 |
| Water, water everywhere. |
I have a confession: I am a water snob.
It’s ridiculous I know, because I can’t taste the difference between a 5 day old Franzia and a 5 year old Cabernet. Still, I insist on only the finest Brita-filtered water, forgoing the convenience and low-cost of the tap. And given the explosion in the bottled water industry in recent years, I’m not the only one with discriminating tastes.
You won’t hear this from me often, but I’m wrong. Not just wrong. Stupidand Wrong. Bottled water isn’t any healthier, but that hasn’t stopped me and millions of others from chugging Aquafina or Dasani like a sorority girl on a crash diet. Which is why I’m so excited about March 22nd — my chance to make amends also known as United Nations’ World Water Day.
This year’s campaign is more than just an effort to teach about the “more than 21 percent of children living in developing countries who do not have access to clean water” (booring) or the fact that “80 percent of all illness and infant mortality is due to waterborne disease. Lack of clean water is the second largest killer of children under five” (yawn). This year,Esquire Magazine, UNICEF.and NYC based ad agency Droga5have teamed up to create the Tap Project . Through the Tap Project hundreds of NYC restaurants will ask patrons for a $1 for tap water, a subtle reminder that what comes free and cheap to most Americans is unavailable to close to 1 billion people worldwide.
Now I know what you’re thinking. That’s all well and good for those highfalutin’ New Yorkers, or second semester senior with the time and signing bonuses to hop up to New York for a meal, but what does the Tap Project have to do with me? I thought you’d never ask. You can go online right now and make a donation. Whether you want to give $1, the donation that New York restaurants will be requesting, $16.39, the cost of 3 Brita filters on amazon.com,or more it’s easy to give and easy to help.
Next time I take a drink from the tap it won’t be lead or chlorine
I’ll be tasting, but instead the sweetness of smug self-satisfaction
An RSS feed of The Spin is available
March 20th, 2007 at 10:50 pm
Blogsbe, Blogsbe everywhere, but not a drop to drink.
March 21st, 2007 at 10:14 am
If you support the cause then join the Think Outside the Bottle Campaign for the World Water Challenge!!
What: A World Water Banquet- an evening of education and inspiration on WATER. With special guest speaker Mary Day Kent, Executive Director of the Women’s International League of Peace and Freedom
When: Thursday, March 22nd, 7pm to 8:30pm
Where: Freinds Center, 1501 cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA
Contact info: (610) 348.1464 or email thinkoutsidethebottle@gamil.com/ stopcorporateabuse.org
March 21st, 2007 at 11:48 am
The face that a lack of clean water is the second largest killer of children under five does not merit a yawn, sir.
March 21st, 2007 at 1:06 pm
Ruben Brosbe asks me to conserve water? I will start drinking my tears and bathing in my own sweat. Lead on, oh captain.