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| A resource more precious than gold |
It gives life. It takes life. We can have too much of it or we can have too little of it. We love it and we hate it. We pollute it then we spend millions trying to purify it.
Every day on television we see its significance to life in Third World countries and we generously make donations to projects that supply it.
Yet here at home we don't recognise its importance and waste it on a large scale. One thing is for sure, no nation, no matter how wealthy and sophisticated it may be, can either produce it or do without it.
It's more precious than gold. It's called water. | | | At present we are all witnessing just how quickly the decline in drinking water can bring a nation to its knees.
All over this island we have seen the hardships people are experiencing just trying to get enough water to meet their basic needs. |
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For decades I have seen the enormous abuse of water in Ireland and find it appalling. Leaking pipes are ignored. Pollution of our waterways is a way of life and water management is practically non-existent.
My experience tells me that this must change.
As a young man of 18, I emigrated to Australia on the assisted passage scheme for 10 quid.
There I worked as a 'rouseabout' on a sheep station.
Water was both precious and scarce.
Every Saturday night before going to the dance in Kilmore (often on horseback), three of us would share the same bath water. The last person out of the bath would then scoop all the water out and put it in a bucket and pour the used water on the trees around our house.
We never pulled the plug and wasted water.
Now I am not suggesting that everyone in the country starts to bathe together -- but we must stop taking water for granted and learn to manage it. Because when it's all said and done, water is more precious than gold. |
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Tom Roche
Rhode, Co Offaly |
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| Reproduced courtesy of The Irish Independent, Monday January 18 2010 |
