- NEWS RELEASE
- August 28, 2008
Protect
Water Sources and Be Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise
You might
hear the well known campaign phrase "It's the economy stupid"
because of the upcoming presidential election, but you might
also hear it at this year's Great Miami River Days festival when
talking about the health of our water resources.
Most people
understand that clean water is important to stay healthy, but
few understand its link to financial prosperity. One of the greatest
resources and drivers in any economy is water. Every service
and good you can produce has a "water value." For example,
can you believe it has been estimated that it takes 2,500 gallons
of water to produce one pound of hamburger? That starts with
the water to grow the grain to feed the cow, the water the cow
drinks, the water to clean and process the beef, and so on. And
that's just one example. If you look at everyday items around
you, it is astounding how much water it takes to live in a modern
society. That is why most major cities in Ohio are located on
a major waterway. Water is the foundation for a prosperous community.
It plays a vital role in agriculture, industry, transportation,
recreation, and even tourism.
Fortunately,
Ohio is blessed with a wealth of water resources. We have Lake
Erie to the north, the Ohio River to the south, and an abundance
of groundwater beneath our feet. But that doesn't mean we should
waste it or take it for granted. We need to be wise enough to
conserve and protect our water resources to ensure the quality
of life and standard of living we now enjoy is available for
many generations to come.
The Great
Miami River Days festival focuses on water resource education
to help people understand not only how water flows through the
land, but how it flows through and is connected to every aspect
of their lives. We need water to live, to work and to play. Water
quality not only affects the health of the environment, but it
also affects the health of the economy -- agriculture, industry,
transportation, tourism -- and most importantly it affects human
health. Our purpose is to teach people to understand the value
of water resources so that they will care enough to protect them.
"In
the end, we will conserve only what we love, we will love only
what we understand, we will understand only what we are taught."
-- Baba Diouma, naturalist
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