We turn on the tap, let it run and fill a glass though more often than not we grab a plastic bottle from the fridge because tap water is so declasse, unless folks in bottling plants far away are doing just that and then shipping and selling (to us) their tap water. I am a big fan of capitalism but there's no one we won't f*ck for a b*ck, or so it seems.
Considering every carbon based life form on this planet needs water to survive, you'd think today would be a bigger deal in terms of public awareness and news coverage. It isn't and it won't be, much to the relief of car wash operators everywhere (and don't get me wrong, I love 'em, too, just not every week) industrial farms or a lot of folks west of the Rockies. I know, like it would've killed Hallmark to one lousy card, right?
Potable water isn't only life-sustaining and essential, it's a fundamental human right. And those of us who have it, even if our mouths are on the soda as Peter Gabriel noted decades ago, would do well-actually far better than well-to work to make sure everyone, everywhere has water they can drink. Otherwise the thirst for fairness, justice and human dignity will be overtaken by an unquenchable desire to satisfy one of Maslow's hierarchy of needs at any cost. And that may be a price none of us can pay.
-bill kenny
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