Change.org is seeking input for ideas on which the new U.S. Administration may focus in coming years. Anyone can submit an idea, and anyone can vote online for an issue. (You have to register with the site, but it's free and simple.)
The issues are plentiful, the budget is failing and the economy is in the tank. Still, it seems some global issues do need to be addressed not the least of which is the future of the water supply. I've proposed an idea and would like to see it considered by others. If you like it, vote for it. (It needs 51 more votes to make it to the next round for consideration.)
Why water? Without it, there is no life on Earth. Plant and animal life (including our own) depend upon it. Regional health, both physical and financial, depend upon it. Think about it: no water = no plants; no plants = no food whether you're religiously vegan or rabidly carnivore; no food = no life. No water? No more issues to consider. Water is THE issue.
Why attack bottled water? While some of us live in areas where the water is less enjoyable than others, most of America's water systems provide sufficiently safe water for human consumption. Those areas which do NOT have such a system in place NEED ONE! Pumping water out of the aquifers of neighboring communities (or communities further afield), using resources to bottle and ship them, then dealing with the waste containers doesn't make sense. The water in a community's aquifer needs to stay in that community, provide for that community. And we need to focus on making that water fit for consumption.
Why consider funding of water projects in other nations? Because we can, first of all. Depending upon the source, as many as one in three humans do not have access to safe drinking water. (This one says one in six.) Many developing nations do not have the means to fund sanitary wells or water retention systems AND THE EDUCATION needed to keep these systems safe. These systems could provide safe drinking water for world citizens, thereby improving the health of all people. Secondly, the U.S. wants the support of other nations. War is not the answer to earning international friendships - support in all times of need is. If we help a country develop safely and efficiently, will that not spread good will?
Indeed, the U.S. already has an office dedicated to water. However, it focuses primarily, if not solely, on national water issues. Water is a global issue. Health is a global issue. And we're seeing that the economy, which can also be adversely affected or boosted by water-related issues, is also a global issue.
Come on down and vote in favor of water, or submit your own ideas for the coming administration.
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