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| Illustration A |
In California, the drought is so bad that my favorite sister in San Rafael had to put another brick in her toilet.
That makes five now. It just breaks her heart how the bricks scratch the porcelain bowl as they swirl counter clockwise into the sewer with each flush. And at today's price of bricks, going too often could break the bank, she tells me.
Hey sis, I think you're putting them in the wrong place. See illustration A above.
OK, serious now. With almost 3/4ths of the earth covered in water, how come some have too much and some too little?
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| The Pacific Ocean from as seen from space |
While the Earth's surface is 71% water... and more than two miles deep in the Pacific's Mariana Trench (which is 1,580 miles long and 43 miles across--take that, Grand Canyon) water is only .025% of the Earth's mass. If Earth was represented as a 12" diameter globe, the average depth of the oceans would be no more than the thickness of a piece of paper.
So while the water on earth might seem an endless resource, there is far more earth... with a thirst that all the oceans haven't been able to resolve. Fact: There
are 2.5 billion human beings of our 7 billion population-- more than one out of
three of us-- who lack ready access of clean water to drink... and they just
die--literally--trying to quench their thirst.
Wanna see something
that helps defines the conundrum? Actor Matt Damon and Gary White founded water.org . Watch
their 2:50 minute video. Then ask yourself: If more than 1 out of 3 of us are
living day-to-day for their next drink, are we, as sated human beings, ok with
that?
And no, we cannot
all move to Canada. It is important that we recognize we are the "haves"
and that comes with responsibilities.
"If we are not
our brother's keeper, at least let us not be his executioner."
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando
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