I had to put up a quick blog post, as the US news headlines features NASA scientists declaring that the SW US is set for unprecedented drought that will last decades. Perhaps the only thing new in this view is that it is being confirmed by scientists, as I imagine many people expect this to be the norm within the context of climate disruption. Personally, we live in an area often affected by drought (New Mexico), and see its impact on our drinking water, agriculture and fires. Of course, this is not only the case in the US, but in other parts of the world as well, including the Americas.
There are two things that come to mind in reading through this:
1) Our relationship to water. Within our modern context, we treat water as though it were a fixed commodity. We extract it, exploit it, pollute it, bottle it and worry that we won’t have enough of it. What if we were to shift our frame, to see water as something that is alive, connected, that can grow, heal, sustain and regenerate? Would we open new realms of possibility in the way that we manage, allocate and perhaps even grow this elemental foundation to all life? This brings me to point #2:
2) We have recently (and some of the Saq’ Be’ team have ongoingly) had conversations with a Latin American representative for UNESCO. The group is highly aware of an impending water crisis throughout the Americas (from North to South) and sees a solution in turning towards the knowledge and wisdom of the continent’s Indigenous peoples. This is because humanity has learned much over time through our interconnected relationship with that which sustains us, and we are fortunate to have peoples that have not lost that connected lineage. They are able to teach us in the modern world, but it requires a fundamental transformation of the way we view that which gives us life – from a commodity towards a relationship. UNESCO is very serious about collecting, applying, and integrating this knowledge and wisdom while protecting the territories of first peoples.
Clearly this will be a delicate process, but it points towards the opportunity we have. My new friend here in New Mexico, Larry Littlebird, brought forth the question: what is the opportunity of climate change? This story highlights one for me, what are the other opportunities that you see?
Study: Unprecedented ‘Megadroughts’ Expected For U.S. After 2050
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