A few issues back, RELEVANT Magazine briefly mentioned an invention that could potentially save billions of lives around the world.
The LifeStraw is an amazing water filtration system that turns any surface water into clean drinking water. By killing disease-causing bacteria and viruses, as well as filtering out other particles and micro-organisms, one LifeStraw can provide enough clean drinking water to sustain one human being for an entire year (about 185 gallons). According to the blurb in RELEVANT these straws can be purchased for $3 each.
Currently there are an estimated 1.1 billion people on the face of the earth without access to clean drinking water. That amounts to nearly 20% of the earth’s total population. Nearly 3,000 children die each day from preventable diseases. Polluted and disease-infested drinking water is the number one way most come into contact with the bacteria that cause these diseases.
But with innovative ideas such as the LifeStraw, we could begin to change all that. A few measly bucks at a time.
shanebertou
October 30, 2007
As a point of comparison….
For $3.3 billion dollars – the same amount the Senate just approved to beef up border enforcement – we could ensure that every single human being on the planet had access to clean, safe drinking water for the next 365 days.
Just yesterday President Bush requested $189 billion in additional spending to fund the war in Iraq. That same amount of money could be used to provide clean drinking water to every man, woman and child on the planet for the next 50-60 years.
A recent report predicted that total spending on the Iraq war could top $2 trillion. That would provide clean drinking water to everyone in the world for the next 500-600 years.
Little_Pete
December 30, 2007
I keep seeing mention of this item being $3 but the only place I can find it for sale is at http://www.waterstraws.com for $14.95. Is the $3 that is quoted correct? Does anyone know where we can get it for that price
shanebertou
December 30, 2007
Unfortunately I can’t help you. The cost I quoted came from a past issue of RELEVANT Magazine. I imagine you’re seeing a retail price, not wholesale. Or possibly the $3 price is the cost to the manufacturer?