Gurnoor Kaur 12 - "Would you like a Glass of Water?"
Water. A substance so widely known and yearned for. Found everywhere around the world yet only accessible to some. A simple compound that offers many benefits. Sometimes it can be hard to believe that a tasteless and clear liquid such as this is so essential for our daily lives.
Approximately 71% of the Earth is made up of water, of which only about 2.5% can be safely consumed by humans. The significance of water has long been identified even during ancient times as entire civilizations had been established around a single source of water. It is a major indicator for life itself as that is one of the reasons why only Earth has life out of our entire Solar System. Water provides the gift of life to all kinds of organisms and has proven to be important for living. It not only quenches thirst and cools tastebuds exposed to spicy food but also improves health and acts as sustenance. It has various uses as well, which can vary from being used to bake a cake for a birthday to generating electricity for a neighborhood of hundreds.
As a result of its easy attainability in richer countries, it can often be overlooked. The value placed on water may sometimes be lessened as a result in such places and be used unnecessarily through simple acts such as taking prolonged periods of time to water plants, take showers, or even misusing water. Many in poorer countries or areas facing droughts such as deserts are not able to access much water, even if it may be essential drinking water. The world is currently facing a major water crisis as nearly 1.1 billion people around the world lack access to water. While some in a part of the world may be filling up water balloons and launching them at others, people in other parts of the world may succumb to tears at the mere sight of a surplus if not adequate amount of water.
However, as vital and desirable as the requisite water may seem, it can be just as detrimental. About 3.5 million people lose their lives annually due to having an inadequate water supply. However, while some people experience a lack of water, others have a large surplus of water which can be equally as dangerous. This includes catastrophic natural disasters such as floods, tsunamis, maelstroms, and hurricanes. These disasters can be found in nearly all other places which do not experience droughts, showing the sheer power water holds.
It is important for people to recognize and understand the importance of water for not only humans but all organisms for whom it is essential. It is equally important however to recognize that as much life water can give, it has the power to take it away just as easily, making it essential for us as humans to work together to solve the water crisis for not only us but for many generations and species to come.
Hi Gurnoor! I was pleasantly surprised to see what your blog this week was about. Water is such a powerful substance, something that keeps all organisms alive and is vital to the Earth. Elements of nature are definitely good examples of what power is. Your sentence about water being everywhere yet being a limited access material really spoke to me. It’s true that water can be found literally anywhere (except for maybe the desert), but saddening that drinkable water is a luxury that some people are not able to afford. Water is integral to staying alive, and should be available to all. I thought the statistics you used were very interesting. Only 2.5% is safe to drink? That’s crazy to think about. Water is such a versatile resource and is so helpful to be used in any situation, something I feel that a lot of people (myself included) tend to take for granted. I am a little ashamed to admit that, like one of your examples, I contribute to the waste of water through taking long showers and such, which is definitely something I should work on. Your last sentence of your third paragraph is written incredibly well. The way lives around the world contrasts is a mind-boggling concept to think about. How if things were different, positions would be swapped, or the fact that while I am typing this comment someone is out there suffering right now. I loved how you covered the ails of having too little water only to remind that having too much water can also be a bad thing. Thank you so much for sharing, Gurnoor! I will certainly try to appreciate the water I have in my everyday life and work towards conserving it more.
ReplyDeleteHi Gurnoor! Your topic choice of water is quite interesting, as it is generally not particularly associated with power in any way but now that you point it out, water really does hold a lot of power. I love that you pointed out the discrepancy between the perception of water in third-world countries and first-world countries. Living in a first-world country, we often overlook the necessity and importance of such a thing as water and often forget how powerful it can be due to having such readily accessible water, but in other countries that aren't as fortunate, it can be the difference between life and death. I think an interesting idea that you may have skipped over was the idea that a lot of peoples' livelihoods depend on water like professional water athletes and commercial fishers, as the very existence of water is what allows them to make a living.
ReplyDeleteHello Gurnoor! Your blog really made me see how much we really do take water for granted in our own lives. I liked the way you started by stating that water is something so mundane yet so essential—it made me stop and think about how something as simple as a glass of water is really a big thing. The way you differentiated the availability and lack of water in the world was so powerful, especially the contrast between individuals playing with water as water balloons and others struggling to obtain a drop of clean water. That was something that hit me so hard and made me realize how blessed we are to have water readily available without even thinking twice about it. I also liked reading about how you discussed the two faces of water—how it can give life, but also destroy it through floods and catastrophes. I never actually considered it before, but your writing made me realize just how powerful water is. Your fact about how 2.5% of the water on our planet is drinkable only added so much more educational depth to your blog, and it really made me stop and think about how I use my water on a daily basis. The final message of the conclusion of coming together and correcting the water crisis really set the entire writing piece together in such a meaningful way. You were not just informing me, you were making me want to actually make change.
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