The Rain Promises Clean Water
Chuck Nafziger
October 14, 2014
It is dismaying that in many parts of the world, human activity has added pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, hormones, antibiotics and even radiation to local water supplies. Rivers, lakes and ground water are being impacted. Even the rain can bring in acidic components, mercury, PCBs and other toxins. I have to laugh at human "exceptionalism". I am glad we live in an oasis of good water.
Here in our neighborhood, we are blessed with fairly clean rain water. Much of the crap Asia puts in the air drops out in its trip across the Pacific and there are few power plants or other major pollution generators upwind of us. We are in a favorable niche on a stressed Earth. We still get a beautiful quantity of water that makes our neighborhood a lush, green paradise. Forest fires are rare in our damp climate. Droughts are rare here and I hope it remains that way.
I count my blessings that I drink my own well water. My well gets its water from ground water and I know all the people between me and the nearby hilltop from which it flows. I minimally filter the water and have tested it for bacteria, so I know it has good mineral content and safe bacterial levels. In general, Americans are deficient in minerals. Agribusiness vegetables are grown in depleted soil with just enough specific fertilizers to produce large, plump, tasteless, non-nutritious, herbicide laden lumps of matter. They are over washed to remove some of the added toxins, so they are very deficient in the minerals humans have evolved to need and use in the complex chemical processes of growth and healing. Michael Pollan talks about this in his book "In Defense of Food". Even industrially grown "organics" are deficient in natural minerals. The vegetables I get from my garden and from the Bow Little Market are beautiful and tasty!
City water systems over filter water in a largely unsuccessful attempt to remove all the chemical toxins, hormones and other pollutants from their water sources. Even co-op water is filtered through a reverse osmosis system that, in its attempt to remove toxins, takes out many necessary minerals. The more I study and ponder the journey of the water from the rain to my water glass, the more I like my well water.
My pond is filling up again after losing a couple of feet of depth over the dry summer. It is cool now, but still swimmable. Mushrooms, many edible, are responding to the wonderful rain (hope to see you this Sunday at the Mushroom Show). The winter browse for my goats is greening up.
I am not a summer person. I do not relish the heat and biting insects. I had too many sun burns as a stupid kid and as a teenaged lifeguard to even consider basking in the sun now. Bring on the rain and I count my many blessings.
Chuck Nafziger
October 14, 2014
It is dismaying that in many parts of the world, human activity has added pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, hormones, antibiotics and even radiation to local water supplies. Rivers, lakes and ground water are being impacted. Even the rain can bring in acidic components, mercury, PCBs and other toxins. I have to laugh at human "exceptionalism". I am glad we live in an oasis of good water.
Here in our neighborhood, we are blessed with fairly clean rain water. Much of the crap Asia puts in the air drops out in its trip across the Pacific and there are few power plants or other major pollution generators upwind of us. We are in a favorable niche on a stressed Earth. We still get a beautiful quantity of water that makes our neighborhood a lush, green paradise. Forest fires are rare in our damp climate. Droughts are rare here and I hope it remains that way.
I count my blessings that I drink my own well water. My well gets its water from ground water and I know all the people between me and the nearby hilltop from which it flows. I minimally filter the water and have tested it for bacteria, so I know it has good mineral content and safe bacterial levels. In general, Americans are deficient in minerals. Agribusiness vegetables are grown in depleted soil with just enough specific fertilizers to produce large, plump, tasteless, non-nutritious, herbicide laden lumps of matter. They are over washed to remove some of the added toxins, so they are very deficient in the minerals humans have evolved to need and use in the complex chemical processes of growth and healing. Michael Pollan talks about this in his book "In Defense of Food". Even industrially grown "organics" are deficient in natural minerals. The vegetables I get from my garden and from the Bow Little Market are beautiful and tasty!
City water systems over filter water in a largely unsuccessful attempt to remove all the chemical toxins, hormones and other pollutants from their water sources. Even co-op water is filtered through a reverse osmosis system that, in its attempt to remove toxins, takes out many necessary minerals. The more I study and ponder the journey of the water from the rain to my water glass, the more I like my well water.
My pond is filling up again after losing a couple of feet of depth over the dry summer. It is cool now, but still swimmable. Mushrooms, many edible, are responding to the wonderful rain (hope to see you this Sunday at the Mushroom Show). The winter browse for my goats is greening up.
I am not a summer person. I do not relish the heat and biting insects. I had too many sun burns as a stupid kid and as a teenaged lifeguard to even consider basking in the sun now. Bring on the rain and I count my many blessings.
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