Our hearts go out to the citizens of Myanmar (Burma) suffering, and those who perished, from one of the worst natural disasters this decade has seen.

While world governments slowly pry open the sealed society to help prevent further suffering, we have to wonder...

Where will the necessities of life come from?

It turns out, the answer may come from the cleantech sector...

WorldWater & Solar Technologies: A Possible Solution?

U.S.-based company WorldWater & Solar Technologies (WWAT.OB) has experience in dealing with water-related crises. From New Orleans to the Middle East and hopefully soon to Myanmar, they create the solar panels that drive water pumps for many applications.

The panels are also co-generation units, meaning electricity is a byproduct of the water purification and pumping process.

Of course, both energy and water are in desperately low supply—millions of Burmese citizens are only getting drinking water from the falling rain after Cyclone Nargis hit last week.

While the degree of this disaster is escalated by the military government's incompetence, there's a persistent drinking water problem in many rural areas of the developing world that comes from lack of pure, unpolluted sources.

In countries like China and Vietnam, and even downstream in Myanmar, rapid industrialization and lax environmental codes have taken their toll on the water supply.

Asian countries now have some of the foulest waterways in the world—China alone has 16 of the 20 most polluted streams and rivers on the planet.

So for WorldWater, which provided off-grid, movable pumping systems to New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the challenge will be to move the bad water out, while getting good water in.

Water In, Water Out

WorldWater has shipped its water purification modules and irrigation units to Iraq to supply military bases and Iraqi farmers.

In that desert region, optimizing water use and eliminating waste is key. But limited access to clean freshwater isn't a problem monopolized only by desert and third-world nations - it is increasingly a problem in numerous industrialized and wealthy nations as well.

The problems in Iraq may not be dire—an aging infrastructure is better than no infrastructure—but they're in need of attention and investment dollars nonetheless.

That's why Green Chip Stocks (and its sister publications) has implemented numerous tools to give you exposure not only to what's going on in the world of water and cleantech, but how to profit from them as well.

It is certainly an industry capable of delivering good returns through the pipe manufacturers, purification technology companies and more, that will undoubtedly receive increased business as this worldwide crisis unfolds.

But putting money in water is one of those double-bottom-line investments—it has both monetary and societal benefits.

Unfortunately, it may be too late for the unfortunate people of Myanmar, and for their rigid leaders.

And while we'd like to see the government snap out of it and snap up some Worldwater products, we know water-related technologies will soon have their day all over the globe.

Hopefully next time, they'll be implemented before disaster strikes.

Regards,

Sam Hopkins

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What we're talking about is investing in solutions to a major problem. Is investing in vaccine makers during times of epidemic disease also appalling?

very good

The tragedy in Myanmar? This--in your twisted view--has some sort of an upside?

I'm appalled.