At the risk of drifting further afield from the topic, isn't the real solution to to scarce water supplies better filtering and water recycling -- in other words, wouldn't there be plenty of water if we just took what went down the drain, filtered it, and piped it back out again?

Feel free to correct me if I have misunderstood the problem.

Doing it at a cost that people can afford is the issue, especially in the third world.

But then it is maybe more efficient to make those people richer than to build cheaper filters. Cheaper filters is just one puzzle piece for getting richer, anyway.

It's a lot easier to make people richer when they have clean water, so they aren't sick from cholera, can safely bathe themselves, and they aren't dehydrated.

Good points, but this sounds a lot like charity work. If that's what he wants, ok, great, but come out and say it clearly.

However:; I think that it's easier to contribute in a big, serious way to charity if you've already made your pile of cash elsewhere.

> However:; I think that it's easier to contribute in a big, serious way to charity if you've already made your pile of cash elsewhere.

That, or if you're really committed, go work for a relief organization in the third world yourself. Sometimes cash isn't as important as people who are willing to get their hands dirty.

Certainly, but I don't think this is what Umair was exhorting people to do. OTOH, I'm not sure exactly what it is that he wants everyone to go do, either.