Our Water: Let's Wake Up Now

Much of the time I feel overwhelmed by the news, so I must work hard to resist my juvenile “head back under the covers” reflex. Our freshwater future is such a story. To preserve safe and abundant supplies of water may at first seem peripheral, but let’s look at just how integral water is to human existence. We need water to live, without exception, for the human body is 55–75 percent water. We could survive weeks without food, but only a few days with no water. And, as a matter of cultural geography, the state and provincial and personal economies of the Great Lakes region rely a great deal on abundant supplies of clean water. These are stubborn facts. They remind us that water is a vital element, forming the foundation of our physiological systems and the larger webs of life in which humans hover.

Another truth to face: Unlike sunlight, our water supply is finite. However, if we behave ourselves and respect the rules of the web, we may recycle the available fresh and potable water indefinitely— just as nature has served up water to living things for all of human history. Until now. I won’t cite chapter and verse: Clearly, there are assaults on our planet’s balance. (If you’re still reading this then I won’t sing scales to a choirmaster.) What remains then, is to stop hitting the snooze button. It will serve us well to wake up, arise and commit to change habitual behavior.

If that sounds onerous, relax. Countless waterkeepers await our “act to enlist” and offer ways we each can help. Perhaps a most important step? To shrug off inertia, that sense of powerlessness conspiring against our constructive efforts. To engage is to call upon our will, our curiosity, our intention, and know that our present actions will create our future. Furthermore, our individual “resets” could give rise to a communal one; what Malcolm Gladwell describes in The Tipping Point as the instant at which the truth goes viral and then becomes unstoppable. So, it’s as simple as each of us arising to the facts because our own indifference to this crisis has become untenable. To deny gravity isn’t helpful as we plummet to Earth, but stepping back off the ledge seems like an act of wisdom and self-preservation.

This is all sobering, and it outlines a clear purpose. As “Great Lakers,” our call is to protect this 22 percent of Earth’s freshwater from those who would value it less. Thus, our local waterkeepers stand out as heroic by their awareness and willingness to act, and to inform others who might join up. So, it may be decommissioning Line 5. Or restoring safe drinking water to the children of Flint. Or helping stop Nestlé from bottling up our commons at no cost, only to sell them back to us. Each of these initiatives comes in response to a need for heightened vigilance. They help preserve another sacred resource: human dignity and self-respect. See the list of groups below who work to save our freshwater resource and to tip the scales back to favoring continued healthy life. These folks want you and your fresh energy and commitment!

RESOURCE LIST OF REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS SERVING TO PROTECT GREAT LAKES AND ALL FRESHWATER:

FLOW (For Love of Water): Empowering communities and leaders to protect the Great Lakes. FlowForWater.org
Title Track: Engaging in creative practice to support clean water, racial equity and youth empowerment. TitleTrackMichigan.org
Great Lakes Business Network: A network of business leaders committed to protecting the Great Lakes from environmental threats. GLBusinessNetwork.com
Oil & Water Don’t Mix: Keep crude oil out of the Great Lakes. OilAndWaterDontMix.org
Water You Fighting For?: Flint Michigan has been poisoned, and it’s yet to be fixed. WaterYouFightingFor.com
Benzie County Water Festival: Celebrate, Entertain, Educate—A festival in many parts. Facebook.com/BenzieCountyWaterFestival