What sustainability worry keeps you awake at night?Water. Only 2.5% of the world’s water is fresh water. If you believe the science ... there will be 40% less of that fresh water by 2030, with the impacts of climate change. So the majority of my sleepless nights are spent thinking about collective action and the replenishment of fresh water, so that it’s available for food systems as well as for the future of my business.
The statement I have indented above is a quotation that comes from a Wall Street Journal article that is headlined as follows: "From Grain to Glass: Diageo Sustainability Chief Takes Holistic Approach to Net Zero."
The article is, essentially, a discussion between a Senior Publishing Editor at the Wall Street Journal, Perry Cleveland-Peck, and Ewan Andrew, the chief sustainability officer of Diageo—the company behind Johnnie Walker whisky and Guinness beer. Those bottles at the top of this blog posting, by the way, are made out of paper!
It's worth reading about the various sustainability initiatives being undertaken by Diageo, a major corporation, and if you can somehow slip past the paywall maintained by The Journal, I recommend the article in its entirety. Whether or not you are able to read the rest of the article, however, I am hoping that the statement I have quoted will have an impact on your thinking.
We tend to "take for granted" many things that are absolutely essential to our lives, and it would be hard to overstate how high water comes on that list of "essentials." Ewan Andrew's statement lets me highlight what ought to be a concern for us all.
I have friends in California's vast Central Valley who are focused intently on "water," because what has been taken for granted in the past is disappearing - and massive corporations are seeking to achieve dominion over the disappearing water that is so vital for our lives, individually, and collectively. Surely, the disastrous Los Angeles fires are sending us a lesson about "water," too.
Anyone who thinks that the kind of rapid and intense development underway in Santa Cruz doesn't pose a danger to our stable, long term water supply, isn't thinking clearly. The City's staff says, "no problem," but is that what YOU think?
"Water" is a political issue of preeminent importance. Ordinary people need to be involved in deciding what we are going to do about it. If the future of our water supplies are not keeping you awake at night, then I have a piece of advice:
WAKE UP NOW!
Image Credit:
Thanks Gary, I am forwarding to my granddaughter who will soon begin working for the law firm that represents SC City. I'd love to come up your way this fall and introduce you. In peace Rochelle
ReplyDelete