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The Number 1, Hit Single by the Water Canary
No, this is not about a wet crooner! The world is now rocking to the sound of "clean water" and "outbreak mapping."
Source: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/07/water-canary-pinpoints-water-problems-using-gps-and-crowd-sourcing.php
The Water Canary is a device used to identify global water contamination problems using GPS and crowd-sourcing. Given that the World Health Organization reports that more than three million people die each year from water-related diseases, this is huge!
The Water Canary device provides real-time information on potential outbreaks of disease-infected water. The Water Canary requires minimal training and almost no education, including literacy, for its operator. It lets anyone test water with only the push of a button, and then it submits the results along with location data wirelessly. Additionally, a red light flashes to alert the user to a potential drinking water problem.
Source: link to source
The device analyses water samples by measuring light wavelengths to draw conclusions about the water safety. See more information on the technology of the device. The Water Canary is not designed to replace a laboratory analysis of the water, but may be a cheaper way to make better decisions about contaminated water and thus water-bourne disease outbreaks.
According to the company founder, the goal is not to tell you instantly whether or not you can drink a given sample of water but rather to highlight areas where there seems to be issues with the water supply so governments and organizations know where help is needed most. They can then make important decisions at the administrative level before time and lives are lost. The tool is especially useful in areas hit by natural disasters. A perfect application for this would be the second cholera outbreak ongoing in Haiti.
Water Canary was a winner in the 2010 Stern Social Venture Business Competition.
The founder of the company is appealing for investment to make the devices free. He also is going to open-source the technology to encourage others to build their own versions of the Water Canary. The Water Canary is expected to identify problems more quickly than chemical-based testing and prevent communities from drinking contaminated water.
To see the Water Canary website, click on the link.
Should you be a Good Samaritan?
What is a Good Samaritan?
According to the Gospel of Luke (10:25-37), Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan. In summary, the parable is about a Jewish traveller who is beaten, robbed, and left half dead along the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. First a priest and then a Levite come by, but both respectable individuals avoid the man. Finally, a Samaritan comes by and helps the injured Jew. Since the telling, a "Good Samaritan" has come to mean "someone helping another without reward." The parable has won universal praise for its ethics.
The subject has been a common theme in a variety of art forms over the centuries from classical painting to poetry. Australian poet, Henry Lawson, wrote a poem on the parable ("The Good Samaritan"), of which the third stanza reads:
"He's been a fool, perhaps, and would
Have prospered had he tried,
But he was one who never could
Pass by the other side.
An honest man whom men called soft,
While laughing in their sleeves -
No doubt in business ways he oft
Had fallen amongst thieves."
And, many famous artists have painted the "Good Samaritan," (Picture Source: Vincent Van Gogh's Good Samaritan) including Rembrandt, Delacroix and Van Gogh.
Where does the Good Samaritan parable fit into disaster preparedness and disaster response?
In today's litigious society, there is a reluctance to help out in an emergency for fear of liability for any missteps. Each state has laws or regulations which are meant to protect those who come to the aid of others for no other reason than kindness. It is important to understand that Good Samaritan laws only protect those acting without any expectation of reward, but beware if you are rewarded after the assistance is rendered because you may no longer fall under the protections of these laws. In many states the Good Samaritan laws only cover medically trained rescuers, while other states extend the laws to the general public.
The best way to protect yourself from possible liability is to always act in the best interest of the victim. Here are some tips for staying out of court if you decide to help someone.
- Take a CPR and First Aid class
- Follow your training
- Use common sense
- Don't do anything you are not trained to do
- Get professional help for the victim
- Do not accept gifts or rewards
While Good Samaritan laws cannot protect "Good Samaritans" from everything, and it is human nature to make mistakes, the laws are designed to protect helpful citizens if their mistakes are reasonable. The problem is defining "reasonable."
California's Good Samaritans Law:
"California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed two bills this August (2009) that help clarify the state's Good Samaritans statute following a December 2008 court decision that put the scope of the law's protections into question.
At common law, there is no duty to rescue another person, even if it is clear that the person will die without help. The duty may arise, however, if the two people have a special relationship with one another, like parent and child or husband and wife. If a person without one of these special relationships decides to help another, he or she must exercise reasonable care in rendering the aid. If the injured person is further harmed because the person providing help did not exercise reasonable care, then the injured person can sue for civil damages.
Since the common law rule provides little incentive to people to help one another in emergency situations, the majority of states have passed laws - known as Good Samaritans statutes - to make exceptions to this rule. Under California's Good Samaritan statute (Health & Safety Code §1799.102), those who act in good faith to provide emergency care at the scene of an emergency are immune from civil liability.
However, the extent of this immunity and to whom it applies came into question late last year (2008), following a decision issued by the California Supreme Court.
Van Horn v Watson: Medical Care and Nonmedical Care
In a December 2008 case, the California Supreme Court narrowed the application of the Good Samaritans statute. In Van Horn v. Watson, the court held that the legislature only intended for the statute to provide immunity to those who rendered emergency medical care at the scene of a medical emergency and not those who provided non-medical care or assistance."
Link to the full text of the above excerpt from the Article provided by Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorney - Heller Law Firm
Do you want to become a Good Samaritan?
After the Van Horn v. Watson ruling, many future Samaritans downgraded themselves from Good to Hesitant to Never. Other countries already feel the pull of the pendulum swinging back in the opposite direction. Other countries are moving to enforce Good Samaritan behavior. Although the State of California does not yet require people to render aid (with an exception*), there are other places in the world where it is being considered to legally force bystanders to assist victims of serious crimes and others in life-threatening situations. The State of Western Australia is such a place; they are considering "duty to aid" laws with fines for not at least calling to notify emergency authorities of a situation.
* California Penal Code § 152.3 - Any person who reasonably believes that he or she has observed the commission of [murder, rape, or lewd conduct with an under-14-year-old by use of violence or threat] where the victim is a child under the age of 14 years.
So, the answer to the question, "Do you want to become a Good Samaritan?" is that we must each answer that for ourselves. It is a personal decision and each person has to make the choice best for them in the moment and situation; however, the choice is easier if you clearly understand the risks. As a former member of the emergency medical community, I encourage your good deeds, but caution you to choose them wisely.
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