Our Relationship to Water

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Some questions we're researching

  • What is the relationship of water and our health?
    • We need to drink a certain amount of water to survive. The number varies according to who you are quoting:
    • Lack of access to clean water leads to disease and death. From the director of the WHO: "Water and Sanitation is one of the primary drivers of public health. I often refer to it as “Health 101”, which means that once we can secure access to clean water and to adequate sanitation facilities for all people, irrespective of the difference in their living conditions, a huge battle against all kinds of diseases will be won." Dr LEE Jong-wook, Director-General, World Health Organization. (WHO - Water, sanitation and hygiene links to health)
      • Water-related diseases
        • The water-related infections of man are extremely numerous and diverse. In general the following are the ways in which diseases may be carried by water.
          • Pathogenic organisms are transmitted from one person to another through their domestic water supply.
            • (e.g.) cholera, typhoid and hepatitis.
          • Inadequate water supply, lack of personal cleanliness
            • (e.g.) trachoma and skin infection
          • Infection transmitted by organisms which live in water.
            • (e.g.) helminths (parasitic flukes) that spend part of their life cycle in water.
          • Insect vectors which are related in some way to water transmit inflection.
  • How did/do native cultures view water in their lives?
    • Native American Water Ethic Some excerpts:
      • "Traditionally, Native Americans believed that they have an inextricable physical and spiritual relationship with all elements of nature. Virtually all Native American origin myths explain the creation of human beings from the physical world. Since they are the children of Mother Earth, they are part of her. Traditional knowledge teaches that all facets of the universe are alive and interconnected. The stones and trees can hear, see, and act. Animals are cousins, possess consciousness, and speak in languages that humans understand. The land, sky, and water are imbued with a spirit shared by nature’s living creatures. By contrast, Europeans embraced a dualistic view that a God dwelling only in heaven endowed human beings with a spirit and fashioned nature for their exclusive use and benefit. The Judeo-Christian ethic counseled human dominion and control over a natural world valued more for its utility than its inherent worth."
      • "In Ojibwe cultural traditions, water has a spiritual component that gives it a key role in stories, ceremonies, religious practices, and daily life. The water spirit can be seen in the shimmering light of sunrise and can speak in the stillness of winter in a voice a European settler would have called cracking ice."
      • "Water was also imbued with feminine roles and symbolism. While men would typically hunt for game, women were expected to gather water and conduct ceremonies to preserve this vital resource. Water’s life force was symbolized by its rush from the mother preceding birth. Protecting the purity of springs is still a deep spiritual responsibility felt by Sokaogon people, who believe that surface water and groundwater represent the lifeblood of Nookomis oki, or Grandmother Earth."
      • "A “water ethic” simply recognizes the critical importance of protecting pure water for the health of the biotic community. It becomes a Native American ethic when it prioritizes long-term preservation of water resources over short-term economic benefit. A “land ethic” helped launch the modern conservation movement and began to shift the mainstream view of the environment from “commodity” to “community.” This shift from exploitation to conservation, however, owes a debt to native cultures that retained a reverence for the land and water that sustains all life."
  • Is bottled water better? Necessary?
  • What are some simple things that we can do to improve our relationship with water?
    • Some beginning thoughts:
      • we can educate ourselves about where our water comes from, where it goes, and how much we use
      • we can learn from other cultures and change our awareness of the gift of water
      • we can begin some simple conservation measures in and out of our homes (What You Can Do from our Water Usage Page)
      • practice 7 Steps to Clean Water.

Resources

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