by Morgan Rusnak
With Thanksgiving only a few days away, it’s hard not to be taking inventory of the things we’re thankful for: Friends, family, a great education and the privilege of clean drinking water. Thanksgiving is a perfect way to celebrate the beauty of water and the power of sustainability.
Even though it’s long been regarded as a gluttonous and excessive tradition, Thanksgiving really makes me appreciate the seemingly simple concept of water. Living about a block away from Lake Michigan, it’s easy to take this kind of resource for granted.
At the same time, it’s refreshing to take a step back and think about how deeply a city’s culture can be rooted in its natural resources. In some areas of the world, a lake or a river will never represent clean, safe drinking water like it does for me. In some places, ‘the lakefront’ isn’t home to miles of beautiful parks or harbors — it’s a blighted, contaminated reminder that water can’t be wasted.
I’m also thankful that I have the resources to educate people about water sustainability and why it’s important. Especially in water-rich regions, it’s crucial to get people impassioned with caring about their water usage.
This Thanksgiving, be thankful for the water we can so easily take advantage of. From drinking and cooking to boating and recreation to simply having a beautiful natural resource to marvel at.
Take a minute and tell someone why water is so important to you. Encourage them to focus on their own sustainability and water conservation efforts. Empower someone to appreciate water in a brand new way.
Morgan Rusnak is finishing up a major in Social Welfare & Justice and a minor in Social Entrepreneurship at Marquette University. She works with H2O Score, empowering consumers, businesses and communities to take control of their water usage and understand why it’s important to promote water sustainability.
Lake Michigan photo via Shutterstock
You must be logged in to post a comment.