Without fresh water to drink, we’re dead in about three days. Yet for many of us, water is just another consumable product, available when we need it and damned — or dammed — when we don’t. The truth is that while many, from sailors and hydrologists to water treatment engineers and marine biologists, work with water, few revere water as our lifeblood, let alone ponder the origins, mysteries, and glories of its 332 million cubic miles, or appreciate that it constitutes 60 percent of our own bodies.
Ancient cultures knew better. The Aztecs and Egyptians each had multiple water deities, including Tlaloc, the Aztec god of rain and Amimitl, god of lakes and fishermen, not to mention Hapi, the Egyptian god of the Nile flood. But it was the ancient Greeks who truly respected water’s essence and authority. There are no fewer than 30 deities associated with water in Greek mythology, some so refined in their powers that they held sway over sea spray and whirlpools, and others like Phorcys, whose giant portfolio made him responsible for the hidden dangers of the deep.
Fast forward to the 21st century and water — or its absence — dominates the headlines, thanks to extreme droughts, floods, hurricanes, mammoth fires, and heat waves. Yet while water may be in our heads, it’s not top of mind in the ways that matter. Here are five reasons why we need to reconsider our…
