americans use a lot of water. To put things into perspective, the average five-minute shower will use about 10 gallons of water. Now imagine using that same amount to bathe, wash your clothes, cook your meals and quench your thirst.

MAKE YOUR BLOG THE FOUNTAIN THROUGH WHICH WILL FLOW INTELLIGENT DISCUSSIONS AND USEFUL INFORMATION ON IMPROVING ACCESS TO CLEAN, SAFE WATER BY THE POOREST AND MOST VULNERABLE!

Join Blog Action Day 2010 on October 15th!