Teach the Children Well…About Water
Today, all eighth and ninth graders in the public school system here in Decatur, Ga., are partaking in a day-long seminar known as Water Wise. Last night, I attended the preview complete with presentations about water-borne diseases, water conservation, and the intricate interplay between energy use and water.
By Robynne Boyd
This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
Today, all eighth and ninth graders in the public school system here in Decatur, Ga., are partaking in a day-long seminar known as Water Wise. Last night, I attended the preview complete with presentations about water-borne diseases, water conservation, and the intricate interplay between energy use and water.
The night capped off with a screening of the 2011 documentary film, "Carbon for Water." The film follows an effort by Vesterfaard Frandsen to disseminate its product LifeStraw, a water filtration technology, in Kenya's Western Province. The water filter aims to reduce the lost time, health risks and carbon dioxide emissions that come from women and girls gathering wood and water, and boiling it for consumption.
The project continues to be funded through the carbon market as a way to meld disease reduction, the improvement of livelihoods and business. Watch the trailer below.
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All this was a reminder that "Water is life's mater and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water," as said by the late Albert Szent-Gyorgy. Clean water, that is.
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