Should We Share Our Wealth of Water?

Snow: Treasures of the LS Shore ~Enlarge

The much discussed and easily passed into law Great Lakes Compact is back in the news. There is action in Wisconsin related to the first diversion request as now the agreement is starting to be scrutinized in practical vs. theoretical terms.

The Compact was prominent in Chicago recently as the Illinois Humanities Council hosted a discussion on the scarcity and abundance of oil and water in certain regions of the world - and the impact those natural resources have on their locales. The seminar was titled All's Fair in Oil and Water: Conflicts, Compromises, and Compacts. 

The first of three presenters talked about the environmental and political impact that Nigeria's oil abundance has had on local citizens. Despite the money that oil brings, it hasn't all been good for the locals. The second presenter discussed India's water scarcity issues and how local communities are working collaboratively to solve water problems. In some places in India their work is a little like finding a way to share a thimble of water.

Both experts focused on the humanitarian issues related to oil and water.

The third presentation was by a highly respected expert on the Great Lakes who was introduced as one of the "architects of the Great Lakes Compact."  He gave a well prepared overview of the Lakes and the issues they face. This was followed by a primer on the Compact including how it came to be and what it is supposed to do.

All well and good except there was no humanitarian reference in his talk. The event was afterall sponsored by a humanities council.  

The program moderator was Jerome McDonnell from Chicago Public Radio. After presentations, McDonnell seized on the discrepancy and started the discussion by asking the Great Lakes representative why Great Lakes water shouldn't be shared with needy regions.

The response was a technical one about the fact that only 1% of Lakes water is replenished each year, it is vulnerable, and we must conserve it for future generations. All true statements but they didn't address the question or issue.

During the Q&A I was able to ask why the Compact says "next to nothing about sharing water for humanitarian reasons." For the record, the are 11,691 words in the Compact and 17 of those words talk about sharing for humanitarian purposes.

The Great Lakes expert said there is a provision for disasters or firefighting.

My point is this.

We live in one of the most water abundant regions of the world. We just enacted this landmark, for the ages agreement to preserve Great Lakes water for future generations.

And a by-product of this agreement is that we end up as a region looking greedy at a humanities forum on the scarcity of water. We look greedy because we are.

The Great Lakes needed an agreement to conserve water for future generations. And everyone understands that compromises had to be made in order to secure the deal. But a Compact that made a specific exemption for a product that exemplifies gross and conspicuous consumption, bottled water, yet ignores water for humanitarian purposes, is fatally flawed.

In the future, no law or Compact will stand up to the pressure and images of people dying for lack of water, while we hoard 20% of the Earth's supply of fresh surface water and facilitate its usage in global warming plastic bottles.

If the Compact's architects really want to protect the Great Lakes for future generations, they'll fix this flaw.

If they don't, someone else will and the Great Lakes will be worse off for our lack of caring.

Perhaps the best quote of the evening came from a water activist from India. Commenting on the abundance of water and the consumption habits of the people in North America the activist said -

"nature can fulfill the need of everyone, but not the greed of everyone." 

This is not a legacy I care to own.  Let's find a sustainable way to share our wealth of water.

gw

Here are the 17 words in the Compact concerning diversions for humanitarian reasons.

To use in a non-commercial project on a short-termbasis for firefighting, humanitarian, or emergency response purposes.