MEDIUM RARE

A man of peace such as Pope Francis sees dark clouds forecasting World War 3, which he said is now “being fought piecemeal.”

Not only the kind fought as a show of military might between nations, but also the catastrophe that awaits humankind due to extreme climate and environmental degradation. To most people, the fear of another world war spells nuclear. Einstein went further: “I know not with what weapons World War 3 will be fought, but World War 4 will be fought with sticks and stones.”

Dare to paraphrase those words? End of war spells end of civilization.

During the last century, the fear was that war would break out over the ownership and control of petroleum sources, resources, and supplies. As a former president with the initials RRD liked to remind listeners, our islands are not blessed with oil, that’s why we are at the mercy of international traders dictating their prices.  

What does this country in this century fear most? Even as the threat of another El Niño looms, millions of residents in Metro Manila go about with nary a worry of another long drought, until such time as Manila Water and Maynilad put out their advisories asking subscribers to store water due to an impending, scheduled interruption of water distribution services. Meanwhile, the water levels of Angat, Magat, Ambuklao and other dams have not been going up, not until another period of sustained, strong rains (which will then cause flooding of fields and farms, streets and entire villages).

As Benjamin Franklin put it, “We know the worth of water when the well is dry.”

Exactly what my friend Mr. P fears every time he imagines the residents of 50 high-rise condominiums flushing their toilets at the same time. Just as horrible, he sees in his mind’s eye 50 more new buildings rising. “How, where will they get water for their residents?” he asks, knowing he won’t be getting any answers.

While we have a National Water Resources Board, we have not heard its directors tapping their divining rods to find new sources of water. Water is a gift of nature but man needs science to bring it, cleaned and purified and evenly distributed, into our homes.
 

Save water, save lives!