“Mr. Speaker, the concept of a World Toilet Day can make children giggle, some adults blush and others change the subject, but the title is designed to take a most serious subject head-on”, said Rep. Blumenauer.
On November 19, 2013 Rep. Blumenauer of Oregon asked for and was granted permission to address the United States House of Representatives for a few minutes to address a serious issue – “World Toilet Day?”
“Mr. Speaker, the concept of a World Toilet Day can make children giggle, some adults blush and others change the subject, but the title is designed to take a most serious subject head-on.”
“The world can no longer afford to be squeamish, to make jokes or to change the subject about the fundamental issue of access to adequate sanitation. That is because 2.5 billion people live without it, which leads to 700,000 premature deaths each year, and it is getting worse. Instead of solving this global crisis, the number living without access has increased by 700 million people. Today, we want to renew our commitment to helping these unfortunate people around the world have access to sanitation, which we all take for granted”, he said.
“I appreciate the Gates Foundation and other NGOs, like WaterAid, for stepping up to help solve the dilemma, and I call on my colleagues to support H.R. 2901, which Congressman Poe and I have introduced, which is the Water for the World Act, so that the United States can play a greater, more effective role to save lives around the globe”, said Rep. Blumenauer (source: congressional Record http://thomas.loc.gov).
See video: A brief history of the loo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91ZJZJ-K-e0