As I stood on the grounds of Lake Townsend's water treatment plant, I considered the fact that all of the piedmont triad's water supply passes through and is supplied there. Some may call these grounds sacred or precious because of the precious resource that is kept there. I hadn't deeply thought about where the water I consume and use comes from. Then a thought: why don't we think about where all of our vital resources come from. I know it's there, yet I have no idea how or what goes in to the process of it getting to me.
As I thought deeper, a lightbulb went off in my head as I realized a fundamental issue in American culture (and beyond). Resources are used widely and excessively, however, people don't have the individual knowledge of where it all comes from (water, food, gas, etc). If you think about it, resources are more available than ever, but consumers of these resources (all of us) don't have the slightest idea of processes involved in having these assets.
According to the Nature Conservancy, more than three quarters of Americans don't know where their water comes from. This excludes households that have personal wells.
“In the United States, we have the luxury of not having to know where our water comes from, and that luxury has created a disconnect between people and nature,” explains Jeff Opperman, senior freshwater scientist at The Nature Conservancy. “Over the past two hundred years, we’ve built ourselves a sophisticated public water system that brings water from rivers, lakes and aquifers right into our homes. As far as many Americans can tell, their water comes from the tap.”
In Brian Fagan's, Elixir: A History of Water and Humankind, he describes a world where, "water was a precious substance," (9). Water was considered a gift of life from the heavens, rather than an overlooked commodity. When water was plentiful, people would rejoice. When water was scarce, they would band together for support. Fagan writes, "digging and maintaining the furrows was not a hardship but a festive activity, despite the labor involved... No one was in a hurry," (42). It's a far cry from how water is viewed today- nowadays its flushed, drained and wasted, without second thought.
Food for thought:
During the peak of Ancient Rome, the city was pumping out 80 billion gallons of water per day. Of course Ancient Rome is famous for its water, wastewater systems and the development of aqueduct technology. According to waterhistory.org, the city's first aqueduct was created in 312 B.C.
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As I thought deeper, a lightbulb went off in my head as I realized a fundamental issue in American culture (and beyond). Resources are used widely and excessively, however, people don't have the individual knowledge of where it all comes from (water, food, gas, etc). If you think about it, resources are more available than ever, but consumers of these resources (all of us) don't have the slightest idea of processes involved in having these assets.
According to the Nature Conservancy, more than three quarters of Americans don't know where their water comes from. This excludes households that have personal wells.
“In the United States, we have the luxury of not having to know where our water comes from, and that luxury has created a disconnect between people and nature,” explains Jeff Opperman, senior freshwater scientist at The Nature Conservancy. “Over the past two hundred years, we’ve built ourselves a sophisticated public water system that brings water from rivers, lakes and aquifers right into our homes. As far as many Americans can tell, their water comes from the tap.”
In Brian Fagan's, Elixir: A History of Water and Humankind, he describes a world where, "water was a precious substance," (9). Water was considered a gift of life from the heavens, rather than an overlooked commodity. When water was plentiful, people would rejoice. When water was scarce, they would band together for support. Fagan writes, "digging and maintaining the furrows was not a hardship but a festive activity, despite the labor involved... No one was in a hurry," (42). It's a far cry from how water is viewed today- nowadays its flushed, drained and wasted, without second thought.
Food for thought:
During the peak of Ancient Rome, the city was pumping out 80 billion gallons of water per day. Of course Ancient Rome is famous for its water, wastewater systems and the development of aqueduct technology. According to waterhistory.org, the city's first aqueduct was created in 312 B.C.
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