Blue Planet Run

Did you ever feel blessed? Everyone feels blessed for something or the other in their lives.  I felt blessed for something so obvious in my life that I would have lived the rest of my life without even realizing it.  What makes it so obvious is that it is one of the most basic necessities for our survival after air. Yes, I am talking about Water.  You might be wondering ‘what is there to feel blessed about water’, that perspective will change once you take a look at the “Blue Planet Run”(click here for free PDF copy). Blue Planet Run is a book authored by Rick Smolan and Jennifer Erwitt that portrays the water crisis around the world.

First page of the ‘Blue Planet Run’ describes: “Blue Planet Run is two books in one: First it is about an extraordinary 15,000 mile relay race – the longest relay run in human history – in which 20 athletes spent 95 days running around the globe to spread awareness of the world’s water crisis. Secondly, it is a showcase of powerful, inspiring, disturbing and hopeful images captured by leading photojournalists around the world who documented the human face of the crisis and its possible solutions. The result of these two parallel projects is the book you hold in your hands.”

I never felt the same about Water after going through this outstanding book that discusses about the water crisis around the world.  The impact was such that, my friend who used to shower for at least 40 minutes (no exaggeration) started taking baths not exceeding 3 minutes.  Pictures are as stunning as the facts laid out in this book.  Book takes us to all parts of the world where drinking water is still considered a luxury, stories of people who have to walk miles to get pot full of water, water pollution issues in China, water recycling facility in Las Vegas, oil companies exploitation of natural resources in Ecuador, how the bottled water industry is worsening the pollution issues, how water is turning out be next oil in the modern world, how Canada may, well one day, become a leader in supplying this essential fluid to rest of the world, how many gallons of water goes into making your t-shirt (!), how Atlanta’s increasing population could deprive the southern Georgia, Florida and Alabama from accessing Chattahoochee River’s fresh water, how Carter Center is helping millions of locals in Southern Sudan by supplying them the guinea worm filters and much more…

The book also discusses the inspiring stories of how individual efforts WILL make a difference and how we all can be part of solution (no kidding, my friend’s shifting from 40 minutes shower to 3 minutes is being part of the solution).  Inspiring story of Rajesh Shah of Peer Water Xchange (PWX) a project of Blue Planet Run Foundation, describes that if everyone takes responsibility of their own village, community or colony, so to speak, World crisis could be addressed more effectively than by one or two big projects undertaken by Government or other institutes.  Then, story of Chilukawa Primary school water project undertaken by PWX to provide the drinking water to the locals is heartwarming.  There are numerous examples of how PWX is helping people in different parts of the world, in fact, Blue Planet Run Foundation’s goal is to provide fresh drinking water to 200 million people worldwide by 2027.

To achieve this great goal, they need help from every individual and it requires a universal awareness of the water crisis.  Blue Planet Run Foundation’s work is one of the important projects ever taken up and we too can be part of this project by making donations and/or by buying this book but most importantly by being part of the solution and doing what we can do to help at an individual level.  As Gandhi once said “be the change you want to see in the world”.

Photo Credits: From Blue Planet Run Book