film & tv

Who was it that said while the wars of the 20th century were fought over oil, the wars of the 21st century would be fought over water? That statement feels pretty close to home when you think about the fact that by 2030 two-thirds of the world will lack access to clean drinking water.

Today, March 22, is World Water Day, a date sanctioned by the United Nations to bring awareness to that very fact. Right now more than one out of six people lack access to safe drinking water, and that number will continue to grow unless we can do something about it. (Did you know that even in the United States, only 90% of the country currently has access to clean drinking water??)

Tapped is a new award-winning documentary about the water crisis, and the exacerbating effect that the bottled water industry has had. Today, in honor of World Water Day, they are donating 10% of all DVD sales to charity: water. Also starting today, they are doing a film tour to promote the documentary and urge people to quit the bottled water habit. Tapped producer Sarah Olson and director Stephanie Soechtig will be collecting pledges for people to reduce their bottled water use and they’ll trade people their empty bottles of water for a Klean Kanteen reusable water bottle. They’ll be in New Orleans on Saturday, April 10th at The Republic to screen the film and collect bottles. You can see the full tour schedule here.

At the Tapped website, there is a full list of ideas on what you can do to help, but here are a few suggestions from their website:

• Carry a reusable water bottle instead of buying bottled water, and make the switch from the bottle to the tap. The production, transportation, and disposal of bottled water consumes large amounts of water and energy.
• Take the pledge to only use bottled water when absolutely necessary.
• Become a fan of Get Off the Bottle on Facebook and suggest the page to your Facebook friends.
• Tell your local officials to put the repair of water infrastructure at the top of their agenda.
• Take shorter showers. Shorten your shower by a minute or two and you’ll save up to 150 gallons per month.
• Invest in a low-flow toilet or put a plastic bottle filled with water in your toilet tank to reduce the amount of water used per flush.
• Turn off the tap while brushing teeth, shaving, and washing your hair. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth and save 25 gallons a month. Turn off the water while you shave and save up to 300 gallons a month. Turn off the water while you wash your hair to save up to 150 gallons a month.
• Run dishwashers or laundry machines only when full. Washing dark clothes in cold water saves both on water and energy while it helps your clothes to keep their colors.
• Choose landscaping plants with low water requirements.
• Eat foods that require less water to produce. The amount of water used to produce animal products and processed foods like soda and chips far exceeds the amount used for growing vegetables and grains.
• When grocery shopping, try to buy more whole foods like vegetables that are in season, and a variety of grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
• When you are washing your hands, don’t let the water run while you lather
• On July 15, 2009, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-3) introduced H.R.3202, which would create such a trust fund. While the bill is excellent in many respects, it should be strengthened to ensure public dollars go to public water systems, not to subsidize corporate profits of private water companies. By signing this petition, you can show your support for a Water Protection and Reinvestment Trust Fund that protects and strengthens our publicly owned water and wastewater systems. Take Action »

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