I spent some Continuing Education time in the western state of Wyoming a couple of weeks ago. Wyoming has been spared some of the terrible fires which have beset neighbouring Colorado, Montana, and Utah, but people have been antsy about the potential. For the first time since records have been kept more than 50% of the US has been experiencing drought conditions and some of the fires have consumed huge areas, while crops are withering across the country. Many of the beautiful places we visited in Colorado last year have been off limits this summer because of fire.
In this part of Southern Ontario it has been hot and dry by times but we have received timely rain along the way and June was actually above average in precipitation. Not so in other parts of the province and the country.
There is a recent documentary called Last Call at the Oasis which has received lots of acclaim and looks at the far-reaching implications of too little water, and poorly protected water. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLE3i92LkQk What will happen when (not if) we run out of water?
This is a deeply spiritual issue, it seems to me. Every religion has prayers for rain, although the assumption is that we pray for the blessing of rain in season, not the expectation that God will conjure up rain even when we tinker with the climate and squander this blessed resource.
Perhaps if we returned to a sense of water as sacred, not just a commodity, there is a chance for the burgeoning population of the Earth.
What do you think?
I don't remember the rain ever 'looking so good' as it did here in "yellow" Central Ontario yesterday.
ReplyDeletePrayers of gratitude were my natural reflex as I stood on the porch and watched it come down... but you are right...how to keep water care and conservation in the forefront of our thinking and actions, even during all those days in a water rich country when water is easily available and just as easily taken for granted.
Long showers and full swimming pools. We do take our blessing of water for granted.
ReplyDeleteI support the United Church for speaking out about bottled water. We had a chat with the kids about what if air was avaiable in a bottle?
They thought that was crazy.
We thought bottled water was crazy when we were their age.