Over the past week almost a dozen of you have forwarded the New York Times article to us, “Millions in U.S. Drink Dirty Water, Records Show.” That is a very encouraging thing! Not the fact that we as a country are drinking dirty water, but that you as citizens are becoming more and more aware about the issues threatening our water resources. Keep it up!
According to the article, “More than 20 percent of the nation’s water treatment systems have violated key provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act over the last five years, according to a New York Times analysis of federal data.”
From the Edisto River, to Bushy Park Reservoir (off the Cooper River), to an underground aquifer, we get our drinking water from a variety of natural sources throughout the region. It is imperative that we keep our waterways clean in order to keep our drinking water clean. At the same time though, we must hold government agencies accountable for enforcing laws that protect our water. Without strong enforcement, violations can occur, and we as the public will bear the burden. It is our goal to see that your right to clean water is protected.
Guests at the Water the Future event enjoy a variety of art installations highlighting the impact of marine debris on our waterways. Photo by Chrys Rynearson
For those of you in attendance, we don’t have to tell you this, but for those that weren’t able to make it, the Water the Future event was a huge success! Over 150 people came through the doors to help support Charleston Waterkeeper’s efforts. When all was said and done, the event raised in excess of $1,300! This money will be used to defend Charleston’s waterways from pollution and protect your rights to clean water.
A huge thanks to everyone who helped to make this idea a reality. Rob Brennan of Brennan Media put this video together from the event. A big thanks to him for rocking it out, sans assistance from any mainstream media outlet.
For photos of the event, check out our Facebook profile or Chrys Rynearson’s flickr feed. If you’ve got photos or video from the event, we’d love to check them out! Tag us on FB or send them to us at info@charlestonwaterkeeper.org.
We’ll have more media and follow-up to come… so stay tuned!
[UPDATE]
Our friends at TheDigitel.com threw up a great article about the Water the Future event. Check it out here! Also, Charlie Magazine included us in their “society” page… check it!
Also, in case you missed it, here’s Cyrus’s speech from the night (Thanks for shooting this, Amanda!)…
A few months back Matt Horton, of Live 5 News (WCSC), interviewed Charleston Waterkeeper, Cyrus Buffum, to highlight the Water the Future campaign. Here’s what went down…
The Charleston City Paper recently published “Soaked in Freedom,” a great write-up about our efforts. Much of the article’s focus was on the idea that clean water is a fundamental right belonging to each of us (it also promoted our upcoming Water the Future event!). A huge thanks to Cara Kelly for writing the piece and to Kaitlyn Iserman for taking the photographs.
Charleston Waterkeeper member, Judy Fairchild, sent us this photograph over the holiday weekend. She spotted a number of tarballs on the shoreline of Dewees Island that are likely the product of the oil spill caused by a 600-foot cargo ship last month.
A huge thanks to Justin Harris (@jharrisSC) for designing the event poster
If you haven’t heard about our Water the Future party yet, then you better get with it! Next week (December 3rd to be exact), we will be hosting the WTF event to awareness about the issues threatening our rights to clean water. All funds raised throughout the evening will benefit Charleston Waterkeeper’s efforts of defending our waterways from pollution. To buy tickets, click here.
Well we’ve finally set a date and location for our Water the Future fundraising event. On December 3, 2009 from 7-11pm Charleston Waterkeeper will host the WTF (Water the Future) party. Here’s a sneak peek into what’s in store for the event:
WHO: Charleston Waterkeeper and the citizens of the Lowcountry
WHAT: Charleston Waterkeeper’s WTF Party, $20* Non-Members, $15* Charleston Waterkeeper Members (Tickets may be purchased ahead of time online… we’ll have that link up and running in no time!)
Ticket price includes live music, light hors d’oeuvres and beverages sponsored in part by
New Belgium Brewing Co.
WHEN: Thursday, December 3rd, 2009, 7:00pm – 11:00pm
WHY: The event’s goal is to introduce Charleston Waterkeeper to the local community, educate
the public about their rights to clean water and the issues that are infringing on those
rights, to engage the public and to encourage them to get involved with Charleston
Waterkeeper and to raise money for the organization’s efforts.
We’ll be tossing out more information and details about the event as it comes, so stay tuned. When tweeting about the event, please use the #wtfchs hashtag…
The Coast Guard announced on Friday that they have completed their 10-day clean-up of an oil spill that was first reported on October 20, 2009. The spill impacted Sullivan’s Island, Fort Sumter, Folly Beach, Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island and Edisto Island.
An investigation is still underway to determine the responsible party; we will make sure to keep you all informed as we hear more details.
A sailboat moored just north of the Coast Guard base on the Ashley River caught fire today. Smoke from the blaze could be seen past the jetties. There is no word yet whether anyone was on board at the time of the fire. Coast Guard is currently investigating the matter.
Update: I drove past the scene of the fire today, I saw the sailboat’s rail sticking out of the water. It’s safe to say, then, that the boat sank after catching ablaze. The Coast Guard is still investigating the incident.
The Coast Guard performs an investigation after a sailboat caught fire and sank on the Ashley River. Photo by Cyrus Buffum
