Water,Water,Everywhere
But can we drink it? And is it everywhere forever...
Espresso maker loaded up with coffee and water and a few minutes later I am caffeinated.
Coffee is fairly safe for most of us and as far as we know it is not a carcinogen.
Let me remind you about PFA’s:
Per- andd poly-fluoroalkyl substances – commonly known as PFAS – are a group of over 14,000 human-made chemicals that have been popular since the 1950s. For exampl,e these forever chemicals have been used in:
Ø Cleaning products.
Ø Water-resistant fabrics, such as rain jackets, umbrellas and tents.
Ø Grease-resistant paper.
Ø Nonstick cookware.
Ø Personal care products, like shampoo, dental floss, nail polish, and eye makeup.
Ø Stain-resistant coatings used on carpets, upholstery, and other fabrics.
Interesting as hell that many of these uses are products that are close to or used on your body or to cook your food. Throw that Teflon out if you still use it. Firefighting foam has been a big culprit in spreading PFA’s in some areas and shedding it into the water.
Joe Jackson wrote back in 1982 “Everything Gives You Cancer”. He did not mention water. He was probably drinking Perrier anyway.
That takes us to water around the world. You google ‘water and pfa’s” and your screen will fill with studies and concerns and pollutants in our water that will make you switch to beer. Oh shit, beer is mostly water, isn’t it?
Australia did not think PFA’s were a big deal until 2017 or so. Check out this chart.
A recent UNSW-led international study, published in Nature Geoscience, illustrates the global problem we are facing. Simply, PFA’s are everywhere, we all have them inside of us and we do not know if there is a safe level. Most countries do not treat their water for PFA’s because of the cost involved in re-jigging their plants.
(https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-024-01402-8)
Australian guidelines do not meet the new US guidelines on exposure. Once again, we are human guinea pigs for whatever the multinationals have created to sell their NEW-ADVANCED-SUPER products.
Water. In the 1960s people switched to bottled water because they were concerned over the purity of tap water.
Then people forgot to trust the most accurate way to know you need a drink, THIRST, and started carrying around reusable water bottles to ensure they drank their recommended amount. We are funny people.
In 2022, 2 billion dollars in reusable water bottles were sold in the USA. More consumption, but fuck, the population is hydrated and exposed to even more carcinogens. Where do all those old reusable water bottles go? In my house, they appear to go under the sink or the back seat of cars. People leave them behind or another one purchased to avoid single-use plastic pollution.
We still don’t know what we are drinking and if it is clear of PFA’s even if we are using water filters at home. Just a reminder PFA’s were found in the billions of single-use plastic bottles of water that people consumed. Everything gives you…..
Cancer rates in those under 50 have increased dramatically over the last 3 decades. Some of the reasons stated are that many unhealthy changes have affected diet, lifestyle, obesity, the environment, and our microbiomes. None specifically say WATER, but I guess you can put that under environment.
“We found that this risk is increasing with each generation.”
Shuji Ogino, professor, physician-scientist
Is it all too late? Have we been told to hydrate for decades and now we have all ingested so much water that our cancer rates will just continue to rise? The water looks fine, it smells fine, but it certainly is starting to feel like drinking water is not safe.
This is a topic that will not be going away.
Water is vital for our survival. Not only has it been tainted, but it is also scarce.
A quarter of the population of our planet, 1.84 billion people, are living under drought. Most of these people are in low and middle-income nations where water is vital for farming. Especially crops like rice, which truly depend on a good source of water.
We don’t hear much about droughts because they don’t move like missiles in a war zone. They take a bit of time to do their damage and they are silent.
One such place that is living in drought conditions is a city with 22 million people. Mexico City pumps its water from underground and they supposedly lose 40% of its water due to the leaking infrastructure that supplies the water. News stories say they could run out of water this month. That may be a tad sensational, but who knows when Day Zero will happen.
Drought, like PFA’s, is everywhere.
How does this news help you? Well, it shows the disregard capitalism has had for humanity. Nothing new to ponder. Just the facts, ma’am.
Here a couple of beautiful Aussie Birds to make you smile.
