PrintCan we afford clean water? Can we afford rivers and lakes and streams and oceans, which continue to make life possible on this planet? Can we afford life itself? … These questions answer themselves.
Senator Edmund Muskie (1972)
as quoted by James R. Karr and Ellen W. Chu
The three seemingly unrelated topics addressed in Lesson 8 do have some connections. The one that comes to mind is the historic perspective. Humans have always used natural waters to help dispose of their wastes. The phrase – the solution to pollution is dilution – comes to mind. We’ve used energy, initially fire, to cook food and sterilize water to make it potable. And, bodies of water have always provided us ways to transport people and things from place to place, or from source to market. But setting history aside momentarily, let’s consider current and future aspects of the three topics. The informational materials provided focus on competing demands and searching for efficiencies as we consider the future of freshwater demands and uses.