http://shine.yahoo.com/event/green/best-and-worst-bottled-water-brands-2436818
it certainly was a big issue when Nestle started the process to pull spring water from my hometown area...and i don't want to minimize the issue at all - related to wet lands and natural resources and even bottled water itself.
however - it also brought to mind the fact that at the same time, the whole issue seems very 'trivial' to me. i have been to third world countries. they don't have a choice of turning on a tap or picking a particular brand of bottled water. so it's hard for me to get on board with a bottled water issue, or an organic produce issue or chicken breasts enhanced with a 'broth solution'. the fact of the matter is that life for me is so much better than what they could even dream of as being available, that i can't get all up in arms about it here. it doesn't make me happy, and i think that there are changes that should be made....however, i've got a 'big picture' view right now that's a little more global.
there will be something that will kill me. it could be the 'dow cloud' i live under. or the water or artificially-sweetened soda or the steroid-enhanced meat. or old age. or a car accident. who knows.
but i do know this - my life expectancy is much longer than the vast majority of the world's population, and it's simply because i was fortunate enough to have been born here.
SO - this morning's article on water reminded me of a blog post by one of my fav scrapbookers, Cathy Zielske, who organized some fundraising for a charity that spearheads clean water projects in places that need them. you can read her original post here (i loved it, clearly...) i did donate to her cause, and her goal of raising $5000 to fund a water project was met and exceeded, to the tune of nearly $9000.
it was easy for me to donate. i sat at my computer (which you are doing right now). i read what she had to say. i clicked the link and read what the charity had to say. i found it important enough to part with a few dollars. which i could do, all while still sitting at my computer.
so it got me thinking this morning...collectively, Cathy's blog readers made a difference in the lives of hundreds. all because we read her blog, clicked a link, and punched in some credit card numbers and donated money rather painlessly (my budget does certainly have room for an extra $20 a month...)
i don't have the number of blog readers she does. but i do have over 300 facebook friends. so what if i made donating easy for them, too?! and what if, instead of one project a year, i find a couple, and collectively, me and my facebook friends could start a little 'armchair activism' and make a difference.
cathy references something in her blog post that i also strongly believe in.
I realize there a countless charities in the world that need time, money and help to succeed in all of their respective and extremely worthy goals. I fully and completely understand this.everyone has their own issues and their own causes. and i totally respect that...i donate to certain charities because they are important to me for one reason or another. they may not be your first choice, and then again, your cause may not be my own, either...
but my goal here is to make donating easy. because even armchair activism can make a difference. and if you're someone who already donates to the causes of your choice - great! if you want to hop on board with some of mine - FANTASTIC! if charitable giving isn't a part of your life right now, might i suggest you give it a try - and i'll give you an easy way to do it...
can you spare $5 or $20 this month? will you send a link to a friend who might also help? how about again in April? if this month doesn't work (post-holidays and all), can you save a few pennies and donate to a cause later in the year?!
realistically - i think the answers to those questions are a 'yes' - so let's DO THIS!
here's what i'm thinking - i'm going to profile a charity (we'll start with charity:water, cause well, that's how my brain started moving gears this morning)....i'll set a goal... i'll provide a link for you to donate...and then, well, please do :) you won't do any donating thru me, because i don't want to be responsible for any money issues, or tax issues (because, of course, all of these will be tax deductible contributions)...then just comment on the blog post or facebook status and whatnot to let me know that you donated, and if you choose, the amount - no matter how big or small. we'll have to guesstimate total donations to see if our goal is met, but i can tell you, my goal will be in the $5000 range (that's less than $20 per facebook friend I have...but I know you all can't be on board, so share the love...) that's enough to fund a water project thru charity: water, or an ark through Heifer International...
and a year from now, we can all be patting our backs that we collectively made a difference in the lives of hundreds with tens of thousands of dollars in donations...and we never had to leave our computers...
(a final thought: if you think i'm totally crazy, that's fine. i suggest you watch the movie "yes, man". to quote jim carrey's character "i wasn't open to stuff, and now i am, and things are changing for me." none of my other friends are organizing such an effort - so it might as well be me. i hope you'll join me.)
***i have posted our first campaign - please read about it here to donate***
