The Balance

Consumption and protection forms a kind of balance, which applies to the crucial object to people – water. And, how and in what level should the balance be kept? It is controversial when people face directly to the natural attributes they have. Born with necessary attribute of consuming water, people think to utilize water as many ways as they can: storing water in containers, building metal and wooden materials, putting out the fire…From the perspective of people, the actions can be reasonable, as what a person can react intuitionally when the person owns the need. But, the problems come out when people do not take necessary measures to restrict their usage, as the feedback that nature provides: water crises. It can be a widely-covered contamination of water in Flint, Michigan (Barry-Jester, What Went Wrong In Flint page 15) or a drought in Colorado caused by overuse (Owen, Where the Water Goes, page 2). So people should not only be users, but also protectors of water resource.

Either a policy or a quick fixing of one’s incorrect idea of using water can help people to reach the balance. But it can be true that sometimes a policy cannot work as soon as a mind-adjustment, or certain instructions on local water usage with numbers, because the latter ones are direct and convenient to find solutions. From my perspective, it may be efficient that people focus on figuring out pragmatic methods instead of propagandizing. As what Mulroy claims, “…If the lake goes that low, your water physically can’t get to you…Frame that water right…It’s useless.” (Owen, Where the Water Goes, page 3) It can be interesting when governors call for water advisory, listed with multiple goals but themselves doing the opposite, even if they know the purpose is to trying to reach the water balance. At the same moment, people can figure out the inappropriate actions to water they are doing and then correct them. Also, there are chances for people to go volunteering in local communities for water cleaning or education. Thus, the core point of balance can be: people focus on executing details mentioned in any water policy. And, when the micro actions are interacting with macro policies, people are approaching to the balance.