Run for the Water Crisis!

Earlier this year I attended a luncheon about world hunger. Despite the fact that the world-renowned panelists proved very informative, the seeming contradiction of a lunch for hunger rivaled, say, a pub crawl for alcoholism.

So it's with a curious eye that the Inquirer points to the not-for-profit Blue Planet Run Foundation's round-the-world run to raise awareness for the world's water crisis. Twenty "ordinary" folk are running 15,200 miles across 16 countries and four continents, all day every day for 95 days to drive home the group's central message: "We can and must begin today to alleviate the catastrophic burden placed on over a billion people who, every day, must drink unsafe local water, or travel long distances on foot to search for safe water for themselves and their families."

Fair enough. The group is, not surprisingly, also taking pains to be environmentally-conscious, billing to run as a "race without a trace."

The map, pictured at right, indicates the progress toward the final goal: New York City. Today, the runners huffing it from Washington, DC to Baltimore. In case you want to catch up with them, they'll be at the Dunkin Donuts in Astoria, Queens at 7:30 Monday morning.

Comments

[John Oldfield]

The New York Inquirer is duly impressed by several statistics associated with the Blue Planet Run: the 15,200 miles the BPR runners are putting in around the world to raise awareness of the global safe drinking water and sanitation challenge, over four continents and 95 days.

Even more meaningful statistics, however, compellingly link the issues of safe drinking water and human mobility:

Poor women in Africa and Asia walk an average of six kilometers a day to collect water.

Poor rural women in developing countries may spend eight hours a day collecting water, carrying up to 20 kilos of water on their heads each journey.

http://bloggingonwater.blogspot.com/2007/09/15200-miles-to-go-for-safe-drinking.html