Look in shops for BrewGooder lager, which uses profits to bring clean fresh water to people in developing countries.
The Last Drop is one of the most important books of our time, as water scarcity worldwide is as big a problem as climate change. Most of the world’s fresh water is held up in glaciers, and a lot of other water is harmed through pollution (in India, street dogs have literally turned blue, from chemicals used to dye blue jeans). We are even already seeing ‘climate refugees’ caused by not having access to fresh water where they live.
Rivers are drying even before they meet the oceans, and ancient lakes are disappearing. And of course, we have issues in England with water companies giving profits to shareholders, rather than invest in systems to avoid pumping raw sewage into our rivers, which often are the source of fresh water supplies.
Yet abroad, some countries have quietly been addressing water shortages, which is why Singapore does not have the same problems as California. In this book, an environmental journalist meets experts, victims, activists and pioneers to show how we can solve the water crisis, to ensure that everyone on earth (along with our animal friends) have access to fresh clean water, one of the necessities of life.
In South Africa, more than 30,000 people in the agricultural sector have lost their jobs, because there’s no water to irrigate the crops. Some farmers are cutting the buds off orchard trees because if there’s fruit and no water, it could damage them irreparably. And people from outside Cape Town are donating food for livestock, because there’s a shortage of fodder.
Tim Smedley is an award-winning environmental journalist who has written for many top newspapers. His book Clearing the Air (about the global effects of air pollution) was shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize. Air pollution kills 19,000 people each day worldwide (more combined than car accidents, malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS).
- Lifestraw is a personal water filter that needs no electricity, and purifies unsafe water. Some people say this encourages people to ‘drink dirty water’. But it’s quick and affordable to save lives, while people wait for big charities to build wells.
- Hipporoller is a simple invention that lets women and children wheel water from wells, rather than walk for miles carrying heavy buckets on their heads (which leads to headaches and weak bones). It’s also quicker, meaning children spend more time in school.
Vegan Beer (that funds clean water projects)
Brewgooder (also sold on Social Supermarket) makes lager, session IPA, tropical pale ale, New England IPA and citrus beer. The founder caught a parasite from dirty water while travelling in Nepal and since then, the company uses profits to build clean water projects worldwide.
Never buy beers wrapped in plastic rings (some shops have stopped selling them). They are invisible in water, and often get stuck around birds’ necks and beaks. If you see any, rip the holes up and securely bin them.
It launched with 1000 crowdfunding and in 3 months, it had created the first project in Malawi, providing clean water to a rural village of over 5000 people.
The range includes:
- New England IPA (hazy and juicy)
- Lager (crispy and zesty)
- Session IPA (hoppy and light)
- Hazy IPA (soft and citrusy)
- Tropical Ale (fresh and fruity)