Flooding of the Heart

It has been veritable deluge in the region of Oregon in which I live. I looked out my windows at the ponding and the rivulets that had formed. I get my water from the spring that surfaces on the the hill to the west of me, and although I’m not on a municipal system, the nearest one has some of the cleanest water in the world (https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/). This scene precipitated (no pun intended) my pondering of water throughout the world. As I read The History of World Agriculture as part of my research, I’m reminded of water’s paramount importance in the production of food. I am intimately concerned with water as I begin my first season renting land on which to farm and having a non-irrigated as well as an irrigated garden.

I recently returned from Thailand where the water is not safe to drink and the country’s denizens purchase bottled water or risk illnesses like cholera. This, of course, leads to another insidious type of pollution: plastic. Thailand along with China, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines are responsible for more than half of the plastic pollution found in the waterways of the earth (1). I had something of a crisis while there as I inadvertently created more wastes than I had in 6 months to a year at home. Egregious amounts of plastic are used for food and a variety of goods. There were no pubic garbage receptacles, and the only place a saw a recycling was in the airport.

Much of the water used for drinking throughout the world is contaminated. Microorganisms in water can cause disease, a looming issue in the developing world. Agriculture, industry, and cities are the top three source of pollution in our groundwater and surface waters. Water is constantly cycling through the system bringing with it dissolved polar compounds. Water is an excellent solvent, carrying partial negative and positive charges. Other non-dissolved particles such as plastic and oils also move along with the flow of water. All of these compounds eventually end up in the world’s oceans.

So, here I am today with an overabundance of water, arguably the most versatile and important molecule on the planet. Essential for life. The basis of food production. I ponder this blessing and wonder how to work toward ending pollution of this natural resource. Everything begins in the heart of the individual. Each one of us in the United States has some level of purchasing power. We can use that to stand behind companies that align with our ethos as best as our budgets allow and we can raise the issue of water with our communities. The Stoics teache us that by taking a step back we can gain a clearer perspective on the circumstances of life. Change usually happens slow, think of the geologic timeline of the earth. Do not be discouraged or angered if at first other people don’t listen to you. It takes time to alter thought and behavioral patterns. Maybe you could be better informed and know the issue from multiple perspectives. Maybe it is how you said it that turned them off. We can all learn to better articulate ourselves. Best of all, live the change you want to see. Aspire to inspire. The pendulum always swings, but we can cultivate a inner calm and share what we have learned with the world.

Love ad infinitum,
Jalina

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