The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Kristen Bell and Sanjayan attend The Nature Conservancy's Water Conservation Awareness Event in NYC in October 2011. TNC

Conserving Freshwater

Neutrogena® Naturals is supporting The Nature Conservancy’s commitment to the cause of conserving freshwater.  In its campaign, “Jump in. Jump out. Join in.,” Neutrogena® Naturals ambassador, Kristen Bell, encourages people to pledge to reduce their water usage by taking shorter showers. "Ever since I was little, I've loved nature and being outdoors," Kristen explains.  "As an adult, I want to do everything I can to make sure our resources are around for a very long time.”

Freshwater is a priority initiative for The Nature Conservancy because most people get their water from rivers and lakes, including the vast majority of the world’s poorest people. Yet, half of the world’s 500 most important rivers – water sources for hundreds of millions of people – are seriously depleted or polluted.*

Water shortages will likely be a fact of life for most people on the planet within the next ten years.*** “We can’t afford to pollute, destroy or deplete our drinking water sources. But that’s exactly what we’re doing – often without knowing it,” says The Nature Conservancy’s lead scientist, Sanjayan.

Recently, The Nature Conservancy shared the following conversation around freshwater with Kristen Bell:

Q: Why have you taken up the cause of clean water?
KRISTEN BELL: I think it’s often thought of as a problem within the rest of the world that there isn’t clean water, but people don’t realize how close to home it hits until you really investigate our resources and how they are diminishing. I really want to make people aware of that which is why I am thrilled that Neutrogena Naturals has partnered with The Nature Conservancy to bring awareness to domestic water issues in order to educate people on how they can make a difference.

Clean water and water in general is not an endless resource and I want future generations to not suffer from these developments – which is why I think that raising the awareness about how we can help conserve for future generations has become so important to me.

 Q: Is there a place in nature that’s special to you?
KRISTEN BELL: Los Angeles is such a fast pace lifestyle and I run at such a speed, but I think that when I was on the top of the Chugach Mountains and Mount Alyeska, I quickly realized that there is such a good balance that comes from taking a moment to be one with nature. That experience of taking a step back for reflection made me want to preserve those environments and moments so that other generations can be given the opportunity to find the same value in our parks and open spaces. All of the beauty that those moments provide on both a personal and community level in order to cherish and find value in the simple things around us. These types of experiences have really opened my eyes and have driven me to get involved. 

Q: What would you encourage people to do about this issue?
KRISTEN BELL: It’s actually really simple as there are solutions around every corner. The tiny choices we make on a daily basis really do add up! You can save so many gallons just by taking one to five minutes off of your shower or by shutting the faucet off while you are shaving or while brushing your teeth. This has a huge impact on a yearly basis when you consider thousands of households doing the same thing when it comes to basic every day activities. All we have as human beings is our collective intelligence so once you are aware, you can capitalize on the power of banding together to make a difference, and begin to see a big dynamic shift.

In addition to encouraging people to join the conservation effort, Neutrogena will contribute 10 percent of total sales of Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Cleanser to The Nature Conservancy during the month of October with a minimum guarantee of $50,000 and a maximum cap of $100,000.

The Nature Conservancy’s lead scientist, Sanjayan, will join Kristen on a Twitter Party (October 12, 2012 at 12:00 pacific time, 3:00 p.m. eastern time) to discuss freshwater issues. For details or to explore more about how The Nature Conservancy works to protect water, visit www.nature.org/water.

 Source:
*World Commission on Water for the 21st century
***UN Water