by Dennis Lacsam
It was on March 25, 2001 when Julia Roberts was proclaimed Best Actress in the Academy Awards for her portrayal as Erin Brockovich, an unemployed single mother of three who fought for the world’s largest utility for dumping 370 million gallons of hexavalent chromium into unlined ponds in Hinkley, California, a deadly toxic waste that poisoned the residents in the area. For Julia Robert’s fans, it was one of her most remarkable performances that brought her to Hollywood’s super stardom. But for millions of movie aficionados who have been touched by Erin Brockovich’s life and struggles for clean water, it was indeed heroic and humanitarian.
Ladies and gentlemen, today, we have reached consciousness and apprehensions that man on earth must instantly stop his destruction on any body of water around him for water is truly a valuable natural resource – the uppermost indisputable need of every living creature on the planet. Its importance cannot be estimated for it is an indispensable element to life and society – a main source of nourishment and energy, a raw material for productive activities, a way of transport, and a determinant factor for the preservation of the ecological balance.
Water is a fundamental part of our lives. Human survival is dependent on water. The water we drink literally becomes us since such a large percentage of our bodies is water. We need plenty of fresh water to stay healthy. Aside from aiding in digestion and absorption of food, water regulates body temperature, carries nutrients and oxygen to cells, and removes toxins and other wastes. It also lubricates our joints and protects tissues and organs, including the spinal cord from shock and damage and conversely, lack of water can be the cause of many ailments.
Plants and animals can’t live without freshwater, because all organisms are made up mostly by water. A tree for example is about 60% water by weight and most animals are about 50-65% water.
No industries will survive without water’s help for it is used as a raw material coolant, a solvent, a transport agent, and as a source of energy. It turns the turbines of hydroelectric plants that produce electricity for light, heat and power for factories and communities. Thousands more liters of water are involved in the manufacture of plastics, glass and fabric components. It seems infinite to detail its dynamism in our life, in our environment, in our existence.
For thousands of years, humanity has been aware of the importance of water. In Rome, a couple of thousand years ago, it was considered to be one of the biggest crimes to pollute the water. Unfortunately, a few of us deem the importance until it is in limited supply. Man seems to destroy water through his greed for what he believes to be his personal survival.
In our advanced and modern society, it is effortless for us to forget how completely we depend on it. We believe that we have to sacrifice everything including the water of this planet we inhabit in order to continue the progress and our so-called welfare. We are rapidly destroying water's life-giving capacities. Increased population, industrial wastes and agricultural chemicals are contaminating our water sources. We have unfortunately lost all respect and deference for water and Mother Nature. Water, the very lifeblood of humans, has been neglected and tainted to the limits. Deadly pesticides and other harmful chemicals contaminate our watersheds. The seas and the great rivers that are domicile to teeming water creatures have become a dumping ground of man's toxic wastes.
Today, some 1.5 billion people live without access to drinking water. Nearly 2 billions do not have access to proper sanitation. According to the World Health Organization, 30,000 people die each day from drinking polluted water, 6,000 of which are children. The planet's water resources are becoming increasingly fragile due to over consumption and pollution. No wonder why water is a prime commodity these days. The proliferation of distilled water neighborhood vendors and the popularity of bottled water are testaments to this problem.
But, have we noticed that endless serious campaigns against the factors that brought about our water crisis such as deforestation, improper waste disposal, and the like seem to be useless? Water crisis, an alarming issue, remains an issue until now. And let’s face it, the problem remains a problem.
We, young people have to open our eyes. We have to be aware that our silence means accepting that we are ready to face whatever ill-fate is coming on our way. Can’t we do anything about it?
The government has its role in conserving water resources, then we must also have our own. We should not stop thinking and putting into actions the most effective ways to preserve and protect our water supply.
Friends, the challenge is on you and me, on all of us. Let us be responsive to the call where the answer lies only on our hands. Let us develop consciousness, a sense of preservation, and a sense of responsibility. Let us treasure one of the miracles God has bestowed upon us, the life giving water.
The time to act is now, or it will be too late! Remember that water is life, and without it, we can never go far.
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