World Water Day Celebrations Won't Get Flushed Down The Toilet

Official celebrations of World Water Day will be hosted by the Government of The Netherlands in The Hague. The United Nations Headquarters, New York, will also host events to identify and discuss water-related challenges and key areas that in the future will require stronger political support and international cooperation.This infographic from GE’s water business illustrates a day in the life of a water droplet, highlighting facts such as how many gallons of water are used to process common household products; how many gallons of water it takes to produce enough food for one person in a single day worldwide; the top five nations in terms of water usage; and the average world water footprint per person per year.

GE took a straightforward, serious look at the problem. Actor Matt Damon went the tongue-in-cheek route and staged a press conference in anticipation of World Water Day. The actor's latest move pushes the continuing efforts of his non-profit, water.org, which educates people about the lack of basic sanitation and clean water for 2.5 billion people around the world.
 
At the faux press conference, Damon announced that “in protest of this global tragedy … until everyone has access to clean water, I will not go to the bathroom,” and he’s asking everyone to join him at Strikewithme.org.
 
Water resources are certainly no laughing matter, but if the potty humor gets people's attention regarding the need for sustainable water management, then I'm all for the toilet talk and the infographics (just not the toilet infographics.)

Traci Purdum
Senior Digital Editor and fan of Matt Damon and clean water initiatives.