FridgeFilters.com Blog

Fridge Filters, Facebook, and the Quest for Clean Water

wa·ter·works   (wôtr-wûrks, wtr-)

pl.n.

1.  The water system, including reservoirs, tanks, buildings, pumps, and pipes, that supplies water to a city, town, or other municipality.

2.  An exhibition of moving water, such as a fountain or cascade.

3.  Informal Tears: turned on the waterworks.

Meet Tabatha Hackley. Tabatha's a college student who works in the Fridge Filters warehouse between semesters. She's just one of the people here who makes sure that your fridge filters are boxed up carefully  and shipped to you quickly--because Tabatha cares about our customers. And like all of us here at Fridge Filters, Tabatha cares about the people who don't have access to clean water. 

Facts:

• Almost one billion people drink contaminated water every day.
• Over 1.8 million people – mostly children – die every year from diseases communicated through water.

Last week Tabatha told us about a new Facebook app she found called Waterworks^TM. She was really, really excited about it.

It's simple.

1. You partner with a Waterworker- a real woman working to provide access to clean drinking water in her community - via a Facebook app. Mine is Santoshi Ahrivar. She lives in India. She's 24 years old. She looks like this:

 

2. You set up a small daily donation. One that even a college student like Tabatha can afford-like, 10 cents a day small. Santoshi and women like her get jobs distributing clean water kits; the people in their communities get clean drinking water.

3. Your Waterworker uses a mobile device to record the actual impact your funding is making, which you can see on Facebook: 

And so can your friends. Sharing your stories from Waterworks helps encourage your Facebook friends to get involved, too. Turns out you don't need to be Zuckerberg wealthy to have the potential to change 500 million people's lives.  

Cue the waterworks... (sniff)

For more information, visit the Waterworks app on Facebook.

Want to keep up with Santoshi, Tabatha, and the rest of us at Fridge Filters? Just follow us on Facebook.  

 

Got Water? How to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse in 5 Easy Steps

If the past month's headlines haven't convinced you that the zombie apocalypse is upon us, well, the zombies have already eaten your brains. 

BRAAAIIIINS

That's right. We said it. Zombies. Sure, we're a team of highly educated water filtration experts more given to discussing micron ratings, but today we're talking ZOMBIES. Laugh if you want to, but when it happens (and it will) you'll be glad you read this. So without further ado (time is running out, you know), here's

The Fridge Filters' Guide to Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse. 

 

1. KNOW THY ZOMBIE. Think all zombies are slow, dull-witted shufflers? HA! YOU'RE DEAD. Zombies being controlled by voodoo curses, hypnotism, aliens, or microchips can run just as fast as you or I. Scarier still? The Enhanced Human Zombie. Altered by viral or bacterial infection, or  worse yet--DNA alteration--enhanced zombies are the Terminators of the undead and can run, jump, and kill faster, harder, and more effectively than anyone but Chuck Norris. 

(FACT: When Chuck Norris bites a zombie, it turns human.)

2.  ARM YOURSELF AND GO FOR THE HEAD. Can't keep your silver bullets straight from your wooden stakes? No worries. If you've seen Zombieland you know there are buckets of ways to kill zombies. No matter your weapon of choice, though, go for the head--it's the only way to re-dead the undead.

(FACT: The word zombie entered the English language in 1929. That same year the stock market crashed and the Great Depression began. Coincidence? NOT LIKELY.)

3. PREVENT INFECTION. Sure, voodoo and zombie bites are responsible for like, 99.9% of zombie infections. But did you know you can catch zombie by sharing a drinking glass with a zombie? Not putting the paper down on a toilet seat after a zombie uses it?  Breathing recirculated air on an zombie piloted aircraft?

(Don't even get us started on zombie mosquitos and zombie chiggers. It's June in North Carolina, y'all-- we'd be the first to die.)

4.  BLEND IN. Should you find yourself in the midst of a zombie horde, DON'T PANIC. Blend in to the crowd and move like a zombie. That's right. Dance the Thriller.

Don't have the moves like Jackson? You can learn a thing or two from these cute kids:

 

5. PREPARE. Gather food and supplies now, because the last place you want to have to go during the zombie apocalypse is your local Walmart.  In their “Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse” blog, the CDC (No joke. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention really has a "Zombie Preparedness” page on its official website) recommends having an emergency kit stocked with food, medicine, tools, and supplies to get you through till you can find a zombie-free refugee camp. The most important item in the kit? You guessed it. 

Water.

In fact, you'll need one gallon of water per person per day that you're on the run. That's a lot of water to carry! Those gallon jugs of water take up a lot of space in your survival pack...and at 8+ pounds per gallon they're sure to slow you down while you're on the run! You'll need something lighter, more compact

You need the Katadyn Portable Water Purification System.

 

Katadyn MyBottle Ultralight Series 24-Ounce Personal Water Purifier Bottle

 

The Katadyn bottle frees you from having to carry or locate safe drinking water while hiking, evading zombies, or any other outdoor activity. You just dip the bottle into any fresh water source, squeeze to force filtration, and voila! Fresh, clean water.

 

(Sorry. The folks at Katadyn aren't using zombies in their product videos.)

(Yet.)

Order one today and you'll be ready for whatever comes your way--the zombie apocalypse, the next big hurricane, or a hike on a hot day. We'll be ready. Will you?

www.fridgefilters.com

 

What the Frack is Fracking?

 Admit it. The first time you heard the term "fracking" you immediately pictured Yosemite Sam: 

Sounds like Yosemite Sam knew all along that fracking was bad!

In the natural gas business, fracking is slang for hydraulic fracturing.

What the rootin' tootin' heck is hydraulic fracturing? 

 In short, it's a way to get fuel out of rock by drilling deep into the earth and releasing natural gas by EXPLODING THE ROCKS IN THE SHALE LAYER. 

BOOM!

Are you picturing a full-on Michael Bay Transformers explosion? Oh. Well, it's not quite that awesome. There's no dynamite involved-just a mixture of water, sand, and toxic chemicals pumped underground with enough force to shatter shale rock. The process actually looks like this:

(image via the BBC)

 

So what's the big frackin' deal?

 Earthquakes. No, this is not a fangirl/film geek Michael Bay reference--turns out the fracking process can create small tremors. Man. Made. Earthquakes. Eleven in Ohio alone last year. Yeah, Ohio. (Not really an earthquake state.)

Methane Leaks. The process of extracting gas from shale also causes a good deal of methane leakage.  Methane leakage is problematic because a) stinky, b) major planet-warming greenhouse gas, and c) WATER! ON! FIRE!

 

Air Pollution. Those chemicals used in the fracking process? Turns out they're not so healthy to breathe... ok we're kidding they're totally poisonous. People who live near fracking sites are more likely to suffer from eye and skin irritation, headaches and nervous system damage, asthma, kidney and liver problems, and oh yeah-leukemia. 

Groundwater Contamination. How about a splash of benzine in your glass of water? No? Radioactive ice cubes? No?  Here in North Carolina (home of your favorite water filter company), our natural gas reserves are pretty frackin' close to our groundwater. That layer of rock between our water and our natural gas--it's not actually watertight. Which means those toxic fracking chemicals pumped deep underground could migrate upward and contaminate our water. The water we use for drinking, bathing, cooking, and growing food.

Say it with me: FREAKIN FRACKIN RACKAFRACKIN RASSAFRASSIN HAMMER HEADED HALIBUTS.

Waste. Today, nearly one billion people don't have access to clean water, while fracking injects trillions (repeat--trillions) of gallons of (now poisonous) fresh water in. To. The. Ground. 

Makes you want to go Megatron on somebody, right?

The Good News. Is there any? You bet your Shia LaBeouff there is. All across the country communities have banned fracking in response to grassroots groups committed to clean water.  A little education and a lot of passion go along way! Says activist Sandra Steingrabbler, "[My kids] are made of water. They are made of the food that is grown in the county that I live in. And they are made of air. We inhale a pint of atmosphere with every breath we take... And when you poison these things, you poison us."

 

www.fridgefilters.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Water for Panem: Hunger Games and the Hunt for Good Water

OK we'll admit it. We are obsessed. Have you seen the movie? Read the books? Are you Catching Fire too? Yep, we're talking about The Hunger Games.

If you're like us, with Panem ever on your radar, you've noticed Hunger Games merchandise just about everywhere. You can spend your hard-earned tesserae on a Hunger Games board game, Effie Trinket nail polish, a Hunger Games Snuggie (seriously), and even...wait for it...

Hunger Games water. 

Really.

h20 Spring Water has partnered with The Hunger Games to be the film's official water. While we see the tie-in (finding water was Katniss' first objective in the Arena, after all) doesn't this sound like something they'd drink in the Capitol? You know, while so many others go without clean water?

Luckily for us, we don't live in the Districts and our tap water is just as safe as bottled water. Though we admit that even Haymitch would approve of h2O's eco-friendly packaging, we'd rather fill one of these stainless steel Arena-Proof water bottles with filtered water from our tap.

You don't have to travel the the twelve districts to find good water--it's right in your home, where you're safe from trackerjackers, Cato's weapons, and President Snow.

So join the revolution and overthrow the bottle! 

www.fridgefilters.com

 

Fridge Filters 101: How Often Should I Change My Refrigerator Filter?

All refrigerator manufacturers recommend that you change your refrigerator filter at least every six
months--more often if have hard water or if your water has an odor or an unpleasant taste!

www.fridgefilters.com

Water Filters: A Boiled Down History

14,00,000,000 B.C.E.    The first molecules of water form in space after an early star explodes in a supernova (try filming that, Michael Bay.)

 

 

4,000,000,000 B.C.E.    Liquid water on planet Earth--IN YOUR FACE, NEPTUNE AND MARS!

2000 B.C.E.    Egyptians boil water and use crude sand and charcoal filters like, you know, Egyptians.

 

 

400 B.C.E.       Hippocrates designs a sleeve-like cloth filter. He uses his "water cure" to treat many diseases but sadly does not cure his baldness. 

 

 

 

500-1500 A.D.        Beer is the staple beverage of Europeans because the fermentation process naturally purifies water and they need more excuses to day-drink. 

1627    Sir Francis Bacon attempts seawater filtration. The resulting product is salty and undrinkable, much like seawater.   

1660s    Anton van Leeuwenhoek uses a microsope to discover tiny, living organisms in the water--cholerae, salmonella, and maybe these little guys. (On a side note OH MY GOSH DELICIOUS SHRIMPJUICE!)

 

1800    John Snow (not that one) discovers chlorine as a disinfectant. Happily, people stop dying of cholera and typhoid.* 

 

 

1804    Paisley, Scotland installs the first municipal water filter plant. SLAINTE!

1972    The Clean Water Act becomes law (USA! USA!)

2012    Concerns about pesticide chemicals, industrial sludge, chlorine byproducts, and lead continue to motivate consumers to use water filters in their homes. Lots of people read the Fridge Filters Blog and get happy and smarter.

www.fridgefilters.com

*Sadly, waterborne illnesses are still a major concern in many parts of the developing world. Please visit http://thewaterproject.org/ to learn more. 

Charity Spotlight: Cary-Kildaire Rotary Club

By Megan Vick

 

In December, our Charity Spotlight was on the Rotary Foundation and Rotary International. In Cary, North Carolina, the Rotary Club of Cary-Kildaire collaborated with the Rotary Club of Mussoorie, India. These two clubs collaborated to provide sanitation and pure drinking water facilities to three schools in India. I was able to ask Scott Rossi a bit more about the completion of the project.

Fridge Filters:Scott, can you tell us more about the project and its completion?

Scott Rossi: The first phase of the ‘Purified Drinking Water System and Sanitary Facility Project’ undertaken by the clubs was dedicated to the students of MY Saraswati Shishu Vidya Mandir, Gandhi Niwas, Mussoorie on Monday, 27th June 2011. The second phase was dedicated to the students of Mussoorie Girls Inter College, Mussoorie on Thursday, 30th June 2011. The third phase was recently dedicated to the students of Sanatan Dharm Girls Inter College, Mussoorie on Friday, 4th November 2011.

FF: How did your club come to decide on doing such an ambitious project?

SR: Rotary has six areas of focus: peace and conflict prevention/resolution, disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, and economic and community development. Our International Service Committee felt that well-planned water projects have the potential to address multiple areas of focus.

FF: What made the club choose India for the clean water project?

SR: Cary-Kildaire Rotary Club was part of three water projects last year. The first project was constructing soak pits or recharge wells in Kolkata City and surrounding rural areas, West Bengal, India. The second project was digging a bore hole well and constructing water storage tanks at a school in Our Lady of Lourdes School, Ozuoba, Rivers State, Nigeria. The third project was providing drinking and sanitation facilities at three schools in India. We chose these projects because of the needs that existed and because their were excellent Rotary partners at each location.

FF: How can other groups do something similar?

SR: They can search for water projects that need partners/sponsors on websites www.waterteaminternational.org or www.startwithwater.org (a website run by WASRAG, the Water and Sanitation Rotary Action Group).

FF: What was the best part about being involved in these projects?

SR: It is tremendously uplifting to be able to help people and to contribute to the alleviation of needless suffering.

Special thanks to Scott Rossi and Carl Ryden of the Cary-Kildaire Rotary Club for their information on this topic.

Check out the video for the Cary-Kildaire West Bengal water project!

Rotary Club West Bengal Project

Charity Spotlight: The Rotary Foundation & Rotary International

By Megan Vick

 

What is The Rotary Foundation?

Rotary began over 100 years ago in Illinois and now has approximately 1.2 million members in over 200 countries. Since its creation in 1917, The Rotary Foundation has grown into a global force for good, thanks to the generosity of Rotarians and friends of Rotary who share our vision for a better world. Rotary is a worldwide organization of more than 1.2 million business, professional, and community leaders. Members of Rotary clubs, known as Rotarians, provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.

What do they do? How does it help?

The mission of the Rotary Foundation and Rotary International is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education and the alleviation of poverty. Rotary's main objective is service - in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world.

The Rotary Foundation and Rotary International have many programs set up throughout the world. The programs are funded through grants; most notably the PolioPlus program. PolioPlus is a worldwide initiative to eradicate polio by providing vaccines to those who may not other be able to receive the vaccine. Rotary Foundation and Rotary International also help with eliminating fluoride from water in areas whose people are prone to fluorosis- a debilitating degenerative condition found in parts of India, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Rotarians worldwide also help with Disaster Recovery efforts when an area is struck with a natural disaster.

Who does it help?

Rotarians help anyone and everyone. The Rotary Foundation has volunteers to help provide clean water, support education , eliminate hunger issues, and improve health and sanitation both in American and throughout the world. Rotarians are your friends, family, and neighbors who help friends, family, and neighbors.

How can I help?

 

Visit the site for information on volunteering your time.

You can also visit for ways to donate.

You might also see charitable donation collections all around your town in convenient stores, restaurants, and shops. Please feel free to donate anything you can.

Charity Spotlight: charity: water

By Megan Vick

What is charity: water? charity: water is a non-profit foundation committed to bringing underdeveloped nations a local source of freshwater. They believe in providing clean water to communities and villages, the water-borne illness and disease rate will diminish, increasing the quality of life of the people. charity: water also believes by providing a centralized freshwater source, adults and children do not have to spend many hours traveling long distances to collect dirty, unsafe water. This will help the villagers be able productive citizens and attend work and school.

What do they do? How does it help? charity: water doesn’t just go to a village and give them water. They partner with local organizations to determine the best way to help the community. Typically, a freshwater well in the middle of town will be created. This helps the people be actively engaged in the well-being of their village.

charity: water also is fundraising for a new drilling rig for their partners in Ethiopia. The new drilling rig can drill an additional 80 wells a year, and serve 40,000 more people with clean water in Ethiopia.

Who does it help? charity: water currently works in Bangladesh, Bolivia, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Nepal, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Why we love charity: water: charity: water has passion! We’ve got passion! It’s a great combination. charity: water focuses on the positive outcomes of their work, not the negative circumstances of the people. They are also a great organization because you know where your money goes and you get proof with photos of the work and GPS coordinates of the area that was helped. Pretty cool stuff!

How can I help?

Visit the site to donate

You can choose to donate to a water project, or choose to donate to a drilling rig. Or both! Thanks for supporting by donating or reading!

Fridge Filters Gives Back

By Megan Vick

 

Fridge Filters Cares

Here at Fridge Filters, we believe everyone should have clean, good quality drinking water. Most of us reading this are lucky enough to have it. So what can we do about nearly one billion people on our planet who don’t have access to a source of clean drinking water?

We care! Fridge Filters will be sponsoring a Charity Spotlight to showcase the groups out there bringing clean water to those less fortunate. We will be donating to these charities. Will you?

At Fridge Filters, we have the best customers. Now, we want you to know why we are the best place to get your refrigerator water filters! Thanks for caring!