H&M Dontates to Water Aid

Being an Econista is sometimes difficult. There are so many desirable fashions that just don't sit well with the politics of the Eco part, but satisfy the style and fun of the fashionista part. H&M is one of those places that is so much fun to visit, but the guilt of supporting disposable chic, sweatshops and very unsustainable materials just kills the joy of shopping. Beyond their organic wares, H&M is doing a few charity efforts that an Econista can support.


Every summer, H&M designates one bathing suit to benefit Water Aid but this year, Kylie Minogue has teamed up with H&M to produce a very cute summer line and she chose Water Aid as her charity. The line of sexy bathing suits and colorful and glam cover ups is just what Fashionistas are looking for when they hit the beach. 10% of proceeds from any piece in her line goes toward water projects in developing African and Asian communities so it's a guilt free purchase for Econistas.

Water Aid understands that one of the most important effects of global warming is the diminishing amount of potable water. 1.1 billion people in the world do not have access to safe water, this is roughly one sixth of the world's population. 5000 children die every day because of complications related to unsafe drinking water. If the world's water fit into a bucket, only one teaspoonful would be drinkable. These statistics will only worsen as the global population rises and the environment worsens. Water Aid is doing great work worldwide to improve sanitation and they are also on the front lines of the privatization debate by fighting multinationals who are buying water rights and selling the water back to the people for a profit. We go to war for oil just so we can drive cars, but imagine the wars that may be fought over water - the resource that sustains all life.

Thinking Like An Econista
California is preparing for drought. While last year it seemed like it rained constantly, this winter it rained only a few times. The Sierra snow pack is the lowest it's been in decades so we're back to the conservation tactics we used when I was a kid ... in a nutshell:

Yellow = mellow
Brown = flush it down