World Toilet Day: Matt Damon Talks Sh*t For Global Sanitation Awareness (VIDEO)

Though you may not have marked it on your calendars, World Toilet Day is coming up this Saturday. And Matt Damon has something explicit to say about it.

Throughout this week, the Hollywood elite turned activist and co-founder of Water.org is collaborating with the Gates Foundation, Acumen and ONE, among others, to draw attention to the 2.5 billion without access to adequate sanitation.

The "Talk Sh*t All Week" campaign highlights the surprising facts surrounding global health. In its video series, Damon tells it straight: "More people have a mobile phone than a toilet. Let's cut the sh*t," he deadpans. According to Water.org, lack of sanitation is the world's biggest cause of infection.

Water.org is asking supporters to voluntarily surrender their Twitter and Facebook accounts once a day to the organization this week, allowing it to post daily updates about sanitation from your account. By logging in through the site, social media users can "donate their status" by authorizing the "Talk Sh*t" campaign to post facts, statistics and links about the sanitation crisis from today through November 19.

The campaign also asks advocates to sign a petition demanding that their representatives address the toilet crisis or donate to give someone a toilet for life.

Bill Gates is also riding toilet train. The famed philanthropist recently launching a $10 million project with German Development Minister Dirk Niebel to "reinvent" the Western toilet by developing a more economically, environmentally, and hygienically sustainable way to eliminate human waste, Die Welt reported via Time.

Among the innovations the Gates Foundation aims to build are new-age toilets don't use water at all. Gates has also hinted at the potential for transforming urine into nitrogenous fertilizer and using human feces as a source of energy, Die Welt reported via Time.

According to the World Health Organization, diarrhoea, an affliction responsible for 1.5 million deaths every year, can be reduced by up to 45 percent with basic improvements in sanitary practices.

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Comments

[ccwsi1]

01:45 PM on 02/04/2012

Who say the Personal Health care products and pharmacuticals can not be cleaned

CCW Drinking Water Trial - Univ - Dec 19 2011 Results
Contaminant % Reduction
Trimethoprim 100.0%
Sucralose 93.7%
Primidone 97.5%
Sulfamethoxazole 100.0%
Carbamazepine 99.2%
Atrazine 100.0%
Naproxen 100.0%
Diclofenac 98.7%
PFOA 93.9%
Gemfibrozil 98.2%
PFOS 98.7%
AVG 98.2%

[ccwsi1]

01:35 PM on 02/04/2012

The break through has been made Personal Health Care Products and Pharmacudicals have been destroyed with a new patented process at a very low cost
For info contact [e-mail]
Looking for partners to commercailize, will work with Water Org.

CCW Drinking Water Trial - Univ - Dec 19 2011 Results
Contaminant % Reduction
Trimethoprim 100.0%
Sucralose 93.7%
Primidone 97.5%
Sulfamethoxazole 100.0%
Carbamazepine 99.2%
Atrazine 100.0%
Naproxen 100.0%
Diclofenac 98.7%
PFOA 93.9%
Gemfibrozil 98.2%
PFOS 98.7%
AVG 98.2%

[ccwsi1]

01:30 PM on 02/04/2012

CCW Drinking Water Trial - Univ - Dec 19 2011 Results We have a new process that needs some backing and it will revolutionize the way water is cleaned. Also cleaning Personal health care products and Pharmacudicals form your drinking water USA biggest problem
[e-mail] for more info

Contaminant % Reduction
Trimethoprim 100.0%
Sucralose 93.7%
Primidone 97.5%
Sulfamethoxazole 100.0%
Carbamazepine 99.2%
Atrazine 100.0%
Naproxen 100.0%
Diclofenac 98.7%
PFOA 93.9%
Gemfibrozil 98.2%
PFOS 98.7%
AVG 98.2%

[RedneckSamurai]

03:51 PM on 11/18/2011

MATT DAMON!

[casecourtcase]

02:37 AM on 11/16/2011

Such a respectable cause! I believe this video and article have been put together very well. They are informational, while also fun to read about at the same time. The task requested is simple and yet I believe it will be effective in educating many about this global issue. I myself plan to “surrender my status,” between now and Nov. 19th, and I look forward to seeing what will be posted.

As I saw in another water.org video, the key is to "Make [people] aware of a problem that's serious, but also make them aware of a solution that's practical." -Matt Damon

This is exactly what has been accomplished here. A critical problem has been discussed and a straightforward solution identified.

So nice to see everyone get involved for a great cause!
This post if filled with such great information and this is truly an original way to advocate support for a cause. Kudos! As this seems to be a new concept I have tweeted and posted about this event. Hopefully this helps.

-Courtney-

[XM202]

08:58 PM on 11/15/2011

Matt Damon... one of the good guys.

[catgirl666]

02:06 AM on 11/16/2011

Here here!

[Edward Standley]

08:45 PM on 11/15/2011

Good job, Mom and Dad Damon, your kid is alright.

[MichelY]

07:36 PM on 11/15/2011

It would be great to feed human waste to photosynthetic algae to produce bio-fuels. In regions of the world that are the poorest, usually there is a lot of sunshine. The algae also removes C02 from the atmosphere. Water is needed but not potable water, in fact salt water would be fine.

[breakingpoint]

06:29 PM on 11/15/2011

all progress has been made through the invention of indoor plumbing

[Sandmanj]

05:39 PM on 11/15/2011

Why am I suddenly constipated?

[valmach]

05:04 PM on 11/15/2011

This guy will be in office one day - soon I hope