The Filtered Files

An ancient technique for purifying water may offer new hope for the over 1 billion people who have no access to clean drinking water.  The Moringa oleifera tree has been used for hundreds of years by people in Sudan to purify water, as well as for food.  The method has never been widely disseminated, but in 2010 a publication by Michael Lea revealed the Moringa tree’s properties.  According to Lea, when the seeds of this tree are crushed into powder and mixed with surface water, a reduction of bacteria by 90-99 percent can be achieved.

This news provides great hope for those living in areas where the tree is widely grown, including Africa, Central and South America, India, and Southeast Asia. In Ghana, the Moringa tree is grown on plantations, and its leaves are used for food and the seeds used as a spice. According to the UN site IRIN, the tree grows quickly and resists drought, and can be grown in many areas.  The seeds are soft and can be easily crushed, the IRIN site further states.  The fact that the tree is already widely grown, and the ease with which the seeds can be crushed, make this method ideal for those without other sources of water purification.

Kebreab Ghebremichael, a water purification expert with UNESCO, states that using the seeds of Moringa tree is probably best employed at a household level.  According to him, the seeds would pose problems with odor and taste if forced to sit for extended periods of time when used on a large scale basis.  He further states that this method would work better for surface water than with underground water, and that it is best used for emergencies and where other methods of water purification are not available.

Instead of focusing on a Water Charity this Tuesday, we chose nonprofit organization Project WET. This organization focuses on water education through reaching out to teachers, community members, children, and parents in the United States and around the world. Project WET achieves this goal through publishing informative water materials in different languages, creating school curriculum for different age groups, and sponsoring trainings around the world. Project WET also organizes community water events such as the Global Water Education Village. This event is held every three years at the World Water Forum, the last one was held in Istanbul, Turkey. The goal of the Global Water Education Village is to discuss local actions in water education that are successful at reaching children.

Project WET is committed to reaching out to audiences around the world and in ushering water education into the twenty-first century.  Most recently, Project WET has teamed up with the National Park Service.  In a press release issued on June 22, 2011, Project WET and the National Park Service announced that they would be collaborating on an educational series titled, “Discover the Waters of Our National Parks.”  This science based program will include hands-on activities, videos, special workshops, online courses, guides and an internet portal. Project WET President, Dennis Nelson stated, “Water connects our national parks to each other and to the people of the United States through the water cycle, making national parks a perfect springboard for educating people about water.” This project is going be launched at select national parks within the next year, so keep a look out at your local park!

Project WET’s website offers lots of links for parents, educators, corporations and museums.  If you want to get involved, there are plenty of avenues for that, too. Of course, you can donate on their secure website in any amount you choose, but you can also choose some more innovative ways as well. For example, you can sponsor a classroom and provide a Water and Sustainability Kit which includes copies of various activity and educational booklets for every child.  If you want to be more hands on, you can train to become a Project WET facilitator. After completing the course, you can deliver workshops to teachers and educators in your area. A great way to get involved in your community for a worthy cause!

So this week, Project WET is our pick for a great water focused organization. If you’re a teacher, parent or just someone interested in making a difference through water education, be sure to check out Project WET!

Air & Water Filter Use Increases Globally

Reports about poor air and water conditions are reaching global proportions. The growing need for air and water filters result from inadequate conditions of current air and water quality. We see evidence of the rising concern about clean air and safe drinking water demonstrated through various charities dedicated to addressing this dilemma internationally. Such concerns are invoking the immediate implementation of stricter air and water pollution regulations.

Together, the United States and Europe account for a major share of the global air filter and filtration equipment market. The demand for air filters in developing countries will outpace the type of mature growth in markets such as the United States, Japan and Europe. China is expected to supersede Japan by becoming the second largest market for air filtration equipment behind the U.S.

Recently, the Freedonia Group, a leading international business research company, released a market analysis about the increased demand for filters in China. They reported that by 2014 the demand for air and water filters in China is projected to grow by 13.5% annually to 66.2 billion Yuan (Chinese currency). Comparatively, this growth is approximately $10.2 billion in U.S. dollars. The increased demand in China is supported by a rapid growth in motor vehicle and other transportation equipment production, stocks, government policies that promote energy conservation and emission reductions. Sales of fluid filters will be fueled by the growth in non-agricultural water use and expanding urbanization. Sales of air filters are projected to single-handedly rise by 13.7% per year through 2014.

The demand for increased global usage of filters will be spurred by rising manufacturing output of HVAC equipment, metal products, building construction materials, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Many of these manufactured products are either equipped with air filters or produced in manufacturing facilities with high air purification requirements. As income levels grow, more people in China will be able to afford water and air purification equipment for their homes. The growing demand for higher quality and extended life filters are likely to boost the overall market value.

Cutting edge technology along with innovation in air and water filtration media, product design, cost and efficiency will boost future growth. The outlook remains optimistic as consumer spending increases and the shift for better air and water filtration continues to make progress.

Garnier, an acclaimed cosmetics company using natural ingredients in their hair and skincare products is committed to a greener and cleaner future. Garnier asked consumers to vote for the environmental cause they avidly cared about the most. The three causes voted on were Clean Water, Urban Greening, Recycling and Sustainability. The Clean Water category, received 52% of the votes and was the clear winner out of the three causes. The Recycling and Sustainability category received 36% of the votes, while Urban Greening received 12%.

In partnership with EarthShare, Garnier announced that they will donate $100,000 to three deserving charities: American Rivers, Oceana and the Surfrider Foundation. These charities work to protect public health, rivers and marine environments for the benefit of communities, wildlife and nature. Each group plans to put their winnings to work for cleaner and safer water.

Surfrider Foundation will direct the funds toward their water quality-focused programs: Ocean Friendly Gardens, Know Your H₂O and Blue Water Task Force. The Ocean Friendly Gardens program educates and assists people in applying conservation, permeability and retention to their landscapes, to revive watersheds and oceans. The Know Your H₂O project educates consumers about the link between freshwater management issues and the impact on our oceans. The Blue Water Task Force is a volunteer-run water testing, education and advocacy program for water quality.

Oceana will use Garnier’s donation to support its global ocean protection work. Protecting the pristine waters of southern Patagonia by preventing the expansion of Chile’s aquaculture industry, expanded oil exploration and drilling off the coasts of the U.S., Europe and Belize, are among the projects included.

American Rivers will apply Garnier’s support to protect and restore the nation’s rivers for comunities across America, through various conservation and volunteer programs, including Nation River Cleanup.

These winning Clean Water charities are very good causes. Michelle Ryan, Assistant Vice President of Sustainability at Garnier stated, “This program is just one small way we’re honoring causes within the community that we all care about.”

Ryan Hreljac began raising money for water projects in 1998, at age six. When he found out from his first grade teacher that people in other countries were dying because of the lack of access to clean water, he began doing chores around his house to raise money for well projects. After raising $70, his first well was built in Uganda, just after he turned 7. The Ryan’s Well Foundation was officially formed just two years later in 2001.

This Canadian-registered water charity supports several safe water and sanitation projects through partnership with local, non-governmental organizations and people. Ryan’s Well has helped build over 600 wells and over 700 latrines, bringing safe water and sanitation to more than 700,000 people since its inception. People of all ages are encouraged to get involved by making donations, or hosting a creative fundraiser.

We have chosen to feature Ryan’s Well Foundation for #charitytuesday, because of the uniqueness of Ryan’s story. At only six years old, he had a dream that has since changed the lives of thousands of people. Ryan is an inspiration to anyone wanting to make a difference, whether old or young.

The Ryan’s Well Foundation, along with many others, can be found on our list of water charities. If you know of one that is not on that list, please contact us at selwa@filtersfast.com and let us know.

"Wells 4 Wells - Fighting the Global Water Crisis, One Beer at a Time"

Celebrate World Water Day with beer!

You probably weren’t expecting that, were you? And no … we’re not kidding.

International World Water Day is observed annually on March 22, to raise awareness of the importance of clean water, and to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. It began in March of 1993, and has been a success ever since. This year’s theme is “Water for Cities: Responding to the Urban Challenge,” and organizations around the world are holding events in response to the increasing urbanization affecting the water supplies in poor and developing countries. Bloggers are raising awareness through their posts on the top ways to celebrate World Water Day. Social media fanatics are posting related updates to Facebook and twitter several times an hour. World Water Day is in motion, and this morning, we were at a standstill when it came to writing about it. What sort of unique thing could a blog that posts about water on an almost daily basis have to say about World Water Day?

Well, if you’ve been reading our blog, you may have noticed that we are beer advocates as well. You may recall our post on breweries committed to water conservation. So, when we ran across Wells4Wells, and remembered that it is also #charitytuesday, we had to write about it. As stated on their website, Wells4Wells is “Fighting the Water Crisis one beer at a time.” This Thursday, March 24, fifteen participating cities around the country will host their own happy hour. Bars and restaurants will donate a portion of their sales during these hours toward the construction of a well at a school in Africa, providing clean water for over 1,000 children. The cost to build the well, through the water charity, Drop in the Bucket, is $5500. Those who attend the happy hour and purchase the qualifying specials will be doing so for a good cause. If your city is not included, you can still donate to Wells For Wells online.

World Water Day is officially today, but the Wells4Wells event is on Thursday, March 24, which means you’ll be celebrating a little late. But that’s okay, because every day should be World Water Day, anyway, right?

What are you doing in your own life to raise awareness of the need for clean water in cities around the world, today, and (hopefully) every day?

On Sunday January 30, a crew of seniors, aged 56 to 84, set sail on the An-Tiki, a raft constructed of water pipes. The purpose of their 70-day, 2,800-mile voyage: To raise 50,000 pounds for WaterAid, an international, nonprofit organization that partners with local organizations in 26 countries in Asia, Africa and parts of the Pacific Region to implement safe water, sanitation and hygiene education in rural and urban areas. WaterAid helps establish clean water systems, while also enabling families to maintain them, ensuring long-term, sustainable success for all parties involved.

While sailing on saltwater, the An-Tiki crew hopes to raise awareness of the fact that it is fresh water that keeps us alive, but it’s also fresh water that many people in the world lack access to. While on board, the crew will have plenty of water, but will also collect rainwater and convert saltwater into fresh, to remind themselves of its importance to our livelihood. While raising money for clean water, these men also hope to demonstrate that adventure is just as suitable for seniors as it is for youngsters. It is impressive to note that the oldest gentleman in the crew, An-Tiki Captain Anthony Smith, has been a traveling adventurer for nearly all of the 84 years he’s been alive.

The An-Tiki is a testament to the importance of clean water, just as the Plastiki has been a testament to the importance of plastic waste reduction – and we thought this unique effort deserved this week’s spot in our featured water charities, in honor of #charitytuesday on Twitter. To support Antiki in it’s fundraising efforts for WaterAid, make a donation online through the An-Tiki Just Giving page. To track the voyage live online, visit the An-Tiki Yellowbrick Satellite Adventure Tracking page.

Since Tuesday is #charitytuesday on twitter, we thought we’d do a weekly feature on one of our favorite water charities. Today we’ve picked one that’s not on our original water charity list: World Walks for Water. It’s a global event that takes place from March 19-22 of this year, that aims to raise awareness of the world’s clean water and sanitation crisis. Anyone may participate in this global demand for strong government action to stop the needless death of thousands every day.

I think of it as a peaceful protest for clean water.

Millions of women and children miss out on the chance to get an education due to the poverty that ensues from a lack of access to clean water. They must spend hours a day traveling to and fro to collect water for their families – water that is dirty and will likely make them sick – and even more hours a day caring for their sick loved ones. Though many water charities exist and are working to solve this crisis, corrupt politics can often ruin even the most sincere charitable efforts. World Walks for Water stands up to those politics, by demanding that these issues be ignored no longer.

Those of us who are more privileged take clean water for granted. What’s worse, rather than investing in technology that purifies water in safe, healthy ways, our governments use toxic chemicals to disinfect our water. (Fortunately, there are companies like Filters Fast that provide ways to filter them out.) World Walks for Water is a chance for all of us to stand up and demand that the world’s entire population, rich or poor, have access to safe water and sanitation. It’s an event that unites people from all walks of life.

You can join the online walk directly on the website. Online walkers are featured on the home page with cartoon characters holding water jugs and walking in a straight line. Each time your mouse rolls over a character, a quote, like “taps and toilets for all,” or “children at school, not walking for water” is displayed on his or her water jug. To join this colorful cast of characters, simply visit the website and fill out the form. Then, if you want to sign up to participate in a walk in your area, or even organize your own walk, you can do that from the website as well. We just joined the virtual walk and are pretty excited about it.

Join the walk for water, and tell your friends by retweeting this post!

We don’t like to be the bearer of bad news, but it seems that water filtration advocates around the world are going to be disappointed today, because according to several news sources, bottled water sales saw a 4.2 percent increase this last year.

And, you may want to sit down for this next part…

Sales are expected to jump another 3 percent in 2011.

But don’t lose hope. Don’t let this news discourage you. You can make a difference. You can help us put an end to this madness.

It’s very simple: spread the word. Tell your friends the truth about bottled water. For example:

1. Bottled water manufacturers use clever marketing tactics to fool consumers into believing that their product is the absolute best, and most convenient way to obtain pure water that is safe to drink.
2. Bottled water is bad for the environment. Millions of non-biodegradable plastic bottles go unrecycled each year.
3. Bottled water is very expensive, and is really nothing more than filtered tap water that you could easily get from home, at a fraction of the cost, with a quality water filter.
4. Bottling companies like Fiji are taking good water away from the poor people in Fiji who really need it, and are shipping it long distances and selling it to Americans at ridiculous prices.
5. Bottled water won’t necessarily protect you from hexavalent chromium contamination… a little known fact that may have contributed to the 2010 spike in sales. The Environmental Working Group recently discovered this contaminant in water supplies in 31 cities across the U.S., and they recommend a good quality water filter over bottled water as a solution. In addition, the EWG recently published a bottled water scorecard, giving filtered tap water the highest score available.
6. Yes, many bottled waters do not contain fluoride, but you can get water that is fluoride-free right out of your tap by simply installing a reverse osmosis filter. Many RO filters also reduce chromium-vi, and in the long run, will save you lots of money.
7. The bottled water brand name “Evian” spells “Naive” backwards…

These seven facts may be summed up in seven words: Friends don’t let friends drink bottled water. (Okay, so maybe it’s cliche, but you get the point.) I’m guessing that you probably have a lot of friends – virtual or otherwise – and social media is one of the best ways for you to help spread the word so that your friends are not labeled among the “naive” consumers. What’s more: we’ve made it really easy for you to do so; simply hit the “tweet” and “like” buttons at the top of this post. And if you’d like to spread the word on other social networks, you can do so by clicking the buttons below this post as well. Every share counts!

We’d also like to thank all of our friends who have thus far supported our efforts to provide everyone with affordable access to clean water straight from the tap!