Daily Archives: July 19, 2011

Check it Out: CannedWater4Kids

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The amount of water charities around the world seem to grow exponentially every year.  Many of these organizations are both headquartered and focused on serving foreign countries, making seeing the effect of your donation difficult. However, Wisconsin based CannedWater4Kids is changing all that. They have created an attractive, visible product by manufacturing colorful aluminum cans filled with purified drinking water. They hope that these cans will not only provide fresh water to children in need, but will soon serve as the symbol of clean water awareness. With $0.95 cents of every dollar donated guaranteed to go directly to those children who need fresh water, you can be ensured that your hard earned dollars are going towards doing the most good.

So why aluminum cans? There are many reasons, but it is primarily due to the fact that more and more people understand the importance of recycling to ensure global sustainability. Therefore, the aluminum can serves as a recognizable, economical, and safe way to bring clean, purified water to kids in need around the world.  Also, aluminum cans have a small environmental footprint, maintain a long shelf life, and can go from the recycling bin to the store shelf in 60 short days.

CannedWater4Kids has already made a difference in many places around the world. Shortly after the earthquake in Japan, CannedWater4Kids shipped52,800 cans of purified water to people living in schools, orphanages, and evacuation centers in the Minami-Sanriku area that completely relied on water from outside sources. The charity also works in conjunction with various other organizations including Engineers Without Borders at the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee.  This group of Engineers is working to build purification plants in the Highlands of Guatemala and they did not forget to bring CannedWater4Kids with them to pass out to the local community.

How can you get involved? As with many other water based charities, monetary donations are always welcome. You can do this over CannedWater4Kids secure website or via snail mail. Another innovative way to get involved is to purchase a colorful 12 or 24 pack case of the purified CannedWater4Kids water. Not only will this serve as an interesting conversation piece at your next family gathering, but the water tastes great and your donation will be going to a more than worthy cause. At just a dollar a can, you can make a donation while getting water that is both purified and eco-friendly. Small business and retail store owners also have the option to stock the water in their store by contacting info@cannedwater4kids.org.

So this week, our charity is CannedWater4Kids. They have created an imaginative, fun product that can be seen as a symbol of water charity consciousness. Priding themselves on doing the most good with your donation dollars, getting involved with CannedWater4Kids is a great way to begin working with water charities.

 

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Through the Drinking Glass: Are You Drinking Too Much Water a Day?

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At some point in our lives we’ve heard that we should drink around six to eight glasses of water a day. It’s a recommendation that’s rarely challenged and championed by many health advocates. But where exactly do the numbers come from and why? Dr. Margaret McCartney, a general practitioner from Scotland, is challenging the 8-glasses-a-day rule and recently published her thoughts in an article entitled “Waterlogged?” in the British Medical Journal.

Dr. McCartney describes the notion that “we don’t drink enough water” as “thoroughly debunked nonsense,” and that having too much water could be unhealthy. She notes that the recommendation to drink six to eight glasses of water a day is supported by many health officials and organizations, including the NHS (National Health Service). The NHS Choices website even states on its website that we should “try to drink about six to eight glasses of water (or other fluids) a day to prevent dehydration. When the weather is warm or when we get active, we may need more.”

McCartney’s claim is bold, no doubt, but she cites two major sources as evidence. First, Heinz Valtin wrote in the American Journal of Physiology in 2002 that that there is “no scientific evidence that we need to drink that much [water]” and that the “recommendation could be harmful.” Also, a 2008 editiorial in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology stated that “there is no clear evidence of benefit from drinking increased amounts of water…there is simply a lack of evidence in general.”

Others are rushing to support Dr. McCartney’s assertions and are relieved that she’s contributing to this ongoing conversation. The Guardian notes that “we humans are pretty good at regulating our own water intake. When we need to replace fluid there’s this highly accurate mechanism called thirst that prompts us to have a drink.”

A unique idea…drink only when you’re thirsty.

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