Intro Part 3: To Serve and Discover

You must admit, we've really got it good in the U.S. of A. My fellow countrymen can be proud that:

• We have clean, potable water, straight out of the tap, throughout the nation. [The Water Quality Act of 1965 and the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 ]

• We have "fishable and swimmable" bodies of water, almost completely free of pollution. [The Clean Water Act of 1972]

Impressive, no? Equally impressive, but not quite in the same way:

• Very few people actually know the source of the water that ends up in their homes. [Pat yourself on the back if you do know. Please kick yourself in the butt if you don't.]

• Sales of bottled water in the U.S. continue to increase dramatically. [Despite less frequent testing (compared to public water), a relatively high cost, and the addition of much unnecessary trash.]

"When the well runs dry, we know the worth of water." - Benjamin Franklin 

Though we are very fortunate (and sometimes ignorant of our good fortune), we are not without severe problems of our own. Our problems do not seem apparent because they have developed gradually or they are underground. It is the classic case of "out of sight, out of mind" and as long as fresh water magically comes out of our faucets at low prices, we tend to ignore issues like:

• Our water tables are being depleted faster than they are being replenished - e.g. in the American West, population and economic growth have stretched water resources to their limits, and running out within the next two decades is now a serious threat for cities like Phoenix and Las Vegas.
• We have an aging infrastructure in dire need of maintenance and repair - e.g. The longest water tunnel supplying New York City is 85 miles long and leaks 35 million gallons a day. No wonder there are alligators...

Still, compared to most countries, our availability of water and standards for water cleanliness are very high. As you might expect, water quality is directly related to both standard of living and standard of education. Both are high here in the U.S., but this is not the case in many parts of the world: Nearly half of all people on Earth do not have water piped to their homes; 1 out of every 8 does not have consistent access to clean water; Women in developing countries walk an average of 3.7 miles to fetch water and carry it home. Even though I believe the statistics, I haven't experienced it, and have trouble imagining it; so I wish to make a visit.

To Serve

The ultimate goal is to bring clean water close to people's homes, for when it becomes plentiful, the time previously spent caring for the sick or hauling water can be used instead to attend school, grow more food, raise more animals, or start a business. It is within my "sphere of influence" to help some people reach this goal since I am healthy, trained and educated, have some savings, have the support of friends and family, and  am without a family of my own (though starting one soon by marrying Ruth!). I am not out to save the world: just out to do what I can and learn what I can. With all that I've been given, it's only logical I give back.

Some people think it is strange to want to help strangers I have never met. I agree that it is strange, because we survival-focused humans are naturally equipped to react to immediate, local problems. Addressing problems occurring in other parts of the world is a more recent phenomenon, and requires thinking abstractly. I believe that in order to tackle the BIG issues, it will require more people to start thinking this way, and maybe then it will seem less strange. [Radiolab podcast: Killing Babies, Saving the World, has a great segment on this starting around the 06:30 mark]

Amazingly, solving the global water crisis today is technically possible (we have the technology and enough resources). However, it will not happen without sufficient effort, awareness, international cooperation, financial investment, and political support - coming from people able and willing to go beyond addressing only the problems right in front of them.

And Discover

I can't wait to go explore, and am full of mixed emotions about what I will discover: I feel nervous about overcoming difficulties inherent to working in a foreign country. I am curious to understand each place's unique customs, geography, and issues. I feel eager to work at mastering the three most widely used languages in the world. And of course, I feel very excited to find new foods and some good surf! I invite you to follow my progress and adventures.