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When it comes to amazing activists working on water issues, this list could be miles long. But we wanted to give a shout out to eight people working diligently to bring attention to serious water issues. Here's eight need-to-know names in water:
1. Peter Gleick
President and co-founder of the Pacific Institute, Gleick is an internationally recognized water expert and was named a MacArthur Fellow in October 2003 for his work. He focuses on the connections between our water and our health, as well as the ways in which global climate change is impacting our access to fresh water. As water wars become more common, the connections Gleick makes and his advocacy are increasingly important for ensuring everyone has access to this vital resource.
2. Vandana Shiva
A well known activist on environmental issues, Shiva has written extensively about water privatization, water conflict, water management and how these are further disempowering people throughout the globe. We had a chance to interview her last year during TreeHugger's month long look at Peak Water. Shiva's passion and tenacity is inspiring, and her work is changing awareness and policy around water globally.
3. Scott Harrison
Harrison is in the business of drilling. Drilling water wells, that is. He's the founder of charity:water, a non-profit organization that has made extraordinary progress in providing clean drinking water to people without access. With brilliant marketing including using social media strategies like Twitter festivals and getting people to ask for a well for their birthday instead of presents, Harrison has helped drill more than 1300 wells in 14 countries. And charity:water is just getting started.
4. Dean Kamen
This inventor is much more than just creator of the Segway. He's also an advocate for clean water in underprivileged areas and has invented a water purifier called the Slingshot, a filtration system for turning any water-containing liquid, including pee, into drinkable water. Not only that, but it can be run on cow poo, an energy source easily found in rural areas.
WATCH VIDEOS: Blue August on Planet Green
5. Irena Salina
Salina created the documentary Flow, which analyzes the issue of privatized water and is listed among TreeHugger's top 5 documentaries you must see to understand the water crisis. Just who can own water? Is it a human right? How does this issue alter how we handle this precious resource? The film addresses all of this thanks to Salina's hard work and interview skills.
6. Martin Strel
Better known as Big River Man, Strel launched on an astounding project in 2007 - to be the first person to swim the entire length of the world's most dangerous river, the Amazon. As an endurance swimmer from Slovenia with experience swimming the the Mississippi, the Danube and the Yangtze, he paddles away to bring awareness to pollution.
7. David de Rothschild
The creator of the Plastiki, a ship made entirely of recycled plastic water bottles, de Rothschild set sail just this weekend from San Francisco on the vessel, with the goal to head straight for the Great Pacific Garbage patch. de Rothschild wants to bring awareness to the problem of plastics in our oceans, what it's doing to our ecosystems, and how we can change things by altering our consumption habits.
8. Roz Savage
She's rowed across the Atlantic, and is now working her way across the Pacific. Why? Well, besides to prove to herself she can do it, she wants to highlight the importance of lightening our footprint on the planet, including keeping oceans clean so marine life has a chance to thrive.
More about water and water issues
Check out Blue August on Planet Green
How to Go Green: Water
QUIZ: What's Your Water IQ?
Infographic: Of All The Water in the World, We Only Get Just 0.08%
