Do you realize that there is no new water? That the water that you drink, that fills the oceans, rivers, lakes and aquifers is the same water that has been around since the beginning of time?
Here are some facts about water:
· Water is odorless and tasteless.
· 75% of the earth’s surface is covered by water.
· 97% of the water on the earth is in the oceans.
· 3% of the water on earth is freshwater.
· 2% of freshwater is frozen (that number may be diminishing with global warming).
· 1% - only 1% - of the water on earth is available for drinking.
· You can survive about 30 days without food but only 5-7 days without water.
The statistics above make it very clear that most of the water on earth is undrinkable, but I have found that it can be difficult to understand what those numbers really mean. Someone once shared the following illustration with me and it helped me actually grasp the concept of how little fresh water there is on the earth: "If a large bucket of water were to represent the sea water on the planet, an egg cup full would represent the amount of water locked in ice caps and glaciers and a teaspoonful would be all that was available as drinking water."
So, what are we doing with that teaspoonful of water? What does it mean to our future that we have contaminated it with chemicals, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, industrial wastes, sewage, pesticides and herbicides? What responsibility do we bear to protect this amazing resource? What can we do now to ensure that the water that we use for drinking and bathing is not harming our health? It is estimated that 5000-6000 children die every day from drinking dirty water. What can we do to stop that horrendous loss?
Water is one of the most precious and vital resources in the world, and even though it appears infinite, as it does in that wonderful photograph above (Manual Antonio, Costa Rica) it really is not. It is even predicted that many of our future conflicts will be centered around water supplies.
As I read the paragraphs above, I know that the issues can feel overwhelming. Please bear with me, that is not my intent. What I believe is that knowledge and understanding are the vital first steps toward making the changes that are so necessary.
In future posts we will be discussing where our water comes from, what we can do every day to protect our water, and what we can do to protect ourselves. As Mahatma Gandhi said: “We must become the change we want to see.” Each and every one of us has to power to make simple changes that collectively can impact the future of our own health and our world.
I wish you peace, joy and many blessings, Jana
