As shown in a recent study, Black and Latino parents give their children bottled water more often, believing it to be healthier than tap water. Not only is this a major setback to cleaning up our environment, it is a step backward in the fight for our childrens’ health. Some American water has higher-than-healthy levels of asbestos, fecal pathogens and heavy metals - a full 10% of Americans do not have ready access to clean water. But bottled water is regulated by the industry - not independent sources - and some has been shown to have even higher levels of dangerous bacteria than tap. What can we do, ourselves, to keep our water pure?

Chances are you’ve never heard of Chagas disease, unless of course you’re among the 40,000 people infected every year. It usually starts with a visit from The Kissing Bug, a blood-sucker named for it’s odd habit of “kissing” its hosts on the face during the night. The disease can be countered with antiparasitic treatments if caught early, but once it reaches the chronic phase the best you can do is delay or prevent its symptoms. These can include potentially fatal heart weakness or failure, malnourishment, or even dementia and motor impairment. There is no cure.