California streaming @evawojcik
What would your daily life be like if you had to constantly search for clean water for drinking and bathing? What would life be like without water that came out of a tap every time you turned it on? What would life be like if there was no bottled water? What would your life be like if you had to pay for every ounce of water you used every day? What if there was no more water for taking showers or baths every day?
What would life be like if you could not swim at any beaches? What if every lake, river, pond, stream was so polluted that it was dangerous to put your bare hands into them? What if there were no more whales, turtles, dolphins swimming in the oceans? Can you imagine such a world?
I can. It’s easy because that’s the world we are creating for ourselves every day. We’re all responsible for the quality of life on Earth–every man, woman and child from the richest corporate executive down to the unconcerned naive child. Oh yeah, we’re all on this boat called Earth together. No one owns it. Everyone is obligated to keeping it viable because we’re all part of the web of life. If you don’t think so, then go right ahead and just try living out in deep space.
om mani padme hum jewel in the lotus wahupa qi prana universal life energy
47whitebuffalo's Blog 
ShelbyCourtland said,
September 28, 2014 at 4:23 am
What you say is so true and California is experiencing the worst drought in recent history and unfortunately some states don’t need to actually experience drought conditions to realize how important water is when it is shut off because they can’t afford to pay their bill(mass Detroit water shutoffs). We are headed who knows where and I don’t think that we are going to turn the tide because we realize that we need to. Unfortunately, I think that we will continue on the path that we have chosen and nothing but an extreme disaster is going to bring it home to us that we really are living on borrowed time!
Excellent post!
47whitebuffalo said,
September 28, 2014 at 4:56 am
Borrowed time and borrowed water—ooooo those beavers are haunting us for sure—they do effect the water system in positive ways when left to their own devices. The consequences of our ‘path’ are in sight, aren’t they? Thank you.
ShelbyCourtland said,
September 28, 2014 at 5:12 am
Indeed they are and to top it all off, I hear tell that China is syphoning water from the Great Lakes at such a rate that it is incredible that the U.S. government is doing nothing about this especially with the water shortage problem that many communities are facing in America.
47whitebuffalo said,
September 28, 2014 at 4:55 pm
China and the Great Lakes? I had no idea. Please link me up to the intel for this insanity.
EmaBeesArt said,
October 22, 2013 at 1:18 pm
As someone above mentioned, yes, some people are already living it right now – for example – in Guatemala near extractive industry (mining) projects, like the Canadian Goldcorp mine in San Miguel Ixtahuacan. I agree, it is so important that we think about what we are doing to this planet that we call home, and each other, because right around the corner we see what lack of clean water does to the community and living things.
While driving around the Goldcorp Mine in San Miguel Ixtahuacan, the man showing us around was speaking in the Mayan Mam language, and another guy was translating that into Spanish, which I was translating into English for my father. He was explaining how the land was dead, and the earth was dying because of no water – the mining company was using all of the water in the mining process. And sure enough, the land around the mine was withered and dead, the corn plants and trees shriveled up, and the closer in to the mine, the more dry and dead it was. It was a horrible sight, the mine was a horrible wound on the earth – put “San Miguel Ixtahuacan” into google maps, and zoom out, look south east and you will see that big lake (of water poisoned with arsenic and other mining chemicals) and the mine, the gash in the earth (which is much larger now due to expansion of the mining).
And the Mam people have something going on – lot’s of peaceful resistance, because not only are feeling the human need for clean water, they are spiritually affected by this rape of the earth. Being in balance with the earth is part of the culture, tradition, and spirituality. We need to be as serious about environmentalism the way the Mam people are.
Wow, that got quite long-winded, but I just wanted to express how wholeheartedly I agree with you, 47Whitebuffalo. Thank you for posting about this, and getting us to think!
47whitebuffalo said,
October 23, 2013 at 2:05 am
EmaBeesArt.
i like your comment very much for all the information it shares from your own direct experience. We all need to think and talk about this issue because it does affect all of us–more and more as things develop.
So very kind of you to give so much here! 🙂
Henry Jekyll said,
October 13, 2013 at 1:06 pm
Great post bud. The time has long since passed for this conversation to demand some serious attention. The prevailing economic paradigm views the very environment that sustains us to be nothing more than a commodity to be sold to the highest bidder. It’s def time for a change in our approach to managing oceanic resources. This self-destructive pattern of behavior is no more advanced than bacteria that kill the host and ultimately kill themselves.
Keep fighting the good fight man.
47whitebuffalo said,
October 13, 2013 at 2:14 pm
Hello Henry Jekyll. We are in agreement yet again.
I do believe that the same pattern of behavior is in play. I do hope though that the bacteria that is ‘us’ leaves enough behind for other species to benefit from our self-destruction.
🙂 So says me, wo-man.
Johnny Ojanpera said,
September 30, 2013 at 9:00 pm
This is becoming reality. I live on the Gulf, and since the BP spill I have seen filth and gasoline scented tarballs along the coast from Alabama to 200 miles into Florida. The white on our swimsuits come out brown. The Alabama coast is approximately 200 miles from the spill site. It encompasses a massive area.
47whitebuffalo said,
October 1, 2013 at 9:32 pm
Have you noticed any effective cleanup, Johnny? It is looming on the global horizon. Water wars next?
Johnny Ojanpera said,
October 1, 2013 at 10:41 pm
There hasn’t been a very apparent coastal or deep water cleanup, if any. The idea was to spray that untested dispersant on the oil, which, in theory is supposed to dissolve the oil and make it sink to the bottom. Imagine what it’s like down there…
Water wars are inevitable. The current reasoning as far as I know is that when we destroy our fresh water, they will begin desalinating sea water. The problem with that is that we have tons of nuclear waste running into the Pacific and thousands of barrels of oil in the Gulf. That could lead to problems. Imagine the costs…
47whitebuffalo said,
October 2, 2013 at 3:46 am
Imagine the costs beyond the monetary. We HAD a perfect place to live and we’ve trashed it thereby wasting everything.
Imagine the tragedy.
I think I know why my kids aren’t having any kids.
Eddie Two Hawks said,
August 29, 2013 at 11:51 am
Anyone with a heartbeat should at some during their life feel the beat of Mother Earth. We pray it will be before it is too late to do something good for her.
47whitebuffalo said,
August 29, 2013 at 2:27 pm
We are in agreement, Eddie Two Hawks.
Namaste
47whitebuffalo said,
February 8, 2012 at 8:53 pm
Reblogged this on 47whitebuffalo's Blog.
trisha said,
February 5, 2011 at 2:26 pm
we should be monitoring our steps so we dont damage this planet any further.
47whitebuffalo said,
February 5, 2011 at 9:44 pm
Agreed, trisha. I’d add that we need to clean up all our toxic messes too.
flandrumhill said,
January 31, 2011 at 3:39 pm
I believe water is a cure for almost all that ails us. Being on well water, I learned years ago not to take it for granted. It’s a shame that we have to lose or almost lose something before we begin to value it.
47whitebuffalo said,
February 1, 2011 at 5:07 am
Hello flandrumhill. Glad to hear from a well water person. Yes, it does seem that people don’t realize how important some things are until they’re ‘gone’.
May I ask, what problems/issues do you contend with regarding your well water?
flandrumhill said,
February 5, 2011 at 8:17 pm
We’ve always been blessed with as much well water as we’ve needed. However, there is a lot of iron and manganese in our water. It’s taken us years to come up with filtration solutions that work.
Aside from water quality, we’ve gone from an external to a submersible pump over the years. Prior to that, we replaced foot intake valves a couple of times. Each time our pump failed or we had a faulty valve, we’d suddenly find ourselves without water. With a family of five this was never easy.
bendedspoon said,
January 30, 2011 at 2:16 pm
Without water we will be crying but those tears are not even enough for drinking. So I guess we will stop crying and will just sleep without waking. Thank you for this post — made me want to savor each drop, breathe, live and smile. Thank you Water!
🙂
47whitebuffalo said,
February 1, 2011 at 5:02 am
Bendedspoon, your comments read more like poetry–the image of drinkng one’s own tears. Indeed, without water we would sleep the long sleep.
incompletehistory said,
January 29, 2011 at 5:37 am
Here in Australia we often have water restrictions in place. Water certainly isn’t “free”. We have to work hard to use it wisely.
47whitebuffalo said,
January 29, 2011 at 5:50 am
Please clarify your statement about water not being “free”, incompletehistory. Do you mean that you literally ‘pay’ money for water or something else? Here in America people often get bent out of shape in the midwest when asked to NOT water lawns. I don’t understand the concept of lawns which are fertilized and watered to make the grass grow so that one cuts it when it does. What the hell is the point of that if not to JUST make money for certain companies/industries. Weird we be.
Tell us more about Australia’s water, Incomplete one. Please.
lesliepaints said,
January 29, 2011 at 3:59 pm
Just a thought. My water isn’t free. I pay by the unit for water.
47whitebuffalo said,
January 29, 2011 at 4:22 pm
Hi Leslie. Yes, most people do pay for water usage. Part of this money goes to the expense of water sewage treatment plants in urban areas. Now there’s a site to behold–both for your eyes and nose.
I think about the only “free” water in the states would be well water on one’s own private land. But-I’m no expert on this issue. Am curious about it though because of everything from dams to water restrictions to the corporations who have tried to privatize water. One such corporations was tossed out of Bolivia after the people protested the HIGH increases in the price of water that the company imposed upon them–virtually making it inaccessible to many poor folk. Lots of issues about water –some ongoing and longstanding and new ones emerging.
incompletehistory said,
February 1, 2011 at 1:11 am
Hi again. Yes we pay water rates on property as well as a charge for excess usage. But we have other restrictions in place such as what days you can water your garden (and for how long – eg 10 minutes per station), when you can fill your pool or wash your car. Australia is a very dry country so water conservation is always high on the agenda. So when I say it isn’t free I mean that it has a monetary value, but also that it isn’t something that comes to us easily (ie. free). I think that here it is just the reality of the situation. If you have a limited supply, you have to conserve and use it wisely!
47whitebuffalo said,
February 1, 2011 at 4:59 am
Incompletehistory-thanks for you elaboration. You make an excellent pont that if one has a limited supply of water it must be used wisely. There is a limited supply of drinkable water on Earth. Using it ‘wisely’ has import for many areas of our lives. And the rest of the water on Earth also supports human life..Wise use of that too is in order.
lazfreedman said,
January 28, 2011 at 9:42 pm
Us humans ,quite the creatures…
love the photo,
water is life… Thanks for this one Eva,
Peace,
Laz
47whitebuffalo said,
January 29, 2011 at 5:46 am
Hellooooo, Laz. I suspect sparrows understand the value of water better than any humans. Part of what they chatter about, don’t you think, Laz? Peace
lesliepaints said,
January 28, 2011 at 5:28 am
I experienced life without water for a few hours this week and it was not fun. Something happened and they were working on something around the corner. Water came through the faucets and everywhere, “BROWN”. Nope. I was not touching the stuff. Immediately I wanted to take a bath make a pot of coffee and drink a tall glass of water. Our species is strange……all that we take for granted.
47whitebuffalo said,
January 28, 2011 at 7:37 pm
Leslie, I take it that if you would not touch “brown” water you also would not be inclined to touch water that ignited into flames from being contaminated by the fracking process? Good point about all that we humans take for granted. I agree, we are STRANGE considering how we treat all that gives us ‘life’ on this Earth. Hope your water is now NOT brown.
Kim Blum-Hyclak said,
January 27, 2011 at 4:11 pm
Used to do 30 Hr. Famines with my youth group and after viewing videos on water, we’d head to the grocery store and count the number of kinds of bottled water – the kids were amazed. I wrote a flash fiction piece about the number of times I turned on a tap/flushed a toilet/ran a machine during the day and how we take that precious gift so for granted. You mentioned Water World, Book of Eli is another movie that makes one wonder what it would be like without our accessibility of water. And some countries are already living it.
47whitebuffalo said,
January 28, 2011 at 7:53 pm
They live it on the Pine Ridge, Cheyenne River, and Standing Rock Reservations where there are serious water issues in America. If you want to wash your clothes in a machine you can’t do it on the Pine Ridge Reservation –unless you’re luck enough to own a machine AND have access to water. No laundramats. People who can take their laundry to Rapid City or Chadron. For them lack of clean water is a reality and has been for a long long time.
artistatexit0 said,
January 26, 2011 at 7:27 pm
Water is so necessary and obvious on this planet that we call it “Earth”? Should we rename the planet as a way to begin harmonizing with what’s here?
47whitebuffalo said,
January 28, 2011 at 7:49 pm
Interesting notion, Al. What would you suggest? Agua? Water? H20? Ocean?
jmjbookblog said,
January 26, 2011 at 4:08 am
Your post is very true and it is sad that many people still do not care enough to take steps to save Mother Earth. Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha is the patron of ecology and the environment. The world she lived in during her lifetime (1600’s)was pure and untouched by the industrial revolution. I try to recycle and do what I can. I will never forget the TV commercial many years ago. It had such an impact I can visualize it in my mind’s eye to this day. It was a small creek with a piece of garbage floating along…the garbage was picked up and then the camera went to the person’s face…it was the face of a Native American with a tear rolling down his cheek. That image will be with me forever.They should never have stopped airing that commercial…a picture truly is worth a thousand words.
47whitebuffalo said,
January 28, 2011 at 7:47 pm
I agree, images can inspire us no matter what our language. Thanks for visiting my blogcasa.
Emily Gooch said,
January 26, 2011 at 1:23 am
Life without water will be hell on Earth — images from the movie “Water World” came to mind. It might be Hollywood creation but some parts of the story is not far from the truth.
47whitebuffalo said,
January 28, 2011 at 7:45 pm
Considering what’s happened to the Gulf of Mexio, the Amazon rainsforest, the Niger Delta and everywhere else that big oil plants its feet it seems that “hell on Earth” is a coming attraction to everyone. Not an IF, a matter of WHEN. Unless???
roxie said,
January 25, 2011 at 9:04 pm
we are drawn to it, like our lifeblood, and for me, it is a sense of peace whether its a rainshower or thunderous waves! Our responsibility is to care for this great planet!
47whitebuffalo said,
January 28, 2011 at 7:42 pm
Roxie, “lifeblood”–as in we NEED it in oder to live an thrive. How can WE care for the planet when others have exactly the opposite agenda–that being to rape it for all its resources in order to make money?
roxie said,
January 29, 2011 at 5:32 pm
true ~ it is our responsibility, all of ours. difficult to get that point across, not just water, but the whole earth…I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but it’s still the message! Imagine if we are all felt accountable NOW that would change our actions! (still preaching, sorry!)
clegyrboia said,
January 25, 2011 at 4:44 pm
i like seaweed rebellion
47whitebuffalo said,
January 28, 2011 at 7:39 pm
I keep imagining Seaweed rising from the ocean in Rebellion against humans contaminating the water. Seaweed Rebellion–what does the phrase make you think of, mAgdA?