Many years ago I remember
reading this simple, yet powerful, sentence
in National Geographic and I realised that
we often take this resource for granted.
Yes, of course, we all learn at school about
the cycle of water: evaporation-clouds-rain-and
then oceans-rivers-water springs. But how
much are we really aware of the threats
facing this unique resource?
We are still polluting
our rivers and influencing the climate with
heavy consequences on the role that the
water cycle performs on our planet. Not
only are we overfishing our oceans - changing
the balance of marine life - we’re polluting
them with all of the chemicals we put into
our rivers.
Life on earth is a successful
story of water. Two thirds of the human
body is made of water, and while we can
survive many days without food we can hardly
stay more than 24 hours without water.
Young girls play with
a boat made of pomelo fruit on the river
banks of the Citarum River, Bandung, hoping
that in the future they can still play in
its waters. © Yudhi Mahatma / Greenpeace
We definitively have
good reasons – survival reasons - to be
concerned about the current status and the
future of this resource. Unsurprisingly,
the increasing demand for clear water together
with the access conditions – too easy for
a few and often unjust for many - have led
a few analysts to predict that the wars
of the future will not be about oil but
about water.
The UN has water issues
on its agenda, the International Panel on
Climate Chance dedicates particular attention
to how climate change affects water and
the FAO considers water a top priority for
food security - as all the food we grow
and produce requires water.
Astronomers get totally
excited every time they discover even just
historical evidence of water existing on
far away planets. To them water means life
or at the least the possibility of it. But
each time you pour yourself a glass - do
you think about how important this stuff
really is?
Our rivers, our precious
water, is being polluted by hazardous chemicals
in many places all over the world. We can’t
let this happen when history has already
showed us how difficult, and often impossible,
total decontamination is. Once these persistent
and substances are released they accumulate
inside living organisms and never really
go away.
Dilution is not a solution.
We can waste it, spoil it, contaminate it
but we are not really able to “clean it”
or to produce more of it later. Because
“all the water that will ever be is, right
now.”
Children play with homemade
boats on the banks of the Moskva river in
Moscow. The boats include messages of hope
calling upon policy makers to protect vital
waterways in Russia and create a post-toxic
world. © Denis Sinyakov / Greenpeace
In addition to dealing
with the threat to our water from toxic
chemicals - we are on the other also having
to deal with the consequences of climate
change on our water - notably severe droughts
or floods. While I am writing this blog
- the Dutch news is reporting about an unprecedented
drought here in the Netherlands - which
is among other problems also threatening
the safety of the Dutch dam systems. And
in China, the Yangtze is suffering its worst
drought in the last 50 years.
We can’t keep doing
the same things we’re doing - without jeopardizing
the true source of our life. We all know
we need to act on climate change but some
of these actions will take time to have
an effect. One thing governments and companies
can do quickly with fast results is commit
to the total elimination of hazardous chemicals.
It’s completely possible for industry to
remove the use of them and the only reason
they aren’t cleaning up their act is because
governments are letting them get away with
it.
The possibility to change
- to choose a toxic-free future for our
water - exists now. Greenpeace is campaigning
to save our planet’s rivers this year -
with even more determination than before.
You can read more about
our Water Campaign by flicking through our
new "Hidden Consequences" online
magazine. Use the sign up form at the end
to receive emails from us about this campaign
and how you can get involved.
