A Quick Thought for World Water Month

I am glad that scientists at the UN have brought into question the highly promoted model of the ‘three pillars’ which ranked economic and social development at par with environmental protection. They propose a different paradigm where the economy is a subset of social activity and collaboration which is itself a subset of the environmental health of the biosphere. If we are to meet the needs of the present without compromising those of the future then environmental health must be the guiding force.

So how do we go about changing the status quo perception? One way is to give the environment the same daily presence in our lives as the economy. We are constantly bombarded on the fluctuations of the market, the ups and downs of stocks and how this particular climb or downfall will affect everything we cherish. What if we were to have updated reports following this on how many lives were lost due to waterborne diseases, how many have gone without food, the volume of soil loss due to bad farming practices, the amounts of water used for fracking with associated volume of chemicals use and their poisonous ranking, how many inches or feet have the aquifers lowered, what amount of CO2 has been added to the atmosphere, etc. You get the picture. In fact it would be great if included in all the latest tech gadgets that are in our vehicles, one should show the amount of CO2 generated per mile, this then can be used for CO2 tax charges in income tax returns; pay-as-you-go would have a different meaning. Of course the cost of vehicle and wages will need to be factored in for the best performing cars are also the most expensive and this would advantage the well to do over others, but I believe it would stir people to demand better, timely and efficient public transit. We don’t stop here, what if around town we place stations that read air quality? We have traditionally placed clocks in this way and temperature gauges, the step would be minimal. In a 2005 concept for the Chicago River I proposed a water quality index info board of this nature, it was not executed. If people had the information on environmental degradation as part of their daily intake I am certain that we would respond in kind. Imagine having the same exposure for environmental status as advertising, do you think it would change our perception and lifestyle?