Cold Water/Ice Bucket Challenge

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Shasta

On his shell he holds the earth.
I'm with you, Sunny.

Here are my big problems with it:
- It's a huge waste of a natural resource that a large portion of the country is rapidly running out of. My state is in it's worst drought in 500 years.
- Yes. It's raising a lot of money. But if everyone who did the challenge donated instead of posting a witty video about themselves wasting a natural resource, it would have raised a lot more.
- Again, yes. It's raising a lot of money. But do we need to raise this much for something that only affects two in 100,000 people? I understand that it's devastating for those people but there are a lot of devastating things that affect a lot more people.

Maybe I'm just being grumpy but it's truly just not adding up to something that makes sense to me.
 

Lina

Committed member
Jun 24, 2009
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I think celebrities do donate money (well, some of them sure do), they are not only pouring water on themselves. As I see it it's not the problem that celebrities don't have money to donate, they do, but doing this they attract attention of their fans to the problem. Now people all over the world know about it, some people would donate money... If there was no bucket challenge, many people would simply not know it. I am being so sure about it because we have been just talking about it in the office with colleagues, even here people already know about the problem. Me myself, I got to know about the challenge only about a week ago, first saw the twitter of Tom Hiddleston, then the video of Sai King's challenge. Well... Anyway, I think they are doing a great thing by attracting attention to important global issues.
 

AnnaMarie

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Feb 16, 2012
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- Yes. It's raising a lot of money. But if everyone who did the challenge donated instead of posting a witty video about themselves wasting a natural resource, it would have raised a lot more.

They have raised more in a few days than the entire amount raised last year. Without the challenge, people wouldn't have donated.

- Again, yes. It's raising a lot of money. But do we need to raise this much for something that only affects two in 100,000 people? I understand that it's devastating for those people but there are a lot of devastating things that affect a lot more people.

The fact that so few (comparatively) are affected is exactly why this huge fundraising is so important. Finding a cure/treatment is no cheaper just because it's rare. But because it's rare, it doesn't get the big bucks that other organizations get. I doubt this one-time win-fall is going to suddenly result in a cure. But it really might result in more comfort for people suffering with ALS, and it might result in treatment that slows the progression.
 

Lepplady

Chillin' since 2006
Nov 30, 2006
12,498
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Red Stick
I'm with you, Sunny.

Here are my big problems with it:
- It's a huge waste of a natural resource that a large portion of the country is rapidly running out of. My state is in it's worst drought in 500 years.
- Yes. It's raising a lot of money. But if everyone who did the challenge donated instead of posting a witty video about themselves wasting a natural resource, it would have raised a lot more.
- Again, yes. It's raising a lot of money. But do we need to raise this much for something that only affects two in 100,000 people? I understand that it's devastating for those people but there are a lot of devastating things that affect a lot more people.

Maybe I'm just being grumpy but it's truly just not adding up to something that makes sense to me.
How many people does it need to affect before it becomes worthy?
Everyone who does the video is supposed to donate as well. The deal is, if they take the challenge, they donate ten bucks. If they don't, it's a hundred. Most celebrities that participate send much more than that.
 

Shasta

On his shell he holds the earth.
They have raised more in a few days than the entire amount raised last year. Without the challenge, people wouldn't have donated.



The fact that so few (comparatively) are affected is exactly why this huge fundraising is so important. Finding a cure/treatment is no cheaper just because it's rare. But because it's rare, it doesn't get the big bucks that other organizations get. I doubt this one-time win-fall is going to suddenly result in a cure. But it really might result in more comfort for people suffering with ALS, and it might result in treatment that slows the progression.

You have a very good point that no one has brought up to me before. Because it affects so few it doesn't get much attention. Thank you for that.

It still doesn't help me feel better about the waste of water. Especially when the entire town of Porterville, CA is out of water. People can't bathe or give water to their kids to drink.

How many people does it need to affect before it becomes worthy?
Everyone who does the video is supposed to donate as well. The deal is, if they take the challenge, they donate ten bucks. If they don't, it's a hundred. Most celebrities that participate send much more than that.

Actually, there are two sets of rules. One, you either do the bucket in 24 hours or donate. The second is you donate $10 if you do the ice and $100 if you don't. Most people are doing the first. You should look it up. Not everyone doesn't donate, of course, but those are the rules.

And I'd love for you to point out where I said ALS wasn't a worthy cause. Maybe I should start a charity against putting words in other people's mouths.
 

Kurben

The Fool on the Hill
Apr 12, 2014
9,682
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Have you seen the recent development. Actress Olivia Wilde is taking it to a whole now level!!! Instead of pouring a bucket of icewater over herself she pours a bucket of breastmilk over herself. Said proudly in the vid that she worked all night to produce the milk. Should you congratulate her on saving the water or should you say somerthing else?
 

Shasta

On his shell he holds the earth.
Maybe you should watch the news. Or google West Coast drought.
People flush more water down the toilet every day (even where there's a drought) than these people are putting over their heads for charity.
Besides. Water is a renewable resource. Whatever gets dumped onto the ground evaporates back into the clouds. I think we're safe.
 

Out of Order

Sign of the Times
Feb 9, 2011
29,007
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The drought is a very real and dangerous affair. Seeing as how a lot of the countries (and the worlds) food comes from CA and other hard hit drought stricken areas out West it is every person's problem. Conservation is going to be key and hopefully the weather patterns will change in the fall and winter when (correct me if I'm wrong Shasta) CA and the west get the majority of their rain/snow.
 
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