After doing research, I have found that the water usage in regards to times past and present has not changed. Don’t believe me? Take a moment to think about it. Just when you think you’ve got an example, do a little research and you will find that it has been used for the same purpose in the past, probably just in a different way or different scale. This is not surprising because technology has certainly advanced. I was stumped so many times. I did find a difference in how convenient and available water is. We don’t have to walk miles to obtain water. We don’t have to pump water to obtain our daily supply. Actually, even with that, there are the exceptions to those who do still live in rural areas, or those in undeveloped countries. What I would like to discuss are two examples of water usage that has had the ability to unite us as a nation and worldwide, and another that I find truly personal.
The year is 1896. The location is the Mediterranean Sea. Athletes were dropped off into the 13 degree Celsius icy waters by boat. 1200 meters away from shore, they begin their race[i] back for gold.
I am sure we all can attest that as a nation we certainly do work hard! It is no surprise then that we also love to play hard. We all have our favorite sports, but I am going to be bias, coming from an island and enjoying summer practically all year long, and choose to discuss water activities. What recreational event out there will have all of us rooting for the U.S.? Ahhh…yes! The Summer Olympics. Certainly, water plays a major part in this event. As you can tell, we have come a long way since, to the temperature controlled pools designed to minimize turbulence and waves. Not to mentioned the lane markers that keep everyone in line, so that others don’t mess up their groove. Included in these Olympic water sports are diving, water polo, synchronized swimming, and swimming. We still use our rivers, lakes, and oceans for other sports such as canoeing, rowing, and sailing.
Outside of this major event, we still gather in our smaller communities to enjoy the cooling effect of water. Public swimming pools to private backyard swimming pools allow us to come together. The excitement is just as loud as when kids use to gather around busted fire hydrants on a blazing day. Fly fishing, line fishing, water skiing, snorkeling, and diving are all different types of ways we cool off and enjoy our beautiful, natural bodies of water.
Let us not forget that we need to keep our bodies hydrated even though we are surrounding ourselves with water. Obviously! We know that heat and exertion certainly cause us to lose fluids in our body. Amazingly, despite having a nutrient label that looks like this: Calories 0 ,Total Fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 1mg, Total Carbohydrate 0g, Protein 0g, Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 0%, Calcium 0%, Iron 0%, it does wonders to know how it keeps our bodies functioning. So don’t think you’re missing out on too much when you can’t afford the colored stuff. H2o is just fine.
Going back to just how hard we work, it is also not surprising just how much energy we use to keep things running around us. This is the case worldwide, not just within our nation. Eliminating coal as an electricity resource and completely transferring over to renewable resources will improve the atmosphere that blankets ALL nations. At this moment, ‘about 40% of the world’s electricity comes from coal, and approximately 49% of the United States electricity comes from coal.’[ii] That is a good percentage actually-not crazy high, but we should never back down or miss an opportunity for improving. Burning coal causes toxins to be released into the air, including carbon dioxide-which contributes to global warming and sulfur dioxide-which contributes to respiratory and cardiovascular problems for people who have heart or lung disease or asthma.[iii] As an alternative, using water to produce electricity proves very advantageous.
‘The first hydroelectric power plant began operation in September 30, 1882.’[iv] The location was Wisconsin. Even before then, water mills were created to grind corn and other grains. These hydroelectric plants were a grander means of exploiting this natural resource of water for a needed cause. Hydroelectricity makes up about 19% of the worlds electricity, and leads at 63% in regards to electricity from renewable resources. The top three countries using this means are as follows: Norway 98%, Brazil 85%, and Venezuela 67%.[v] ‘In the United States, more than 2,000 hydropower plants make hydro-electric power the country’s largest renewable energy source (at 49 percent).’[vi] A few advantages to using our water resource this way are reduction in fuel cost, carbon dioxide not produced-since no fuel is burned, and with reservoirs created, it provides a recreational area for the community.
Finally, on a more personal note, one of the first things I thought of in regards to water would be- water for spiritual purposes. Water for many people represents something pure and flawless. It isn’t any wonder then that many connect water to the Most High- whoever it may be for them. I myself believe that holy water is truly something that comes from a person’s faith. So I may not personally believe in holy water, but the faith in it I commend.
The holy water, in the instance of the Roman Catholic Church, is simply, but respectively water that has been blessed by the priest created for the baptism. Unlike the holy water used for exorcism and blessings, holy water for the sole purpose of baptism is said to always be sanctified with a special blessing[vii]. Water baptism for infants is most common in this denomination. Towards the end of the baptismal ceremony, the priest will pour water on the infants’ forehead three times, each after one of the three Divine names is mentioned. The purpose for this is said to be for the remission of the original sin that one is born with, whereas in the case of adult water baptism is for the pardoning of both original and actual sin[viii].
For other denomination, baptism doesn’t involve holy water, but simple submersion in a body of water after a prayer of dedication is said. This submersion is merely a public display of this dedication. This is not to undermine the significance of such an act. It could be in a pool; it could even be in a river, lake, or ocean. Joyce Marie Jackson writer of Like a River Flowing with Living Water: Worshipping in the Mississippi Delta wrote of both symbolic and literal benefits of water baptism:
Rites of passage such as birth, death, and marriage mark a change in a person’s social-religious position. Baptism in the Delta region, a symbolic ritual of purification and initiation, is a significant rite of passage. As late as the 1950s, river submersion was common in both African- and Anglo-American Protestant churches but continues today primarily among African Americans.
They are symbolic of purification, washing away evil and healing the physical as well as the spiritual being. The ritual act of immersion carries the hope of renewal and freedom, ideas that have driven African-American spirituality.
Some would also consider drinking holy water. This was also done in ancient times. Since the mid-13th century, Pochayiv Lavra Monastery has been said to have divine protection and the springs that bring forth water are said to have healing powers[ix]. Taking on this notion that people once believe in the miraculous powers of holy water, companies have decide to bottle holy water for daily consumption. It is stated that this will provide a daily reminder of a godly way of living to one who drinks it, thus improve our spirit or behavior. But take heed, it also gives warning to those evil in nature, mentioning adverse physical effects. Search www.holydrinkingwater.info for further information.
So whether it was being baptized in water in relation to my spiritual life, drinking water to nourish my physical life, floating in the ocean to relax in life, or signing a petition to further research and development of hydro electrical plants in Colorado, I have certainly come to realize that water is very essential and beneficial to our life and our way of living. It has been said, ‘If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.’ We need to be proactive.
The amount of water we had thousands of years ago, we still have. If we seem a little short, we are. We have many water sources-rivers and lakes-that are polluted, unusable. A prime example of a creek that has become invisible to the community is the Newtown Creek in New York[x]. It has been given the title of the ‘Most polluted waterway in America.’ Every year thousand of marathon runners pass over this creek, maybe covering their noises because of the stench. No one knows the name of the creek; no one knows why it smells so bad. Their goal is to just get past it. This is valuable water being wasted. Communities have always flourished around water sources. The ability is there to create something beautiful and useful for the community. With that said, it is necessary for us to make water visible to us again and become cautious of how we use water. Every small step moves us forward.
- [i] http://www.olympic.org/uk/sports/programme/disciplines_uk.asp?DiscCode=SW
- [iii] http://www.nctcog.org
- [iv] http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/jb/gilded/hydro_1
- [v] http://www.en.wikipedia.org/hydroelectricity
- [vi] http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Ge-Hy/Hydroelectric-Power.html
- [vii] http://www.fisheaters.com/baptism2.html
- [viii] http://www.catholic.com/library/Infant_Baptism.asp
- [ix] http://www.mfa.gov.ua/serbia/serb/publication/content/25286.htm
- [x] http://www.pbs.org/pov/borders/2004/water
