Matt Damon Lends His Voice to World Toilet Day [VIDEO]

You may not find it pre-printed on the kitten calendar hanging in your office, but November 19 is World Toilet Day. And while the name may evoke snickers, the cause is deadly serious. And Matt Damon is throwing his support behind it. 

A report released Thursday by the international organization WaterAid says more people today lack access to adequate sanitation than in 1990. And according to researchers at the International Development Research Centre, 80% of the world’s solid waste is deposited untreated right into rivers and water supplies, making lack of sanitation the world's leading cause of disease.

In response, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has announced $42 million in grants to spark innovation for the capture and storage of waste, or for processing it into reusable energy, fertilizer and fresh water.

Actor and activist Matt Damon, co-founder of Water.org, recently wrote on The Huffington Post,

This is a challenge worthy of the next global movement ... similar to what was needed to sound the alarm around the fight against HIV/AIDS."

Or as he put it in the humorously titled 'Talk Sh*t All Week' campaign video series, "More people have a mobile phone than a toilet. Let's cut the sh*t."

Watch Damon talk about the world water and sanitation crisis -- and why he got involved -- below, as well as one of his PSA spots for World Toilet Day (beware of some NSFW language in that one).

[via Mother Nature Network]