Water. Eau. Thanni.
Every language has a word for it, for we all acknowledge its value.
A single water molecule is made up of one oxygen bonded to two hydrogens. Yes, yes, H2O, we know we know.
Perhaps what you didn't know is that H2O is arguably the only substance that we encounter in our everyday lives in all its phases: solid, liquid, and vapour state.
Another fun fact, solid H2O is less dense than liquid water. Now, many of you may take this for granted but if you stop for one minute to think about it.. it's quite fascinating, for there aren't many substances out there that float when solid on top of its liquid counterpart.
Water exhibits a number of odd properties that we have taken for granted.
***
I spent all morning studying for my Hydrology exam.
"Hydrology?", snarked my roommate in disbelief. "Is that an actual subject?" she asked.
"YES! The study of water in the environment" I answered.
"It sounds like one of those subjects you just make up", she replied.
And quite frankly, it kind of does sound like that. And the study of water? WHO would want to study that?
And to be honest, that was my mentality going into my first class. But the more you learn, the more you realize the importance of water. You realize that the world is all connected through the vast convoluted networks of water and how they keep the planet alive.
***
After an intense study session of hydrology, I marched into my IDSB04 (International Health Policy Analysis course--which I love, as I'm sure you know by now). The oh-so-wonderful Professor Sicchia spent the first half of the lecture explaining the next assignment and the latter half with a movie on privatization of water.
Blue Gold.
A suitable title, I thought.
The movie portrays the effects of privatization of water. For those who are unfamiliar with business jargon, privatization refers to the process through which a common good is owned and operated by a private company or corporation who exercise rights over that resource, generally for profit seeking purposes.
A particular testimonial really tugged at my heart. In a rural village in Africa where water is privatized, a bottle of water costs more than a bottle of coke (by almost double). Interestingly enough, the water Dasani is owned by Coca-Cola.
In this village, most villagers don't use the pumps as it is too costly. They return to fetch water from streams and lakes that are bursting with cholera and other infectious water-borne diseases. One day, a shack of a family caught fire and there was no water to put it out.
The woman said they could not afford to put out the fire.
Wow.
Contextualize yourself. You live in a rural village where all the resources you need are within a few days march. You are the sole breadwinner for your family of five. You are overworked and underpaid. Every cent you make goes towards building your home and feeding your family. One morning, you go to work as usual.
And your house catches fire.
The neighbours and your family watch as it burns to the ground, your whole life's worth of hard work and savings is going up in flames. And you cannot stop it because neither you nor your neighbours have the money to stop it.
This tugged at my heart. Very tightly.
There are a number of different players here. One, the fact that water is too costly to put it out. Two, the lack of infrastructure provided by the government (whose rightful duty it is to do so) to provide access to water. Three, the lack of social security nets (insurance and welfare) to help cope with the disaster. And the list goes on.
What can be done? What is there to do? Who should be held responsible?
The companies often cut a deal with the governments in obtaining the rights to these resources often to the profit of the corrupt government officials. Insodoing, these companies hijack the water and ship them elsewhere to be sold in the market.
This carries with it a number of ramifications for both the environment and in turn, for us, the humans.
The testimonial ends with, "These water projects are taking away our humaneness".
***
This movie brings forth a number of different questions.
1. Is it right to privatize a natural resource?
2. Should the companies be held accountable to mitigate the negative effects of displacing and unsustainable use of the water?
3. Is it right to deny the right of water to those who cannot afford it (once it is commoditized)?
4. Who is regulating all of this?
5. What part do we have to play in this? (Which, inevitably, we all have a responsibility towards either directly or indirectly)
I will answer all of these as part of my analysis of the movie and the situation but before I do, I'd like to bring up a point that often goes overlooked.
***
The human body is made up of about 50-65% water. The human brain consists of about 75% and blood about 92% (3rd link on a google search).
And according to my last google search, the global population is roughly 6.97 billion.
In addition,
Out of all the water on the planet, which is roughly 1.4x10^18 m3 or 1,400,000,000,000,000,000 m3 of water on the planet, only 2.78% of it is fresh water (the water we can use) (stats courtesy of Hydrology textbook).
***
A woman's livelihood was destroyed in the name of making an extra penny by a multinational corporation. Water, a natural resource, has been confined and exported for profit. Water, whose value is incomparable to that of gold is valuable to us because it sustains us. Restricting access to such a resource for profit is unright, unfair, and outright inhumane.
Water is all around us. But not every drop of the ocean can be drunk. It is a scarcity. However, in our last few million years of existence, we've learned to live sustainably within our means.
The Earth is powerful. It has a powerful way of taking care of us. Of feeding us. Even with the 2.78%, it has sustained us.
We rely on water for our survival. Why? Because we are water. An intricate system of vast networks with tiny little H2O molecules pumping through our veins, keeping our bones together, housing all that knowledge and wisdom in our brains. We are water.
And conflicts over water is a reflection of what's going on on the inside.
***
So, why are there a few people with a lot of money who think they can make even more money by taking what is rightfully the property of every human being on the planet?
Because other people in the government want to make more money.
And why do they want to make more money?
Because they are unhappy.
Why are they unhappy?
Because there is a void.
A void that needs to be filled.
A void that is being widened by the things they throw in it, hoping it will go away.
Ego. Pride. Jealousy.
These are the root causes for why people do what they did.
The cure?
What is the one cure that will fix this problem? That will remediate? That will render equality to every human being? That will give every one the right to safe, drinking water?
The answer is love.
Love for our dear planet. Love for our fellow co-habitants. Love for our families.
And most importantly, love for ourselves.
I can go on and on about how meditation and looking deep within is the answer. Which I believe it is. But the truth is, the only reason why these people with alot of money want even more money is because they are unhappy. And the repercussions of that are felt by everyone, especially the most marginalized of society.
Why should the world have to pay for the unhappiness and voids in the hearts of the loneliest of lonely?
Because the world is governed by people like that.
The world needs a change. The people with the power must learn to love their people, to love their families and to love themselves.
We need love.
Love is the answer. And it is the strongest weapon with which we will fight for a better world.
Love.
Every language has a word for it, for we all acknowledge its value.
A single water molecule is made up of one oxygen bonded to two hydrogens. Yes, yes, H2O, we know we know.
Perhaps what you didn't know is that H2O is arguably the only substance that we encounter in our everyday lives in all its phases: solid, liquid, and vapour state.
Another fun fact, solid H2O is less dense than liquid water. Now, many of you may take this for granted but if you stop for one minute to think about it.. it's quite fascinating, for there aren't many substances out there that float when solid on top of its liquid counterpart.
Water exhibits a number of odd properties that we have taken for granted.
***
I spent all morning studying for my Hydrology exam.
"Hydrology?", snarked my roommate in disbelief. "Is that an actual subject?" she asked.
"YES! The study of water in the environment" I answered.
"It sounds like one of those subjects you just make up", she replied.
And quite frankly, it kind of does sound like that. And the study of water? WHO would want to study that?
And to be honest, that was my mentality going into my first class. But the more you learn, the more you realize the importance of water. You realize that the world is all connected through the vast convoluted networks of water and how they keep the planet alive.
***
After an intense study session of hydrology, I marched into my IDSB04 (International Health Policy Analysis course--which I love, as I'm sure you know by now). The oh-so-wonderful Professor Sicchia spent the first half of the lecture explaining the next assignment and the latter half with a movie on privatization of water.
Blue Gold.
A suitable title, I thought.
The movie portrays the effects of privatization of water. For those who are unfamiliar with business jargon, privatization refers to the process through which a common good is owned and operated by a private company or corporation who exercise rights over that resource, generally for profit seeking purposes.
A particular testimonial really tugged at my heart. In a rural village in Africa where water is privatized, a bottle of water costs more than a bottle of coke (by almost double). Interestingly enough, the water Dasani is owned by Coca-Cola.
In this village, most villagers don't use the pumps as it is too costly. They return to fetch water from streams and lakes that are bursting with cholera and other infectious water-borne diseases. One day, a shack of a family caught fire and there was no water to put it out.
The woman said they could not afford to put out the fire.
Wow.
Contextualize yourself. You live in a rural village where all the resources you need are within a few days march. You are the sole breadwinner for your family of five. You are overworked and underpaid. Every cent you make goes towards building your home and feeding your family. One morning, you go to work as usual.
And your house catches fire.
The neighbours and your family watch as it burns to the ground, your whole life's worth of hard work and savings is going up in flames. And you cannot stop it because neither you nor your neighbours have the money to stop it.
This tugged at my heart. Very tightly.
There are a number of different players here. One, the fact that water is too costly to put it out. Two, the lack of infrastructure provided by the government (whose rightful duty it is to do so) to provide access to water. Three, the lack of social security nets (insurance and welfare) to help cope with the disaster. And the list goes on.
What can be done? What is there to do? Who should be held responsible?
The companies often cut a deal with the governments in obtaining the rights to these resources often to the profit of the corrupt government officials. Insodoing, these companies hijack the water and ship them elsewhere to be sold in the market.
This carries with it a number of ramifications for both the environment and in turn, for us, the humans.
The testimonial ends with, "These water projects are taking away our humaneness".
***
This movie brings forth a number of different questions.
1. Is it right to privatize a natural resource?
2. Should the companies be held accountable to mitigate the negative effects of displacing and unsustainable use of the water?
3. Is it right to deny the right of water to those who cannot afford it (once it is commoditized)?
4. Who is regulating all of this?
5. What part do we have to play in this? (Which, inevitably, we all have a responsibility towards either directly or indirectly)
I will answer all of these as part of my analysis of the movie and the situation but before I do, I'd like to bring up a point that often goes overlooked.
***
The human body is made up of about 50-65% water. The human brain consists of about 75% and blood about 92% (3rd link on a google search).
And according to my last google search, the global population is roughly 6.97 billion.
In addition,
Out of all the water on the planet, which is roughly 1.4x10^18 m3 or 1,400,000,000,000,000,000 m3 of water on the planet, only 2.78% of it is fresh water (the water we can use) (stats courtesy of Hydrology textbook).
***
A woman's livelihood was destroyed in the name of making an extra penny by a multinational corporation. Water, a natural resource, has been confined and exported for profit. Water, whose value is incomparable to that of gold is valuable to us because it sustains us. Restricting access to such a resource for profit is unright, unfair, and outright inhumane.
Water is all around us. But not every drop of the ocean can be drunk. It is a scarcity. However, in our last few million years of existence, we've learned to live sustainably within our means.
The Earth is powerful. It has a powerful way of taking care of us. Of feeding us. Even with the 2.78%, it has sustained us.
We rely on water for our survival. Why? Because we are water. An intricate system of vast networks with tiny little H2O molecules pumping through our veins, keeping our bones together, housing all that knowledge and wisdom in our brains. We are water.
And conflicts over water is a reflection of what's going on on the inside.
***
So, why are there a few people with a lot of money who think they can make even more money by taking what is rightfully the property of every human being on the planet?
Because other people in the government want to make more money.
And why do they want to make more money?
Because they are unhappy.
Why are they unhappy?
Because there is a void.
A void that needs to be filled.
A void that is being widened by the things they throw in it, hoping it will go away.
Ego. Pride. Jealousy.
These are the root causes for why people do what they did.
The cure?
What is the one cure that will fix this problem? That will remediate? That will render equality to every human being? That will give every one the right to safe, drinking water?
The answer is love.
Love for our dear planet. Love for our fellow co-habitants. Love for our families.
And most importantly, love for ourselves.
I can go on and on about how meditation and looking deep within is the answer. Which I believe it is. But the truth is, the only reason why these people with alot of money want even more money is because they are unhappy. And the repercussions of that are felt by everyone, especially the most marginalized of society.
Why should the world have to pay for the unhappiness and voids in the hearts of the loneliest of lonely?
Because the world is governed by people like that.
The world needs a change. The people with the power must learn to love their people, to love their families and to love themselves.
We need love.
Love is the answer. And it is the strongest weapon with which we will fight for a better world.
Love.
 |  |
Image Sources: Let the Revolution Begin, Peacefully Of Course Group / Faithless Daughter on Facebook
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