F.L.O.W Video Reflection

Water is so important to the human body; our bodies are 70% water. In July of 2010, the United Nations General Assembly formally stated the importance of water when they stated that clean drinking water is essential to the understanding of all human rights. It is a right which is violated to so many innocent human beings around the world, especially in areas that are hot and dry. This is a topic which has become more acknowledged recently.

The F.L.O.W video discussed that one in six billion people in the world do not have safe drinking water, and a multitude of them are dying from a lack of drinking water! There are many people who are not aware of how dangerous water can be. Many different bugs, pesticides, pathogens, and bacteria are not being properly removed from the water that many humans drink. As a result, 500,000 – 7 million people may become sick from tap water each year. Many believe that just because they are drinking bottled water, they are safe. In reality, a lot of the water people believe is safe is not as purified as it says it is. Though, this is a global issue, as stated in the video. Everyone is affected by unclean water, though some countries more than others. Even though bottled water is not very safe, and in fact very bad for the environment itself, $100 billion money is spent each year on bottled water. Additionally, $30 billion dollars are spent on safe drinking water for the entire planet. Clearly, our money isn’t being invested into the right places.

As I previously mentioned, there are many countries who are currently struggling to find even a few gallons of water. People spend too much time looking for water in these countries, struggling to live, instead of working and providing for their family. Unfortunately, one in ten children in Bolivia are dying before the age of five because they are struggling to find water. This is so sad. A body that is growing needs all the right nutrients to thrive. Innocent lives are being wasted because they are not being provided the basic necessities to live such as water.

Meanwhile, the average American uses over 150 gallons of water a day! Many Americans, because water it is so available, often over-use it and take it for granted. Click here to watch a video on simple ways  you can save water at home! Many of don’t know it, but are wasting water in the simplest ways we can think of.

After taking a deeper look into one of the companies who sell bottled water, Nestlé, I realized some of the issues that arise with that certain company’s product. Nestlé argued that bottled water is safer than tap water. Though this may be true, there are many countries who simply can’t afford to spend on bottled water, especially those who are making no more than a dollar a day. The United States is one of the luckier countries who can afford it, which is why so many of us have water available everywhere such as parks, schools, and most public areas. This does not mean that Nestlé workers are bad people, they are simply ignorant to this issue and need to make a change.

The safety and availability of water in many countries is an issue which many are not aware of, yet is vital. Thankfully, with the technology and spread of the word, there are some changes which have been made in many countries. This article here portrays a solution to the scarcity of water in some areas. Water is pulled from thin air through a straw device. These are the kind of inventions that need to be made in a variety of countries who are struggling for water. Hopefully, with the continued advancement of our world, this issue will slowly become resolved. Because, as the United Nations General Assembly realized in 2010, clean water is a basic human right which many do not have today.