World Water Day: NativeEnergy's President Reflects on Current and Future Clean Water Projects
By Jeff Bernicke, President, NativeEnergy
When you woke up today, did you use the tap to fill your coffee pot, start a shower, or brush your teeth? Most of us take clean water for granted, but it means a great deal for our health and safety.
Water Projects in the Pipeline
Today—World Water Day—marks about one year since we formally started our water filter projects. In March 2012, I traveled to Africa to begin implementing our Kenya Clean Water Project with our in-country partners. Since then, a container of 2,250 Hydraid® water filters has been delivered, and they are being installed in the Siaya and Bondo communities. Villagers are also receiving on-going WASH training, which reduces unsafe water practices and subsequent illness.
During that trip, I also visited Ethiopia to explore the possibility of a filter project in several coffee growing regions where access to water is limited. Residents walk for miles every day just to gather contaminated water, and the labor and waterborne illnesses are debilitating. I’m happy to announce that we are now developing a project in this area. We’re also exploring projects in Ghana, Honduras, and Tanzania.
Connecting Companies with Communities
NativeEnergy’s Clean Water Initiatives focus on local communities in developing countries and provide multiple benefits, including:
- Safe drinking water
- Cleaner air
- Avoided carbon emissions from burning unsustainably harvested wood
- Economic development for local providers of filter sales and services
The projects are located in regions producing coffee, cocoa, and other products tied to companies’ supply chains, and they provide multiple avenues of value creation. And the projects’ Gold Standard certification ensures that the benefits are generated over the lifetime of the project.
To discuss how your company can get involved, please drop me a line at 800-924-6826 x220 or email jeff.bernicke@nativeenergy.com. Through our Help Build™ water projects, we can help save lives.
About NativeEnergy
NativeEnergy is an expert provider of carbon offsets, renewable energy credits, and carbon accounting software. With NativeEnergy’s Help Build™ offsets, businesses and individuals can help finance the construction of wind, biogas, solar, and other carbon reduction projects with strong social and environmental benefits. Since 2000, NativeEnergy’s customers have helped build over 50 projects that are now keeping millions of tons of greenhouse gases out of the air. All NativeEnergy carbon offsets undergo third-party validation and verification. Learn more at www.nativeenergy.com.
