When hearing the town Flint, Michigan, most people think about their water crisis that occurred three years ago. We saw headlines, read articles, and even sent thoughts and prayers to the Flint residents. However, even with all these thoughts and prayers, there was still no action being taken to help filter their tap water. Years later, residents of the town are still hesitant to drink their own tap water in fear of cross-contamination.
The Flint water crisis started in the spring of 2014 when officials decided to switch the city's water supply from Detroit to sourcing it out of their local river. This change occurred because the government officials wanted to save some money, so rather than paying Detroit for their water, they decided to get it where it's more local. It was soon after this switch that residents noticed the color and scent of the water, and it seemed out of the ordinary. But this issue didn't get acknowledged until October of 2014 when it was discovered that lead had been contaminating their waters. The company General Motors decided to remove the local Flint water from their plant because it was corroding the engine parts.
In the Spring when then the issue was addressed, the city closely examined the water levels and tested the lead. The amount of lead was 13,000 per billion, which means that one glass of the lead-infused water was enough to leave a child hospitalized. A pediatrician and Flint water activist, Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, decided to take action into her own hands. She analyzed the data in the Hurley Children's Clinic where she worked and found that the number of kids with high lead levels had doubled (some even tripled) after the water contamination. Dr. Hanna-Attisha urged parents of young children to avoid tap water.
Three years later, and Flint, Michigan is still having an issue with the filtration of their tap water. Jaden Smith is a well-known person in the media; he has acknowledged the crisis in Flint and taken action to help restore the quality. Smith, at just 20-years old, has created his own foundation and partnered with First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church to get clean water. They have designed "The Water Box" which will eliminate lead and other harmful contaminants that are found in the tap water. Previously, the church had donated 5 million bottle waters to residents, but that has a large carbon footprint and bottled water donations are declining. Therefore, the new Water Box will replace the bottled water distribution and solve the ongoing problem.
Jaden Smith created a company called JUST water, which is made from a paper-based bottle and a sugar cane lid! Smith has looked to reduce the amount of plastic that we use on a daily basis, starting with how we drink our water. The company prides itself on having 100% sustainably sourced spring water, so you can be confident that it's safe and beneficial for the environment.
Jaden Smith is the son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, and he is well known for his music and acting career. Smith released his newest album in 2018 called The Sunset Tapes: A Cool Tape Story. Jaden has become a social icon, with over 11 million Instagram followers. He is also known for hanging out with model Jordyn Woods and Kylie Jenner
Jaden Smith has been a true leader in this crisis, and it is mind-blowing how it took a 20-year old to step up and find a solution to this three-year problem. It is so admirable to see a person in the media do something for the environment and for the residents of this town. They have been on a journey of dirty water for so long, and I hope that Smith's foundation, as well as the Church, can help eliminate some of that unnecessary stress.
