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I was lured into buying the latest issue of Real Simple - the cover talked about cool, natural cleaning remedies. Really they just talked about the vinegar-for-your-faucets that we've already been talking about! The only news item in the entire magazine that struck me as really interesting is that 1.1 *billion* people on this planet do not have access to clean drinking water!

That is an amazing statistic. With any worries we have about rent or electricity bills, think that at least we have clean water. Over a billion people do not. That is really staggering.

The magazine also has fairly serious errors. On page 108 they claim the FDIC insures 100% of all money in banks. That's not true at all - there is an upper limit per account.

I was also struck - again - by the inappropriateness of many of their ads and articles. Ads for high end clothes, articles about "buy these 20 things to lead a more simple life". None of the items were necessary items at all.

Also doing some research, Real Simple promotes that everyone donate money to Proctor & Gamble for their "PUR water purification packets" that provide a chemical cleaning solution to clearing out gunk from water. I.e. the aid companies and such have to keep buying more Proctor & Gamble products to keep cleaning the water over and over again. Real Simple didn't promote actual clean water initiatives that make new wells and find other long-lasting solutions to the water problem.

They should have promoted sites such as http://www.h2oafrica.org/ which actively create wells and sustainable fresh water systems for communities.

It is an incredible thing to know that, that many people are without clean water- it's so sad.

It was just reported that a little town located just a shy 30 miles from Chicago itself has been for the last 25 years or so feeding it's residents tainted/polluted water through their own water towers! A big investigation is now ensuing as many have gotten cancer/and or are sick. Many of these were children growing up! Supposedly (same mayor for almost 20 years or so) the officials all had knowledge of this taking place!

Mary Caliendo
Tea Editor

I recently heard that many places in the midwest were dumping grounds for military waste, along eith the nuclear. I knew at least one public woods/picnic grove had to be "cleaned" several years ago. Did anyone hear about such things?

Mary Caliendo
Tea Editor

It's not even just the military waste - I know many people who lived near gas stations and had their ground water contaminated by the oil and sludge. Pollution is all around us, sadly!