We all knew this day was coming, and despite efforts by the You Stink to try and push our illegitimate and useless government to succumb to popular pressure and do what's right to keep us safe, the group of corrupt sectarian warlords and their fans still hinder any transparent effort to solve the garbage crisis that has been gripping Lebanon since July.
Now that winter is here, and the rains and flooding (also caused by widespread corruption over decades), the sludge and garbage sauce is seeping into our drinking water. Here's some stuff you can do in the meantime to make sure you don't get sick or worse.
- Bottled water only. Don't even think about drinking from the tap (before or after the garbage crisis even). Make sure it's brand names with sources well above the areas infested with garbage. This is especially important for school kids that drink from the tap water of their campuses.
- Filter your water at home. If you can pay for it, get a filtration system. If not, dissolvable antiseptic tablets should do the trick. Drop one in your water tanks on your roofs or in your basements.
- Don't eat fresh vegetables and fruits "baladiye". These local veggies and fruits are often irrigated by the same water that is now contaminated with toxic waste. If you're that big on veggies, make sure they're imported and ideally frozen.
- Cows and other livestock will drink from the toxic water, so local dairy products are also at risk of contamination. Make sure they're pasteurised, and ideally not from Lebanon when it comes to milk, cheeses, yogurt, etc.
- Don't eat fresh local fish. The garbage sauce that doesn't end up in wells, will end up washing out to the sea and our rivers (that are already terribly polluted and unsafe for human consumption). Again, frozen and imported fish are the way to go.
- Wash your hands more often than you do usually. Of course, make sure the water you're washing them with is treated or filtered.
- Try not to swallow water while showering or brushing your teeth.
- Cholera isn't the only waterborne disease to look out for. There are plenty of other disease-causing chemicals and microbes to look out for, like heavy metals and E. coli.
- Lastly, stop whining and do something when the You Stink folks ask you to. Get off your couches and high horses, and let's force the change we need and reclaim the most basic rights robbed of us by the warlords and sects you hold dear.