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THIRSTY | Remi Katz | TEDxRiverdaleCountrySchool


I recently found myself in a restaurant

I recently found myself in a restaurant and I was presented with the typical

and I was presented with the typical

and I was presented with the typical question what kind of water you would

question what kind of water you would

question what kind of water you would like tap or bottled sparkling or still I

like tap or bottled sparkling or still I

like tap or bottled sparkling or still I gave the waiter my answer and he

gave the waiter my answer and he

gave the waiter my answer and he returned a few minutes later with the

returned a few minutes later with the

returned a few minutes later with the glass of water I want to drink it and I

glass of water I want to drink it and I

glass of water I want to drink it and I noticed that there was a bubble inside

noticed that there was a bubble inside

noticed that there was a bubble inside so expecting my right to clean water I

so expecting my right to clean water I

so expecting my right to clean water I asked him to return it please come back

asked him to return it please come back

asked him to return it please come back with the new on new one and went on with

with the new on new one and went on with

with the new on new one and went on with my meal but what would I have done if I

my meal but what would I have done if I

my meal but what would I have done if I was given this glass of water probably

was given this glass of water probably

was given this glass of water probably would have freaked out written a really

would have freaked out written a really

would have freaked out written a really nasty yelp review and never returned to

nasty yelp review and never returned to

nasty yelp review and never returned to get what if I were to tell you that 1

get what if I were to tell you that 1

get what if I were to tell you that 1 billion people in the developing world

billion people in the developing world

billion people in the developing world lack access to clean water that millions

lack access to clean water that millions

lack access to clean water that millions of mothers and their children each day

of mothers and their children each day

of mothers and their children each day walk miles and miles in the scorching

walk miles and miles in the scorching

walk miles and miles in the scorching heat just to receive water that looked

heat just to receive water that looked

heat just to receive water that looked exactly like the one I had just shown

exactly like the one I had just shown

exactly like the one I had just shown you that if they were presented with the

you that if they were presented with the

you that if they were presented with the water that I had just a bug in it they

water that I had just a bug in it they

water that I had just a bug in it they would have hugged the stranger that had

would have hugged the stranger that had

would have hugged the stranger that had given it to them and thank them for

given it to them and thank them for

given it to them and thank them for their generosity UNICEF estimates that

their generosity UNICEF estimates that

their generosity UNICEF estimates that 3000 children under the age of 5 die

3000 children under the age of 5 die

3000 children under the age of 5 die each day from waterborne disease that

each day from waterborne disease that

each day from waterborne disease that means the amount of time I’ve been

means the amount of time I’ve been

means the amount of time I’ve been speaking 3 children have most likely

speaking 3 children have most likely

speaking 3 children have most likely already just died now you are probably a

already just died now you are probably a

already just died now you are probably a little bit confused how are we in a

little bit confused how are we in a

little bit confused how are we in a water crisis when I think of the earth I

water crisis when I think of the earth I

water crisis when I think of the earth I think of revolving sphere of blue of

think of revolving sphere of blue of

think of revolving sphere of blue of water but the reality is 97% of that is

water but the reality is 97% of that is

water but the reality is 97% of that is undrinkable the 3% of that that is

undrinkable the 3% of that that is

undrinkable the 3% of that that is drinkable we have a really big

drinkable we have a really big

drinkable we have a really big competition over and countries are

competition over and countries are

competition over and countries are trying to clean it because water is

trying to clean it because water is

trying to clean it because water is power and over half of that is saying

power and over half of that is saying

power and over half of that is saying and ice caps or glaciers places that we

and ice caps or glaciers places that we

and ice caps or glaciers places that we can’t really access it 30% of that is in

can’t really access it 30% of that is in

can’t really access it 30% of that is in places where only certain people can

places where only certain people can

places where only certain people can access it because they have the finances

access it because they have the finances

access it because they have the finances to tap into the underground water so

to tap into the underground water so

to tap into the underground water so what does that leave the poor countries

what does that leave the poor countries

what does that leave the poor countries with 1% of easily accessible water I say

with 1% of easily accessible water I say

with 1% of easily accessible water I say easily lightly because that’s where we

easily lightly because that’s where we

easily lightly because that’s where we see mothers and children being forced to

see mothers and children being forced to

see mothers and children being forced to walk miles because they don’t live in

walk miles because they don’t live in

walk miles because they don’t live in communities near these fresh waters or

communities near these fresh waters or

communities near these fresh waters or streams so typically people think ok I

streams so typically people think ok I

streams so typically people think ok I hear water crisis I need to solve it by

hear water crisis I need to solve it by

hear water crisis I need to solve it by showering for shorter periods of time or

showering for shorter periods of time or

showering for shorter periods of time or brushing my teeth and turning off the

brushing my teeth and turning off the

brushing my teeth and turning off the tap water but that goes into only 8

tap water but that goes into only 8

tap water but that goes into only 8 percent of what we’re using the reality

percent of what we’re using the reality

percent of what we’re using the reality is that 70% of what we’re using we don’t

is that 70% of what we’re using we don’t

is that 70% of what we’re using we don’t necessarily see

necessarily see

necessarily see every day it’s an agricultural use or

every day it’s an agricultural use or

every day it’s an agricultural use or industrial use and we’re Americans we

industrial use and we’re Americans we

industrial use and we’re Americans we like hamburgers we like meat but we’re

like hamburgers we like meat but we’re

like hamburgers we like meat but we’re really wasting a lot of water with the

really wasting a lot of water with the

really wasting a lot of water with the food that we’re choosing to eat because

food that we’re choosing to eat because

food that we’re choosing to eat because one kilogram of beef requires 13,000

one kilogram of beef requires 13,000

one kilogram of beef requires 13,000 liters of water now to put that in

liters of water now to put that in

liters of water now to put that in perspective one kilogram of potato

perspective one kilogram of potato

perspective one kilogram of potato requires only 100 liters of water there

requires only 100 liters of water there

requires only 100 liters of water there are many organizations out there that

are many organizations out there that

are many organizations out there that understand this problem and they’re

understand this problem and they’re

understand this problem and they’re going to try to fix it and implement

going to try to fix it and implement

going to try to fix it and implement viable water sources in third-world

viable water sources in third-world

viable water sources in third-world countries so I’m gonna tell you a story

countries so I’m gonna tell you a story

countries so I’m gonna tell you a story of a recent one there was an

of a recent one there was an

of a recent one there was an organization that implemented a well in

organization that implemented a well in

organization that implemented a well in a city called Seine near Bombay they

a city called Seine near Bombay they

a city called Seine near Bombay they implemented the well and they taught

implemented the well and they taught

implemented the well and they taught everyone within the community how to use

everyone within the community how to use

everyone within the community how to use it and then they went back a few months

it and then they went back a few months

it and then they went back a few months later expecting really positive outcomes

later expecting really positive outcomes

later expecting really positive outcomes when they went back and they looked at

when they went back and they looked at

when they went back and they looked at the community they realized that

the community they realized that

the community they realized that everyone was still sick people were so

everyone was still sick people were so

everyone was still sick people were so dying of waterborne disease and they

dying of waterborne disease and they

dying of waterborne disease and they were very confused what happened there

were very confused what happened there

were very confused what happened there was clean water that was accessible when

was clean water that was accessible when

was clean water that was accessible when they talked to people in the community

they talked to people in the community

they talked to people in the community they actually realized that they were

they actually realized that they were

they actually realized that they were choosing to drink the dirty water above

choosing to drink the dirty water above

choosing to drink the dirty water above the clean water because to them the

the clean water because to them the

the clean water because to them the dirty water had something that they were

dirty water had something that they were

dirty water had something that they were familiar with it was something that they

familiar with it was something that they

familiar with it was something that they were tasting that clean water was

were tasting that clean water was

were tasting that clean water was actually so foreign to them that it

actually so foreign to them that it

actually so foreign to them that it didn’t taste good to us clean water

didn’t taste good to us clean water

didn’t taste good to us clean water tastes like nothing

tastes like nothing

tastes like nothing can you imagine clean water being so

can you imagine clean water being so

can you imagine clean water being so foreign another another story I want to

foreign another another story I want to

foreign another another story I want to tell you really quickly is of a New York

tell you really quickly is of a New York

tell you really quickly is of a New York Times writer that went into a

Times writer that went into a

Times writer that went into a third-world comfort country and

third-world comfort country and

third-world comfort country and interviewed people and she was sitting

interviewed people and she was sitting

interviewed people and she was sitting with the family that was in front of her

with the family that was in front of her

with the family that was in front of her and it was a mother and some of her

and it was a mother and some of her

and it was a mother and some of her children and she saw the mother feeding

children and she saw the mother feeding

children and she saw the mother feeding the children the dirty water and was so

the children the dirty water and was so

the children the dirty water and was so excited and all the children were

excited and all the children were

excited and all the children were chugging it down like it was chocolate

chugging it down like it was chocolate

chugging it down like it was chocolate milk now picture this mother smiling

milk now picture this mother smiling

milk now picture this mother smiling face when I tell you that two of her

face when I tell you that two of her

face when I tell you that two of her children had already died of waterborne

children had already died of waterborne

children had already died of waterborne disease and she was being forced to

disease and she was being forced to

disease and she was being forced to continue to feed the rest of her

continue to feed the rest of her

continue to feed the rest of her children the exact thing that had

children the exact thing that had

children the exact thing that had already killed – for him the point of

already killed – for him the point of

already killed – for him the point of this isn’t necessarily to reset you all

this isn’t necessarily to reset you all

this isn’t necessarily to reset you all with these really haunting facts though

with these really haunting facts though

with these really haunting facts though I do hope it does motivate you so reach

I do hope it does motivate you so reach

I do hope it does motivate you so reach out to some organizations and try to

out to some organizations and try to

out to some organizations and try to help I want you to understand that

help I want you to understand that

help I want you to understand that something that seems so tasteless that’s

something that seems so tasteless that’s

something that seems so tasteless that’s something that is clear that you don’t

something that is clear that you don’t

something that is clear that you don’t really ever think about you see it every

really ever think about you see it every

really ever think about you see it every day

day

day it’s actually the most powerful tool out

it’s actually the most powerful tool out

it’s actually the most powerful tool out there I never want you to underestimate

there I never want you to underestimate

there I never want you to underestimate the power of simply

the power of simply

the power of simply and that water is actually a privilege

and that water is actually a privilege

and that water is actually a privilege and not a right thank you

”

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