The Honorable Barbara Boxer
112 Hart Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator:
I am writing to express my dismay on the status of the water crisis in Ethiopia. We know people are suffering in areas such as Ethiopia, but due to low publicity, not much is being done about it. The support of many is needed to further efforts to provide Ethiopia with clean sanitized water.
Ethiopia has a population of 85 million, yet 75.9 million people have no access to sanitized water and 49 million have access to no water whatsoever. It is estimated that over 500,000 Ethiopian children will die before the age of five this year and one out of every ten children will never have their first birthday. Water is the biggest killer of infants and is the main cause of illnesses in adults. This is surprising because most people talk about Ethiopians dying because of diseases and infections such as HIV, AIDS, and Malaria before mentioning a lack of sanitized drinking water killing children and adults. Diseases such as trachoma, leprosy, tuberculosis, whooping cough, tetanus, and diphtheria are disease that all thrive in conditions where there is hardly any freshwater and sanitation is poor. These diseases, which are spreading throughout not only Ethiopia, but most of the world, can be controlled with better sanitation. They shouldn’t be drinking and washing in the same water both animals and humans bodily waste contaminate. The sad part is that they currently don’t have a choice.
The lack of sanitized drinking water in Ethiopia is a massive issue that needs to be managed and improved. One way to help improve the situation in Ethiopia is drip irrigation. Drip irrigation is basically a network of pipes, installed either on the surface or below ground, with punctures or holes that deliver water directly to the roots of the crops. This technique keeps evaporation losses low, at an efficiency rate of 95%. Drip irrigation systems cut water use by an estimated 40% to 60% compared to gravity systems and can cost around $500- $1,200 per acre. Unfortunately, money might be a setback for some areas of Ethiopia, so starting more affordable conservation projects such as having rural farmers building small reservoirs to collect and store rain water can help the crisis. This will allow people to take water collected from the rainy season and use it in the dry season. Starting small projects like these can help prevent Ethiopia from using all their freshwater on agriculture, like they are now, and instead use it domestically for themselves.
The people of Ethiopia need people like us to represent them when they are unable to represent themselves. We, as Americans, are obligated to use our freedom of speech to represent those that are less fortunate. Therefore, the United States should be able to help lift the burden of the water crisis in Ethiopia. More efficient systems, such as the ones mentioned above, will help the water crisis and in turn save the lives of thousands of Ethiopians.
Sincerely,
Raphael Panayotis
4084 Oregon Street Apt. # 7
San Diego, CA 92104
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
My Petition
Heres my petition to help bring awareness to the Ethiopian Water Crisis! www.petitiononline.com/ethio10
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Ethiopia Water Crisis Abstract
The lack of sanitized drinking water in Ethiopia is a massive issue that needs to be managed through a more efficient system than what is being used now. Ethiopia is at the forefront of the world’s water crisis. When it comes down to what countries have the most freshwater available, Ethiopia is somewhere towards the bottom of the pack. It’s because of poor management of water, which forces women and children to walk miles upon miles everyday just to collect water filled with diseases and waste from both animals and humans. Unfortunately, these people don’t have the choice to drink sanitized water like most others.
Ethiopia has always had a problem with water scarcity because of many reasons such as population growth and being in a drought for the past couple of decades. Yet the issue of water there is only now being considered a crisis. There are many factors now that have caused the water crisis to get increasingly worse. One reason is that Ethiopia has been going through a drought for the last several years. This means no rain water is falling for them to collect and use for not only themselves, but their farms and crops. Another is population growth, because Ethiopia population is starting to double. This means that there will not be enough water to sustain more people because there is hardly enough to sustain the amount of people in Ethiopia already. It is estimated that the world will run out of water by 2050, even for developed countries. So that means that Ethiopia, one of the many developing countries around the world, will most likely run out of water sooner. That’s why they urgently need to start coming up with ways to efficiently use the fresh water available to them.
According to a study in 2000, Ethiopia used approximately 86% of their fresh water drawn from rivers, lakes, and underground aquifers on agriculture. This fact shows that one of the greatest ways to conserve water in Ethiopia is increasing irrigation efficiencies. Most irrigation systems around the world waste water. Typically, only between 35% and 50% of water withdrawn for irrigated agriculture ever reaches the crops because most is wasted. Ethiopia can start fixing crisis by using more efficient systems such as the drip or LEPA systems. The drip system is a network of pipes, installed either above the surface or underground, with punctures/holes that transports freshwater straight to the roots of their crops. The LEPA system is different than most systems that only spew water into the air because crops are delivered water from drop tubes that attached to the sprinklers extensions. If money is a huge setback in Ethiopia, conservation projects for farmers are a good way to construct small reservoirs that collect and store water to use in the dry season. All of these are systems that can be the solution to helping Ethiopia stop or at least slow down the water crisis until better, more efficient systems are put in place. But if action is not taken immediately, children and adults will continue to die without access to more sanitized water.
Ethiopia has always had a problem with water scarcity because of many reasons such as population growth and being in a drought for the past couple of decades. Yet the issue of water there is only now being considered a crisis. There are many factors now that have caused the water crisis to get increasingly worse. One reason is that Ethiopia has been going through a drought for the last several years. This means no rain water is falling for them to collect and use for not only themselves, but their farms and crops. Another is population growth, because Ethiopia population is starting to double. This means that there will not be enough water to sustain more people because there is hardly enough to sustain the amount of people in Ethiopia already. It is estimated that the world will run out of water by 2050, even for developed countries. So that means that Ethiopia, one of the many developing countries around the world, will most likely run out of water sooner. That’s why they urgently need to start coming up with ways to efficiently use the fresh water available to them.
According to a study in 2000, Ethiopia used approximately 86% of their fresh water drawn from rivers, lakes, and underground aquifers on agriculture. This fact shows that one of the greatest ways to conserve water in Ethiopia is increasing irrigation efficiencies. Most irrigation systems around the world waste water. Typically, only between 35% and 50% of water withdrawn for irrigated agriculture ever reaches the crops because most is wasted. Ethiopia can start fixing crisis by using more efficient systems such as the drip or LEPA systems. The drip system is a network of pipes, installed either above the surface or underground, with punctures/holes that transports freshwater straight to the roots of their crops. The LEPA system is different than most systems that only spew water into the air because crops are delivered water from drop tubes that attached to the sprinklers extensions. If money is a huge setback in Ethiopia, conservation projects for farmers are a good way to construct small reservoirs that collect and store water to use in the dry season. All of these are systems that can be the solution to helping Ethiopia stop or at least slow down the water crisis until better, more efficient systems are put in place. But if action is not taken immediately, children and adults will continue to die without access to more sanitized water.
Monday, November 2, 2009
In Defence Of Food
Why do people choose to eat products that are unhealthy for them?
People choose to eat unhealthy products because healthy food is generally more expensive to buy than unhealthy food. Not only is unhealthier food cheaper, it is also more accessible and in some cases tastier than healthy food, which is why people by it.
What roles/responsibilities does the gov't have in framing your choice?
The government should only have two responsibilties. The first is educating us on what foods are healthy and what's not. However, that doesn't mean they can tell us what we have to eat because it is our choice on how we want to eat whether it is healthy or not. The other responsibility is making sure we have access to all types of food we want to eat.
People choose to eat unhealthy products because healthy food is generally more expensive to buy than unhealthy food. Not only is unhealthier food cheaper, it is also more accessible and in some cases tastier than healthy food, which is why people by it.
What roles/responsibilities does the gov't have in framing your choice?
The government should only have two responsibilties. The first is educating us on what foods are healthy and what's not. However, that doesn't mean they can tell us what we have to eat because it is our choice on how we want to eat whether it is healthy or not. The other responsibility is making sure we have access to all types of food we want to eat.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Novalena
Novalena (last name) was born in San Fransisco and raised in the bay area. Her average day consists of a full time job publishing and promoting an inspirational book for women called, “The Total Female Package.” She also co-authored “Secret” and wrote a chapter in “Strategies for Success.” But writing books is not all she does.
Novalena also likes traveling around the world. In fact, when Novalena was 22, she went backpacking all around Eourope for six weeks. It was one of the best experiences of her life and she learned so much about other countries and it changed how she looked at the world once she came back to America. Novalena also enjoys movies of all sort, but she enjoys love stories the most and thrillers because she loves going to movies seeing if it will excite or scare her.
Novalena’s high school life included a lot of honors and AP classes. That sounds like she wouldn’t have much of a high school life, but she was very social and was popular yet she was still focused on doing well in school so she can go to college. Her craziest high school moment had to be during her senior trip because she was free for the first time in her life and she could do whatever she wanted, so she left senior year celebrating a lot and enjoying her last times of high school.s
Novalena life is based on 5 words that have a lot of importance to her. These words are Love, Connection, Growth, Authenticity, and Relationship. These 5 words are what makes her who she is. Novalena is also big on family. Her parents have played a big role in helping her become who she is. They are both her best friends, and unlike most people, she still talks to the regularly. They are both her heroes and they have both taught her about being authentic and being herself no matter what other people think. Her dad was held back when he was younger by Novalena’s grandparents and they told him to get a safe, secure job like being a janitor. But he had bigger aspirations so he has encouraged Novalena to follow her dreams and do what she wants to do and feels passionate about.
Although Novalena is not married, she already knows what her perfect future is going to be like and it includes a husband. She plans on having at least two kids of her own and than she wants to adopt many more and travel with all of them around the world so they can learn like she did.
Novalena also likes traveling around the world. In fact, when Novalena was 22, she went backpacking all around Eourope for six weeks. It was one of the best experiences of her life and she learned so much about other countries and it changed how she looked at the world once she came back to America. Novalena also enjoys movies of all sort, but she enjoys love stories the most and thrillers because she loves going to movies seeing if it will excite or scare her.
Novalena’s high school life included a lot of honors and AP classes. That sounds like she wouldn’t have much of a high school life, but she was very social and was popular yet she was still focused on doing well in school so she can go to college. Her craziest high school moment had to be during her senior trip because she was free for the first time in her life and she could do whatever she wanted, so she left senior year celebrating a lot and enjoying her last times of high school.s
Novalena life is based on 5 words that have a lot of importance to her. These words are Love, Connection, Growth, Authenticity, and Relationship. These 5 words are what makes her who she is. Novalena is also big on family. Her parents have played a big role in helping her become who she is. They are both her best friends, and unlike most people, she still talks to the regularly. They are both her heroes and they have both taught her about being authentic and being herself no matter what other people think. Her dad was held back when he was younger by Novalena’s grandparents and they told him to get a safe, secure job like being a janitor. But he had bigger aspirations so he has encouraged Novalena to follow her dreams and do what she wants to do and feels passionate about.
Although Novalena is not married, she already knows what her perfect future is going to be like and it includes a husband. She plans on having at least two kids of her own and than she wants to adopt many more and travel with all of them around the world so they can learn like she did.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Writing In Reverse
Tyron Darrell Jackson Smith has had a great day so far. He had a good day at work earning money for his family and he even stole something for his family without anyone even noticing at the store. He was headed to the subway when he picked up a newspaper to read on the way home. After passing through the turnstile and finding a spot in the subway, he began to read the newspaper. What he founded was interesting. There was an article talking about a tall slender man stealing items from various stores. They even had a video and a picture of the guy on camera at a news site but the picture of the man is sort of blurry but you can still make him out. Tyron felt like he knew that man. In fact he did. It was him. Tyron felt a rush of fear go through him. What would happen to his family if he got caught? What would they do to him? Right at that moment some cops came in holding sketches of what was supposed to be him. He got a glimpse of the pictures and they looked almost exactly like him. Without hesitating, he got up, dropped his newspaper, and ran through the door while it was still open. Behind him he could hear the police yelling “HEY, STOP RIGHT THERE!!” but he didn’t. He kept on running. Running for his life. Running for his family. He flew past everybody going up the stairs and out into the New York crowd. Tyrone figured all the people around him would hide him from the police, but it didn’t. He could still hear them yelling for him to stop. So he went through everybody to get away, like how a football player would run over defenders to get a touchdown. But now there was more police chasing him. He didn’t look back but he could still hear them. Tyrone ran through an ally and finally looked back just to see four police men chasing him so he went through another ally. But this time it was a dead end with a fence. He was about to run back but he heard the police rounding the corner so he tried jumping over but he slipped and fell. This was it, he though. All he did for his family was going to be gone. He didn’t even care about what was going to happen to him. All he cared about was what his family was going to think of him. Were they going to hate him? Are they going to think he’s a bad person? These questions went through his mind as he was standing looking back at the police who were getting closer and closer. He didn’t want to find out the answer to any of them though. All he wanted was to get home, so he tried one more time. He used all his strength to pull himself up and over the fence and make it with the police right on his ass. They were so close he even felt one police try and grab his shoe. But it didn’t matter to him because he was now safe, but only for now. Thankfully the police were too fat to even consider trying to climb the fence. Out of breath, Tyrone jogged his way home to safety. To his family.
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