The Water Movement

Water Week and H20 Conference: November 17 - 22
These events are open to the DePauw, Greencastle, and surrounding communities. Keep your eyes peeled for the following opportunities:
-Sign the petition to add access to safe water to the Declaration of Human Rights (article 31)
-Sign the pledge to "Take Back the Tap" by investing in a reusable water bottle instead of purchasing bottled water
- Support DePauw student-led water purification projects

Also, be sure to add the following events to your calendar!

Film showings:

"Thirst"
Nov. 18 @ 7:30 pm, Olin Auditorium
Is water part of a shared "commons," a human right for all people? Or is it a commodity to be bought, sold, and traded in a global marketplace? "Thirst" tells the stories of communities in Bolivia, India, and the United States that are asking these fundamental questions.

"F.L.O.W."
Nov. 19 @ 7:30 pm, Watson Forum
Irena Salina's award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century - The World Water Crisis. Salina builds a case against the growing privatization of the world's dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel.

Admission: minimum $2 donation will help fund DePauw student-led water purification projects. Donations accepted at the door.

H20 CONFERENCE!
Nov. 22 from 10 am - 3 pm, U.B. Terrace A,B,C

Featuring:
10:00 - 11:30 Aquafair - Enjoy displays and interactive presentations that focus on different water crisis-related issues and what students and organisations across the nation are doing about it. (*kid friendly activities available)

11:30 - 12:30 Complimentary Lunch

12:30 - 1:00 Washington D.C. based Food and Water Watch discusses issues of privatised water infrastructure

1:00 - 1:30 - Panel of students leading water projects responds to questions about the water crisis and their individual projects

1:30 - 2:30 - Special Guest Edge Outreach from Louisville presents on water contamination and offer a water purification demonstration

Also, check out the event on Facebook.

DePauw's water movement is not a club or an organization; it is simply a growing activism among students who recognize that our abuse of water is rapidly leading to our destruction. These students are developing an inner fire to change the way we use water in America and fight for the accessibility of "Blue Gold", both for nature and for human rights.

One initiative we have taken is to provide all first-year students of the Class of 2012 with BPA-free Nalgene water bottles in order to discourage the purchasing and consistent use of bottled water. They are a project of Start Green and were sponsored by the Office of Student Life, Residence Life & Housing, and DePauw Environmental Club. Emblazoned with the words "Fill. Hydrate. Repeat," these bottles are a platform for discussion about the importance of water and the issues we may face in regards to its sanitation and availability.

Why Is Water Important?
Consider the following: two-thirds of the planet is covered in water.  Two-thirds of the human body is also made up of water. Now consider that many estimates show that somewhere around 80% of the world's water is not potable. While the main reason for this large number is because of salt water, there is still a significant amount that is otherwise inaccessible or contaminated. 

Contaminated Water
1.1 billion people on Earth do not have access to safe water, 90% of which are children under the age of 5. A child dies every 15 seconds from a preventable water related illness, especially diarrhea. Water around the world is contaminated by fecal matter, blood, trash, mercury, and various chemicals from fertilizers and landscaping treatments.  In the U.S. alone, 40% of stomach bugs are caused by contaminated water.

Water Privatization
 When water is owned by a company, there is the potential for a danerous situation, especially with a lack of government regulation.  Privatized water includes municipal water utilities and bottled water companies such as Aquafina (PepsiCo), Dasani (Coca-Cola), Nestle, Evian, etc. The danger here is that water becomes a commodity that people must compete for economically untill society forgets that it is a human necessity which everyone has a right to.  As a result of this commodification, safe water is something that is made available only to those who can afford it, and the corporate owners often seem to have only their profits in mind. Imagine if water sales turned into the oil industry and you can begin to see the problem with privatized water.

Want more information?
There are many more angles that can be taken on the water crisis. It is an environmental issue, an economic issue, a political issue, a women's rights issue, a human rights issue, a racial issue, a religious issue, animal rights, healthcare, a food issue, a tourist issue . . . it's an everybody issue. Try searching online for the "world water crisis" or visit these websites: