Blue Planet Network's Peer Water Exchange Receives 2010 Intel Environment Award

Media Contact:  Lisa Nash, CEO Blue Planet Network
lisa@blueplanetnetwork.org • 415-762-4340

The Tech Awards, Presented by Applied Materials in Association with Santa Clara University, Identify Pioneers Using Technology To Improve The Lives of People Worldwide

Santa Clara, California, November 6, 2010 –
The Peer Water Exchange (PWX), a project of Blue Planet Network, was awarded the 2010 Intel Environment Award at The Tech Awards. For the past ten years, The Tech Awards have identified innovators applying technology in practical ways to resolve some of the world’s most challenging issues. This year’s ceremony, in front of 1,500 guests, honored fifteen laureates selected from more than 1,000 nominations in five categories. PWX was one of the five category-winners awarded with a $50,000 cash prize.

Blue Planet Network is a San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit enabling safe drinking water projects worldwide. Its mission is to unlock the global capacity and creativity of individuals, philanthropies, businesses and expert water organizations to solve the global safe drinking water and sanitation crises. In 2006, Blue Planet Network launched its patent-pending Peer Water Exchange as the online platform connecting its funding, implementing and monitoring partners. PWX is a combination of people, process, and technology designed to implement best practices, build member capacity, fund high potential projects and transparently share project results. The quality assurance, efficiencies and transparency of PWX also help Blue Planet Network to attract the public, corporate sponsors and the media to the race to provide safe drinking water to the world.

The Tech Museum, based in San Jose, Calif., along with Applied Materials and Santa Clara University, recognizes laureates in five categories: Environment, Economic Development, Education, Equality, and Health.

"The women and men we honor, the people behind the pioneering innovations that continue to improve our world, have shown us how to touch millions of lives in meaningful, life-changing ways," Peter Friess, president of The Tech Museum, said. "In the work of the laureates, we see the potential and promise of technology to tackle global problems while lifting the lives of the world's most vulnerable people."

“We are thrilled to be recognized as the 2010 Intel Environment Award recipient,” said Jin Zidell, Founder and Chairman of Blue Planet Network.  “The recognition associated with this honor will be invaluable in building our impact, as well as connecting Blue Planet Network to a world of innovative thinkers.”

The Katherine M. Swanson Equality Award went to A Single Drop for Safe Water, a member of PWX, giving Blue Planet Network another reason to celebrate as well as validating that its approach is powerful on many levels.

“This year’s awards have recognized grassroots community based projects as effective, modern solutions,” explained Blue Planet Network’s Rajesh Shah, who pioneered PWX. “Similarly other partners of ours, such as Gram Vikas and Barefoot College, have won Tech Awards in prior years. PWX aggregates and connects the hard work of these organizations on the ground. Their work is hard to scale, but PWX can support hundreds of such partners, showcasing their work and also enabling us to see how much progress we make collectively.”

One of the largest threats to life on Earth is the reduction in the quality and quantity of fresh water. Yet solutions are available for as little as $30 a person.  Safe drinking water and the health it brings enable children to go to school, women to take better care of their families and start businesses, and communities to focus on economic development. To date, more than 70 agencies around the world have used Blue Planet Network’s Peer Water Exchange to peer review, receive funding, and implement community-based water and sanitation projects. Nearly $27 million of member water and sanitation projects are supported, bringing safe drinking water to nearly 700,000 people in rural areas around the world.

Photos © Charlotte Fiorito Photography

About Blue Planet Network
Blue Planet Network is a San Francisco-based 501(c)3 non-profit seeking to provide safe drinking water to 200 million people in rural communities in the developing world.  Founded in 2002 by Jin Zidell, Blue Planet Network's mission is to unlock the global capacity and creativity of individuals, philanthropies, businesses and expert water organizations to solve the global safe drinking water crisis.  Via its patent-pending Peer Water Exchange, Blue Planet Network supports nearly $27 million of member water and sanitation projects, bringing safe drinking water to nearly 700,000 people.  To learn more about Blue Planet Network or to make a donation, please visit www.blueplanetnetwork.org.

About The Tech Museum
The Tech Museum is a hands-on technology and science museum for people of all ages and backgrounds. The museum - located in the Capital of Silicon Valley - is a non-profit learning resource established to engage people in exploring and experiencing technologies affecting their lives. Through programs such as The Tech Challenge, our annual team design competition for youth, and internationally renowned programs such as The Tech Awards presented by Applied Materials, Inc., The Tech Museum celebrates the spirit of Silicon Valley by encouraging the development of innovative ideas for a more promising future. For more information about The Tech Museum, visit www.thetech.org.