FLOW

FLOW: For Love of Water, is a documentary that was created in 2008 to raise awareness on water problems throughout the world. Nestle, a huge plastic water bottling company, has created several pumping plants throughout the United States to make a profit off of local water. For example, Nestle opened up a pumping plant in Michigan, where they paid $63,000 for a 99 year lease on the land. For every minute that goes by, Nestle pumps 450 gallons of water out of the local Michigan streams. The locals noticed their rivers and streams becoming more shallow, making this a town-wide issue that caught many peoples attention.

As of Worldwide spending, $100 billion is spent on plastic water bottles per year. Not only are companies bottling the local fresh water and sticking a label on it, the use of plastic almost triples just by partaking in this process. Who needs a plastic water bottle when you can buy a reusable one on Amazon for $8 and fill it with your local tap water? Believe me, I asked the same question. This made me think, what happens to those who don’t have access to clean water? How do they perform everyday things such as bathe and cook? In many parts of the world, access clean water is extremely limited and very expensive. If it’s not clean water, local river water with a disinfecting tablet will do. While making a conscious effort to use less water, you can start by cutting down your shower time, use less water for dishes, and don’t leave the water running when no one is there to use it! If many people take part in all of these efforts, we can make a difference!