Extreme poverty in Nigeria despite of huge national wealth.

Lisa Ling, Special to CNN reports:

PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria (CNN) — Trash litters its cities. Electricity is sporadic at best. There is no clean water. Medical and educational services are limited. Basic infrastructure is severely lacking.

Nigeria’s corruption agency says between $300 billion to $400 billion in oil profits has been stolen or squandered.

These are not conditions that should plague one of the richest oil states in the world. Hundreds of billions of dollars has been made from the Niger Delta’s oil reserves and many people have gotten very rich. Conversely, the average Nigerian has suffered as a result of the country’s oil prosperity. The United States Agency for International Development says more than 70 percent of the country lives on less than a dollar a day — the population is among the 20 poorest in the world.

Oil companies are only part of the equation. The other is the Nigerian government. Transparency International, a global organization intent on stamping out corruption, has consistently rated Nigeria’s government one of the most corrupt in the world. more…

No clean water. That’s a sign of government dysfunction. In this case it’s corruption.

Nigeria could be one of the wealthiest countries in the world. There is plenty of money to provide clean water and sanitation. It is not a question of affording clean water. They have the means. Or some do.

The article goes on the describe an interview Ling was able to get with members of the , or MEND. The group wants to rid Nigeria of oil companies and “foreign influences.”

I can’t judge if that’s a beneficial goal. But it is basic political science. The government is not meeting the needs of the people and the people seek change.

We may not like to admit it, but the best way to get clean water to people is to change governments. Either change their thinking or change who governs.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Nigeria militants ‘raze’ Shell oil complex
• The devastating impact of 50 years of oil exploitation on the Niger Delta.
• Documentary filmmakers arrested in Niger Delta

The death toll in Zimbabwe’s recent cholera outbreak is over 500. The water borne disease has claimed victims throughout the country. Nearly 11,000 people have been infected in the past few weeks. Remote areas report a fatality rate up to 30%. Neighboring Botswana and South Africa are poised to be next.

Cholera has been well under control in this region of Africa for several decades. In the last 10 years, cholera returned with an annual outbreak in the country. Now, as the southern hemisphere nears summer, the outbreak could claim more than in 1992 when 2,000 died.

Zimbabwe was once the bread basket of Africa. Food was plentiful, the economy was thriving and diseases like cholera were not a problem. Good sanitation and clean water wipe out cholera.

So what happened? The country’s sanitation system is collapsing. The water utility in the capital, Harare, has run out of chemicals to treat the water. Throughout the country, electricity is scarce. People can’t boil the water so they just use it.

All this can be traced back to Robert Mugabe. He intends to be president no matter what anybody says. He’s done everything he can to keep power. Lately, he has refused to use that power for the good of the people. His dictatorship has brought famine, debt and disease.

Unfortunately, Robert Mugabe has provided a clear example of the relationship between good government and clean water. Zimbabwe, currently, has neither.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Cholera outbreak intensifies in Zimbabwe
• Zimbabwe Appeals For Cholera Aid
• Cholera Spreads in Zimbabwe
• ‘No water’ in cholera-hit Harare
• Blessing-Miles Tendi: Zimbabwe, already failing, is now on the verge of total collapse

You pedal, it pumps water from the storage tank in the back through a filter to the container in the front.  It keeps the purified water in a closed container, maintaining its integrity and making it easy to use.  The added benefit is it makes transporting water much quicker and easier since many third world residents must transport water up to three miles or more just to get it from source to home.

I’m not quite sure about this one. I have questions about the practicality of getting these in the hands of the people who could use them most.

But it is yet another example of the ingenuity available to work on the challenge of clean water. We don’t lack know how. There are plenty of answers and possibilities. The problem remains the will of the people in control of these countries.

Find more info here on the Aquaduct blog

Related articles by Zemanta

• World Water Crisis
• Re-cycle Laundry Center Concept
• Rainwater harvesting advocates bring filter tech to the U.S.

Image via Wikipedia

A GE press release dated November 19, 2008 included this:

GE Water & Process Technologies today announced it has donated and transferred operational ownership for two advanced water treatment systems to Dongguang County, which will provide clean drinking water for more than 40,000 residents in Dongguang City. Dedicated as a gift to the people of China, the systems are designed to help protect human health by removing fluoride and other containments for clean, sustainable, potable water.

GE next will donate a mobile water treatment plant that will purify water for the neighboring villages of Dongguang and supply clean drinking water to an additional 20,000 residents. This plant will be the first application of an advanced mobile water treatment system used in China to bring clean water to areas that are not within reach of the nation’s municipal water infrastructure.

GE’s water treatment solutions can treat virtually any water source and could potentially play a key role in helping China meet its goal of providing safe, reliable water supplies by 2015 to more than 300 million people living in rural areas.

I applaud the people at GE for this great humanitarian work. 60,000 people have clean water now who did not before. And in 8 more years, 300 million more people will have clean water. I’m seeing good here.

I’m not naive enough to think GE is not making money on this some how. Stockholders aren’t investing in a charitable cause. They want to see profit. That’s fine with me.

One of my beliefs is that we are capable of providing clean water for everyone on the planet. The government of China seems committed to making that a reality. This goes to my point that political will, not technology, is lacking when people don’t have clean water.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Drinking Water Filter Systems - Which Water System is Best For Your Home?
• The Truth About Water Purification

DOD Public Domain

Thank you veterans, for your service to our country.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Nicolaus Mills: VETERANS DAY 2008
• Pitt and Jolie donate to children impacted by the Iraq war

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

The short description in the header reads “I’m just sayin’.” When I started this little project, I thought I would just write things I thought about. The kind of thing I would say to people if they listened.

That was pretty easy when no one was reading.

I didn’t know that clean water and poverty would be such a hit. I’m gratified that somebody thinks willisays is worth reading. I’m still not sure why I get hundreds of hits a day now. Even when I don’t write anything!

A new feeling of responsibility has overtaken me. I have to have something important to say for the folks. I have to avoid offending readers. What would happen if people stopped coming by? The $4.00 in Amazon kick backs would dry up.

Yeah, it sounds pretty lame when I write it out. But that’s been me over the past few days and weeks.

I’m glad that’s over.

I worked on the Yes on 8 campaign Tuesday. I live in California. I think marriage is important. It seemed like the thing to do. I didn’t have any money to give, so I worked on the campaign. (The $4 from Amazon hasn’t got here yet.)

I kept having this nagging feeling though. I saw the New York Times picture of the two gay dad’s struggling to provide for their kid. My compassion for them and others like them has really grown. They have a unique struggle. I started to worry that I was just making their struggle harder.

These people who live differently that me were just trying to make their way in life. They were no threat to me, I began to think.

Well, you probably heard that Prop 8 passed. Just before the election though, there started to be vicious attacks on my religious beliefs. The attacks continue. But the attacks have spread to all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Erinannie at Moments of Clarity and Chaos shares the too common experience of this week:

At some point in the morning I got a ‘tweet’ about the No on Prop 8/anti-Mormon rally today in L.A. At first the way this tweet was written was specifically anti-Mormon. It wasn’t about civil liberties, or the CA state constitution, or even about love and marriage. It was flat out a threat against Mormons.

Not once have I made a public comment, whether on my blog or on Twitter, about Prop 8. In fact, I have very conflicting feelings about it, and have steered far away from any conversations on the subject. The bottom line is that I don’t live in California, and therefore, don’t feel that I should exert any influence over another state’s vote. I know many people disagree in different ways over that position. I don’t really care.

So you can only imagine how shocked I was when I personally started receiving threats today all because my Twitter account has me identified as Mormon. I was told to go to hell in more ways than I can count.

I’m having a hard time maintaining my compassion. I haven’t threatened to kill, made fun of beliefs or picketed sacred places of anyone who disagrees with me. But that’s what I get in return.

The unnoticed attack on freedom of thought has been fought slowly in the past.  Now that a major counter-attack has been won, the silent enemy is revealed.

Firesign Theater did a radio sketch in the late 60s that I remember well. Several hippies are talking assuring themselves and each other with the lines “I’m groovy. Are you groovy?,” “Yeah, I’m groovy.” and “We’re all groovy.”

Another man enters the scene and they start a new chorus. “He’s not groovy.” and “Hey, you’re not groovy.” The man protests that he is too, groovy. But the group decides that, in fact, the newcomer is not groovy and needs to be sent back to for regrooving. The result, they hope, is that the man will return groovy, just like them.

I understood hippies to favor peace, love and understanding in the world. Being different was OK. We should all have tolerance for one another, according to this counter culture. Turns out, they wanted everyone to be the same different as their different. The hypocrisy of “Tolerance for me, but not for thee,” was evident to my almost adolescent mind.

I’m often reminded of the self-groovy crowd when I hear people hold forth on their political opinions. Presidential election years seem to bring out the “groovier-than-thou” attitude in many Americans. Perhaps it is that I just hear from old hippies or wish-they-were-hippies.

I don’t decry this generation or this election cycle as being any worse than others. (I’d be happy to share the details of the Jefferson/Adams nastiness in 1796 and 1800 with anyone who is interested). I’m not really surprised, for instance, by those who loudly claim that George Bush has trampled civil rights and will shout down anyone who disagrees with them.

It’s easy to lose the capacity for rational thought when you refuse to consider opinions other than your own. You believe X. You only listen to people who believe X. It becomes easier and easier to be intolerant of any one who does not passionately embrace X.

The image of standing in an echo chamber shouting, comes to mind.

The case of CoachDeb is instructive here. CoachDeb is the Twitter name of Deborah Micek, a successful business mentor who lives in Hawaii. People follow her on Twitter, read her blogs, listen to her webinars and podcasts, buy her books and attend her seminars. People do all that because Deb helps them improve their business and make money.

To some of her followers, all the free advice and helpful instruction was not enough. Deb spoke her mind about the recent presidential debates. That wasn’t groovy, for some.

Deb noticed that more than a few people stopped accepting her free success advice because they didn’t agree with her politics. Not that it really hurt her bottom line. The incident just serves to illustrate the tendency of some people close up their minds when they get information they may have to think about. Even when it means losing access to information that could be very useful.

Those who have read this blog for very long may have already guessed my conclusion. I like to think about things and consider different points of view. I get comments from all sorts who have definite views on various topics. I thank you for sharing them. Honest discussion is valued here.

I like to think I have enough confidence in my positions to withstand criticism. And the ability to change my position when new information comes to my attention.

I’m just sayin’

Related articles by Zemanta

• Blogworld Speaker Interview: Deborah Micek
• How Much Do Debates Matter?
• The Scoble 165 — you’re not on it [Lists]

The LifeStraw is that straw. Introduced in 2005, the straw lasts for 18,000 liters or about 1 year for 1 person. Diarrhea and related disease has nearly ceased to be a problem in the areas using it.

The Vestergaard Frandsen, the Swiss manufacturer, has launched the LifeStraw Family. This new device works on gravity and can clean 20 liters of water for 3 years.

The technology is available. The straws and family units are being used. People’s lives are being improved. It’s just a matter of getting them into the hands of the people.

Of course there are charitable groups helping. Vestergaard Frandsen has worked with the UN and nearly every major NGO in providing this and other health equipment. In the US, the Rotary Club of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida will help you donate to the cause. $5.00 will provide 1 straw for 1 child for 1 year. You can donate here.

I applaud those efforts, but it brings the question to my mind, “Why are governments not able to provide clean water for their people?” The only answer I can come up with malfesence. They use their power for themselves and not for the people.

Am I missing something? What do you think?

Related articles by Zemanta

• News: Water Filtration System in a Straw
• Sponsor a Lifestraw Family Water Filter with Project H Design
• LifeStraw Mark II Filters Bacteria and Virii Without Iodine Aftertaste [Funk Filter]

Image by kartooner via Flickr

If you live in North America, the Caribbean or certain European countries you may have seen Fiji Water. Did you know native Fijians go without clean water?

I’ve been incredulous about the growth in popularity whole bottled water thing. I can see benefits, especially when it comes to emergency preparedness. But Fiji Water seems to take the whole thing beyond incredulity.

Short Background: They drill deep into the Artesian aquifer in the remote south Pacific island nation of Fiji. They import plastic bottles from China, bottle the water and sell it in the US and other countries with people who have more money than brains. The company has been criticized by others about the whole carbon foot print involved in production. The company has taken steps to go green.

My beef has to do with the water. In looking for examples of good clean water programs, I came accross the Humanitarian Services division of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Over the last 5 years, they’ve done clean water projects in 34 countries. More about that later.

Here’s where the two stories converge. One of those projects is in Fiji. The village Navunimono gets it’s water from a river polluted by cattle grazing, runoff and other stuff. Humanitarian Services helped the village construct 3 water tanks and now they have clean water.

Jo Vitinavulagi fills the first bucket from the new water tanks.

I’m happy they have clean water now but the story points out problems around the world. What did the military dictator of Fiji do about the water problem? What about the American company taking clean water from another part of the island chain?

Here’s an example of clean water being easily available and technologically possible. But those with political and economic power chose to do nothing. The story is repeated over and over. I’ll let you know when I see more.

Image via Wikipedia

My latest foray into solving the worlds problems has taken me to the water’s edge. That is, I’m seeing that many of the world’s problems, and especially the developing world, stem from lack of clean water.

I found this on the Water Advocates website:

More than 1.1 billion people lack access to safe water and 2.6 billion people lack even basic sanitary facilities.  Diseases caused by unsafe drinking water and inadequate sanitation remain humanity’s most serious public health threat, causing 80% of the sicknesses in developing countries and annually killing between 2 and 5 million people, mainly young children. Lack of water and sanitation undermines the sustainability of other critical needs, including education, economic development, nutrition, environmental health and gender equality.

Although the challenge is great, the solution is known and doable. From individuals to civic groups, from faith-based organizations to Congress, each American is able to join with communities around the world working to meet these basic needs. Reducing water-related diseases hinges less on medical breakthroughs than on stronger political will and significantly increased funding.

So, we want to wipe out disease. The people need clean water to do that. We want to promote education in a developing country. The people need clean water to do that. We want to help a country strengthen their economy… You get the idea. Without the basic human need, other stuff isn’t going to get better.

So this is my latest cause. I’ve got a favorite NGO for helping the world get clean water. I’ll probably blog about that later. In the mean time, find one you can support. Start here.

Which one looks good to you?

Related articles by Zemanta

• Huge increase in spending on water urged to avert global catastrophe
• UN in call for basic sanitation
• Planet is running out of clean water, new film warns