I think I was talking about this issue in either Human Geography or last semester in Government, but I came across the site again today.
The concept is simple. Many people around the world have major issues with access to clean water. Many of these places have a lot of kids running around with not much to do. Solution. Build merry go rounds that are attached to water pumps. The more the kids play...the more water is pumped and stored in tanks. The space on the sides of the tanks are sold for advertising purposes, offsetting the cost of the construction of the setup.
I hate it when I don't think of such simple solutions. The lesson? Often times, solutions to huge, real world issues are often very simple.
The concept is simple. Many people around the world have major issues with access to clean water. Many of these places have a lot of kids running around with not much to do. Solution. Build merry go rounds that are attached to water pumps. The more the kids play...the more water is pumped and stored in tanks. The space on the sides of the tanks are sold for advertising purposes, offsetting the cost of the construction of the setup.
I hate it when I don't think of such simple solutions. The lesson? Often times, solutions to huge, real world issues are often very simple.
22 comments:
That's such an amazing idea. To be able to give such a vital thing to a community to 2,500 people according to one website is mind-blowing and all by having kids be kids and run around in circles. I looked up the play pump on the internet and learned another benefit of this pump. The task of fetching water usually falls to the females meaning that many girls cannot attend school. The installation of this pump allows them to go to school. That's a really awesome benefit of the pump as well.
This solution of a "Play Pump" is very cool and useful in my opinion. The children in these countries that are in need of clean water like to play, as do children in all countries for that matter, and by combining a fresh water filtering system to merry-go-rounds, the children's needs to play and the issue of clean water are both being met. In my opinion its like killing two birds with one stone.
I believe this is a great idea , not only does it give the kids something to do it also eliminates the need for workers to run the pump, also the advertising space is a plus as well. Some times simplicity is perfect.
Wow! That is genius.
But is it right to be so dependent on kids? I mean, what happens when they get bored with the play ground? People don't get clean water? That doesn't seem right somehow. Is this going to be the primary source of fresh water, or is it simply supplementary? The idea seems great in theory, but will it function properly?
Tara Viswanathan
2nd Period
(I did it early this time!)
Hey! That is a very good idea... But I remember how it works with toys and games... What is going to happend when the children will have enough of this game? I mean, usually your are very exited the very first day, when you recieve the game, the second day you're still exited but the third you're a bit less exited and it goes on and on...
But maybe the fact that they know that they're pumping water make them continue to play...
Anyway, I think it is a very good idea
Nice! I have to agree with Tara, though: it has to be a supplementary thing, not a primary source. You can use that same idea in all sorts of ways, too. Hook up stationary exercise bicycles to produce energy when people use them at the gym, and you have a nice little extra bit of power. After initial costs, things like that could really save money over time, if you use up that power before switching over to the power provided by the electric company. I wonder if you could do the same thing with treadmills and stuff. Maybe even produce energy via lifting weights? Hook up the bench press to a lever and create man-made power? Not a bad idea.
This is such an easy solution! This means solving world hunger should have just as easy a solution as well. Well they're still genuis for coming up with an idea like that.
Sarah lambert
Human Geography (4)
9th grade
I think it's a great idea, there's no risk of pollution as a by-product of any industrialized methods. This pump could be the beginning of a series of simple human powered mechanisms to provide water and eventually various energy sources. This would work for quite some time, unless something were to happen to the water, of course.
Peter Young
6th
Theres countless ways out there to make relativly large impacts with next to no cost/effort. People just have a hard time grasping what large effects small actions can have if everyone partakes, and most people dont see any results with their small actions, so its hard for them to continue. Things like making sure lights and electronics are off when not in use and could save massive amounts of energy if everyone would put forth the smallest amount of effort. If everyone American were to donate just one dollar a month, which be honest is nothing to us, billions could be raised for charity. Americans and the world just needs to put in a little effort and amazing thing can happen.
Theres countless ways out there to make relativly large impacts with next to no cost/effort. People just have a hard time grasping what large effects small actions can have if everyone partakes, and most people dont see any results with their small actions, so its hard for them to continue. Things like making sure lights and electronics are off when not in use and could save massive amounts of energy if everyone would put forth the smallest amount of effort. If everyone American were to donate just one dollar a month, which be honest is nothing to us, billions could be raised for charity. Americans and the world just needs to put in a little effort and amazing thing can happen.
that is such a awesome idea and such an easy solution! The people that need clean water can get it while children can be kids and have fun!
Annie Henderson
AP Human Geography
4th period
That's absolutely genius.
All kids love to play, and if it helps get them clean water, I don't see how anything could be better. Playground equipment is something i never would have thought of as being able to help get water to a community.
It's so simple, but so perfect.
Amazing.
Landon Henderson
Pd. 4th
9th
I think that this idea is onr of the best I have herd of. This is not child labor and they have fun doing it.
I've seen this before; I think it was on PBS a few years ago. Thus, I thought it was ingenius. However, I'm not on the same page as Tara. What happens when the kids get board? Think about it, I don't think they have all the expensive distractions we spoiled developed countries have. Plus I don't think they're going to play on it non-stop, and even if they were, maybe they'd find other creative ways to pass the time and pump fresh water. Let's just hope they don't become distructive.
I've even read of something called the "Life Straw"; which is simply a device that one can use to drink unpurified water safely. I feel that these sort of opportunities to help out another are endless; some just think more intensely I suppose.
When you think about it. In third world countries where even fresh water is a commodity which of those children are going to become bored with a merry go round and play video games inside. I doubt many are playing X-box instead of playing outside. so i dont believe the children will play with it for a week and then the village become screwed again.
Why does it just have to be for water? Why cant it be for electricity too? If this thing is so good then it needs to be applied to more things than just one.
I think this is a fabulous idea. Not only would it cut down on the construction, money, and energy that would take place to fix it, it will also help with giving children something to do. It seems like it would be extremely efficient and worthwhile.
I think this is a great idea in theory. However, what happens when the children get bored of the play pumps? This may solve the problem for a while, but I don't think people should become completly reliant on this source of water because it may not work for long.
I agree that this concept is a great idea that could make a shocking difference in the lives of people who struggle to find such basic necessities as fresh water. I do not understand, however, why some people are critical of the functionality of the play pump. I know that this method of obtaining water might not be the most effective or productive way to do it, but the alternative is risking the health of many people who would not have any fresh water at all if it weren't for the play pump. No one can say that this should only be a supplementary source of water when there is no other method of obtaining it that could be used as a primary source. Unless someone comes up with a better idea, maybe they should just go to Africa themselves and start playing on the merry-go-round when those kids get tired of it.
I personally think that building a "play pump" for the children is an awesome idea! Not only are people getting fresh water but kids get to be kids.. (Lets face it children in Africa really don't have a chance to act like kids) this is also a great idea becaue theres always going to be another generation of kids wanting to play on the pumps, which will lead to plenty of fresh water for the community.
Lindsey Shepherd-3rd
This is a good idea as long as they have a backup plan. The kids will eventually get bored and then no clean water. This will definitely work for a while though.
I don't remember you mentioning this in Human Geography, but it is a great idea! It reminds me of the engineers who came up with the idea of generating electricity from footsteps. It's a win-win situation. Kids get a fun ride and the community gets clean water. There also is more money avalible because no one has to pay for workers.
Jessica Kaskie
Human geography 4
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