Back in 2011 we did a spotlight on a few of the celebrities that have taking up the fight to bring communities clean water. Nearly 5 years later and the world continues to face growing concerns over quality and quantity of drinking water in our communities. Likewise, many big names continue to use their fame to advocate for clean water. Their methods include speaking for those without a voice loud enough to be heard. Donating resources like money or water bottles. In some cases funding new projects that may one day transform the way we fill our cups.
Mark Wahlberg, Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs, Eminem, and Cher
When you need to take action that is when you call on some of the biggest names in entertainment today. Sean Combs and Mark Wahlberg were already a team and in a powerful position to aid the residents of Flint, Michigan when the lead contamination water crisis struck. Having formed AQUAhydrate, a “Southern California-based performance water brand founded in cutting-edge technology and science”, back in 2012, the pair reacted immediately by shipping 5,000 cases of water with the promise that 1,000,000 total bottles would be donated.
Eminem, a Detroit native, has long been an advocate for the state of Michigan. Having used Detroit as a backdrop from a number of songs including “Beautiful,” and even staring in a series of Chrysler commercials promoting the automotive plants that still reside inside the city, the rapper teamed with Mark Wahlberg and Sean Combs to encourage fan contributions in addition to donating money of his own.
Many names in music have pledged to help the residence of Flint, Michigan recover from the water crisis. Among the already mentioned performers is one we can not forget, Cher. The singer-songwriter and Grammy, Emmy, and Academy Award winner is the namesake of the Cher Charitable Foundation, in addition to her other interests that includes support for health research, anti-poverty initiatives, veterans rights, and vulnerable children. After news of lead contamination began to spread, Cher teamed wtih with Los Angeles-based Icelandic Glacial to donate 181,440 bottles of water. The water bottle company is said to “source water from the naturally replenishing underground Ölfus Spring that was formed during a massive volcanic eruption over 5,000 years ago.”
Mark Ruffalo
Back in 2008 before most Americans knew what fracking was, Mark Ruffalo, founder of the non-profit Water Defense and advisory board member of Americans Against Fracking expressed concern over the practice of injecting water or other materials into the ground to retrieve oil. Following the Flint, Michigan water crisis he penned an essay for the Washing Post drawing attention to the fact that million of people in the U.S., have for years been consuming water with unsafe levels of contaminates. More recently, he appeared on “Real Time with Bill Maher” to discuss the impact of fracking on Los Angelas communities.
Bill and Melinda Gates
In an earlier article we wrote how the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation was challenging the future of infrastructure with the Janicki Bioenergy’s Omni Processor. In a little bit of an update, the Omni Processor is finally in Dakar, Senegal where waste sludge is being turned into electricity, ash for building, and drinking water. This machine is not just a tool to reduce the outbreak of waterborne diseases but also encourage entrepreneurship. Communities will own and operate the Omni Processor and sell the by-product of the processed waste to help create sustainable economies in regions that desperately need quality goods, crops, and clean water
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