Each day, we walk to our sinks, turn on the tap, and fill glasses with clean fresh water.
We turn on our showers, wash our hair, and don’t question the origins of the droplets of water that make this ritual possible.
Yet, around the world temperatures are peaking, sea levels are rising, and our atmosphere is changing. Climate change may feel like an abstract concept, but for people living around the globe, the impacts are felt on a daily basis.
Especially when it comes to water.
Over 700 million people worldwide are living without access to this resource none of us can live without. Extractive industries and industrial development contaminate streams and rivers people depend on for drinking water and food, droughts cause water sources to dry up, and women and children walk miles a day to fill their buckets with liquid that causes disease when they drink.
There’s no doubt that the time to act is now.
Here’s what you can do, this April, to make a difference:
1) Buy a Light the Waytm Candle: As part of Earth Month, Aveda donates 100% of the purchase price of the signature limited-edition light the way candlestm to Global Greengrants Fund to support water-related projects in 88 countries. Since 2007, our partnership has raised over $14 million to help 1,137,428 people worldwide improve their access to clean water.
For just $14 you can:
- Provide a year’s supply of drinking water for a person living in Madagascar
- Ensure access to clean water for a family of six for six months in India
- Support 100 community residents to oppose a mega-dam on the Mekong River in Thailand that threatens their homeland.
2) Hold the Canadian government to their commitment to clean up mercury contamination in Grassy Narrows, Ontario: Between 1962 and 1970, a paper mill located in Dryden, Ontario, operated by the company Reed Paper, dumped 20,000 pounds of mercury into the Wabigoon River. The residents of Grassy Narrows, 100km downstream from Dryden, depend on the river for fish and their livelihoods and ways of life. Today, 90 percent of the people living in Grassy Narrows currently have symptoms of mercury poisoning.
For over 40 years, with financial support from Aveda and Global Greengrants Fund, the people of Grassy Narrows have demanded information on the state of the river and action from the government to clean up the toxic mess.
In February 2017, the Canadian government announced their commitment to cleaning up the Wabigoon River. This was a huge step forward for the First Nations people, but no action has been taken.
Lend your voice today to hold the Canadian government to their promise and help bring justice to Grassy Narrows.
3) Track your impact: Learn more about the impact the purchase one $14 candle can have when the money is placed in the hands of grassroots groups working worldwide. Our interactive map shows over 200 projects funded last year through the candle sales and details the projects completed using the funds.