Why are the Wealthy buying all the Water?

Sometimes the immediate problem is so overwhelming that it does not allow a broader perspective. Scenes of thousands or tens of thousands of refugees fleeing to Europe has tested the heart and integrity of many institutions. Since so many European leaders were elected to reduce newcomers to their borders, there was a major landslide of right wing groups to positions of power. Contrast that, with the overwhelming humanitarian response engendered in so many European citizens at the obvious helplessness of refugees fleeing war.  That photograph of a tiny drowned three year old on a beach in Turkey hit home. 

The media shows its ingrained amoral approach with headlines screaming, “Build a bigger wall to keep the hoards out!” or “Our Culture under threat!” The next day they proclaim self righteously, “How many more must die getting to Europe?”  Our frenetic bipolar media is driven by circulation figures and set their moral compass by the prevailing wind direction. It seems our politicians, institutions or media are not to be trusted. So perhaps a clearer perspective can be gained by examining not what they are saying but what they are doing? 

George Bush (net worth $20 million) is busy buying huge qualities of land, 300,000 acres in the sparsely populated wastes of Paraguay, in South America. His land, though not impressive in appearance, rests atop one of the largest freshwater aquifers in the world: Acuifero Guarani.

Acuifero Guarani covers roughly 460,000 square miles under parts of Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina and is estimated to contain about 8,900 cubic miles of water.  Other major companies are following his path, as water has been identified as a critical commodity. Wall Street banks and multibillionaires are acquiring water assets as fast as they possibly can. Philippine’s Manuel V. Pangilinan (net worth $508 million), Hong Kong’s Li Ka-shing (net worth $26.6 billion) and T. Boone Pickens (net worth US$1.2 billion) are racing to get their hands on this newest commodity, more precious and vital than oil.  Legal structures are already strengthening their strangle hold on water rights. Gary Harrington’s case in Oregon is an example. He tried to use rain water collected in  three ponds on his own land ended up in prison for 30 days. Contrast this with Boone Pickens draining 65,000,000 gallons of water a year from the Ogallala Aquifer.  Note: Once depleted, the aquifer will take over 6,000 years to replenish naturally through rainfall

Those of you experiencing an endless downpour (as in N. Ireland!), are probably asking what is so special about water? Well, like most things such as mobility, health and security  it is not until you lose something that you begin to appreciate how important it is. In the case of water, man-made climate change has altered our world. To get a broader perspective we have to look at our world and understand where droughts have been happening.

East Africa has suffered from the worst drought in 60 years.  Somalia. Dibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya are suffering and the resulting disastrous harvests mean starvation is not far behind these droughts.  In Afghanistan, as a result of droughts, 60-80% of their livestock has died.  In India 130 million people have been affected by water shortages.  Iran has just had their worst drought in a hundred years.  Morocco’s worst drought in a decade has affected 70% of its arable land.  Three million people in Pakistan face starvation due to drought devastated crops.  Brazil has faced its worst drought in 80 years and São Paulo with a population11.8 million (a megacity) is dealing with a nasty water crisis.   South Africa has had their worst drought since 1992 (twenty three years ago).  Syria, from 2006 to 2011 suffered their worst drought and crop failure in recorded history.  Is the picture becoming clear?  Climate change is happening and the resulting water shortages with crop failures are destabilising, creating wars and millions of refugees.

How does the world respond?  Will nationalism, xenophobia and chaos do anything other than empower the really rich and really powerful to proceed with an agenda that beggars belief.  The gap between rich and poor has never been greater.  “Billionaires and politicians gathering in Switzerland this week will come under pressure to tackle rising inequality after a study found that – on current trends – by next year, 1% of the world’s population will own more wealth than the other 99%.” Don’t expect those without water, food or security to stay and die at home quietly.  They cannot be the price the rich are willing to pay for their bottom line.  Ask yourself, if it was your family what would you do?  Would staying put even be an option?

By not standing back to see the broader picture we can waste so many valuable resources.  When Southern and Central Somalia’s acute malnutrition rose from 16.4% to 36.4% in 2011 the world was having to spend three million dollars over five months to truck in water.  Spending only 900,000 dollars to mitigate the drought and build up water resources beforehand would have saved money and more lives.

We have an obligation to ask the larger questions.  Why, when the earth is facing global challenges  that are frankly more scary than anyone wants to admit (climate predictions) are we allowing the flames of nationalism and economic greed prevent us from finding a sensible and sustainable way forward. When people get annoyed at an influx of refugees from Syria, Afghanistan or Somalia at least let us be armed with the facts behind their heartache and suffering.


1. http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-new-water-barons-wall-street-mega-banks-are-buying-up-the-worlds-water/5383274
2.  http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/corporations-grabbing-land-and-water-overseas/
3.  http://www.citymetric.com/horizons/drought-megacity-sao-paulo-withering-after-dry-wet-season-1244
4. http://agorafinancial.com/2015/04/24/why-did-george-bush-buy-nearly-300000-acres-in-paraguay/
5.  http://www.wri.org/blog/2015/06/global-tour-7-recent-droughts

which player are you?

This is a quiz to figure out what kind of player you are. First spin the wheel at the bottom of this posting and then find the account that represents that chess piece.

King

As the most important player there are many that forget you are central to the purpose of the whole game of life. The fact that your speed and strength is minimal only disguises your position of importance. Don’t let slow small daily steps blind you to this reality. Without you all is lost. Everyone can sacrifice themselves in your defence because your protection is vital. You are like a royal falcon that soars but if you allow yourself to become besmirched with unworthy pursuits you will miss the whole point of your existence.! 

Queen

You tower above everyone in strength of character and inner power. Such capacity and drive is found very rarely. At times it is hidden, like a sheathed sword, but when you take action your true nature dominates and influences beyond your conception. Remember that high thoughts have little significance unless translated into the field of action. Make sure your strengths and capacity find correct direction and focus. Your excellence will arise from service to humanity not in personal glory or adulation of others. Don’t let how others perceive you become a veil between you and your own heart.! 

pawn

The most insignificant piece and the most common. The slowest and least agile. But the first to initiate and with perseverance can go to the final scene of life totally transformed into the most powerful player on the board. Such an unexpected metamorphosis lies in your own determination and patience. The person you are meant to be is closer than your life vein, believe it!! 

Bishop

By associating with those in power or with with wealth you can lose the purity and power that becomes you. Breaking free of the confined set/court your ability to dominate across wide fields of activity is clear. Your vision once cleared enables action in areas that are of inestimable value to humanity. See with your own eyes and not through the eyes of others.! 

Rook/Castle

You begin constrained and confined. These early days do not allow you the movement and sweeping endeavours that call to you. Gradually, your real worth will become apparent. You are a salve to those around you. A shelter in testing times and a real fortress of well-being. With the right partnership in life your considerable powers become enhanced and unbeatable. 

knight

You are unique in nature but also in how you operate. This distinction gives you traction when others are blocked in or confined. Being different from all the rest gives you skills that can match and indeed surpass much stronger players. Have confidence in who you are not in what others expect from you. Don’t be of those whose words differ from their deeds! 

Finding yourself among the lemmings

Am listening to Guardians of Galaxy sound track.  Don’t know why I like it so much.  There is a lightness about the songs that lifts my heart.  Years ago we all made cassettes of our favourite music and surrounded ourselves with that daydreaming space that they brought.  Then life becomes more serious and we get older and somehow listening to music became something that you do when you put the radio on, or overhear in the background on films.  Incidental and by accident as if an hour of listening to exactly what you wanted was an indulgence too far.  

I also remember playing non stop an American self help tape about making goals and achieving them.  Very assertive and formulaic.  In sure tones you were told that everything in life was possible you just had to have a clear vision of what you wanted, plan the steps to get there and have a clear finishing date for completion.  Reflection was a tool to be used to adjust to set backs and accelerate achievements.  People could and would he pointed out get in your way.  You had to build up momentum to weather such blocks.  Like a sailboat you needed movement to catch the wind and avoid becoming be stilled.  Keeping moving also did not let people cling to you and slow your progress.  Having go getters around you helped your goal attainment, he said.  Learn from the winners, he repeated twice in ringing tones.

What a load of shit!  My conclusion is this guy got things all wrong.  Achieving goals can be the biggest waste of a life.  It can blind you to the only really important thing in your life.  It can mean sacrificing the only  people that matter for some crap you only think you need.  The reason being rich is such a burden is the time you end up spending with other selfish rich assholes.  They can effectively steal from you the precious time that life has given you.  Whether that is time with your kids, your parents, your community or your partner there is simply nothing that compensates for that loss.  Don’t kid yourself that in some mystic future you will be thanked for all the hard work you put in, the houses that you bought, the money that you acquired.  All of it is actually worth less than the black dot in the eye of an ant.  Finding that out can be traumatic.  Especially, when it has been the compass of one’s life.  Instead of looking around you at those on a similar path take a step back and examine the quality of your life and the people in it.  We can discover that we are following ‘lemming like’ a lifestyle that does not make us happy but one we perversely cling to because everyone else is running alongside us doing the same.

There is a certain comfort in knowing we are following a familiar and crowded path.  But ultimately there is a part of you that has a unique sound track that will make you happy in a way no other can.     Find it fast, step back and look around at all the people you see around you daily on streets, at work, shopping.  Recognise the high percentage of them that are truly miserable and make another choice.  Dig up your favourite song tracks and make your soundtrack, a good hour at least, and then just listen.  Listen to where your thoughts go, what reflections bubble up, good or bad.  Allow daydreaming, watching sunsets, admiring nature and even silences into your life.  In the stillness of your own personal place find you.  Remember what makes you tick and smile.  Allow memories to be triggered rather than appetites fed.  Stop coping with what life throws, with the challenges of others and find and claim space for you.  You are so worth it.

PS It is surprising to find that the lemmings throwing themselves off cliffs is rather an urban myth.  Apparently, a 1958 documentary called Wild wilderness by Disney won awards and acclaim showed lemmings diving off cliffs.  It turns out that there is no proof that an assemblage of wild lemmings would actually carry out such mass suicide.  The film makers chased the animals off the cliff to good effect! It did win them an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.  You can watch the original above. 

Sitting put, Restless ripples

I sit in silence

the sun sets

Tiny ripples on a blue bedspread

easy, easing thoughts

erasing my mind gradually

until I feel only my weight

on this bench

heavily substantial

anchored to the spot

my mind roaming free

in need of purpose and direction

stationary and abreech

making little headway

rocking on one spot

the line of the horizon

measures out my being

the sea beckons

but my anchor has stuck hard

going nowhere fast

restless ripples of

useless endeavour

Rain and resilience

First day back in Malta after six weeks in the UK. The heat feels such a shock. Even as I stepped out of the plane at 9 in the evening the temperature was incredible. You tend to forget when staying in the UK that in these southern climes it is the hot sweaty nights that surprise you.  Mind you, it is rich of me to complain so quickly, as in Northern Ireland we have had probably the worst summer ever. In fact, it is more truthful to say that summer was all but cancelled with constant windy rainy weather. 

Every morning in Northern Ireland when the TV weather forecast began my mother would snort in a mixture of both outrage and laughter at the bleak predictions. You could tell the weather forecaster was scraping the bottom of the barrel when he suggested there may be a chance of a tiny bit of sunshine for a brief period mid-morning. There wasn’t, but you know he had to think of something else to say other than, “it's going to be another piss poor day again today”. Coming from the intense heat in Malta in July, I was initially overjoyed with the cool crisp days in Northern Ireland. I waxed lyrical about the greenness of everything and the joy of needing a quilt at night. But after a month of dismal weather and no sign of a blue sky I was beginning to tire of indoor living. 

You can dress for Irish weathers. My aunt dons an all-weather outfit and walks come hail or snow every day. But not all of us have her determination.  When I open the door and it's lashing down, grey clouds being whisked with a vicious wind - my willpower wilts. Not all are as chicken as me! I regularly spotted women wearing their summer gear, tank tops, short skirts and sandals walking along streets sodden with rain.  It was as if they’d decided, 

“I bought my summer outfits, it is August and I'm wearing them - dam it! After all, it will be 12 months until there is a possibility of another summer. Goodness knows what size I’ll be then! What fashion changes might take place?” 

There was a sort of brave resilience about them.  Rather like the family on the beach in Portrush. They all wore anoraks over their swimsuits as they dug in the sand on the beach in driving relentless rain. You have to admire their tenacity. 

I've walked to my favourite cafe here in Malta. It was blissful to step into the air conditioning from the blistering heat. I only arrived yesterday, so I am still examining the clear blue sky with an air of UK expectancy. Surely it will rain soon? Do I have my umbrella? 

I've just read the Malta Times, filled with angst against politicians and their corruption. I suspect if you open the newspaper in many countries the language and climate will be different, but some problems seem universal. Time to head off home back along the coast hugging any shade I can find.

Falling and false fancies

On the 31st of July I was visiting my son and family in Folkstone with my mum.  We had flown over to look after my grandson while his childminder was off on holiday.  He is a delightful child and full of energy as only a 2 year old can be.  My mum and I worked together and found it delightful getting to know this little chap.  

There is something about being the major caretakers that creates a bond between you and a small child.  There is also much laughter and smiles when small children are involved.   Every night when my mum took her medication Charlie would haul himself up on the  sofa to get a better view of her taking her inhaler, sprays, pills, lotions etc and roar with laughter at the sight.  It was as if she was putting on a nightly show for his entertainment.  He never tired of this routine and his reaction made us laugh each night.  

Seeing a small child examine the sea, the stones, the insects reminds you of the amazing world we live in.  It is all so completely new to him you are reminded of the miracle of even the simplest thing around you.  Then on the third day while walking Charlie along the sea front my mum fell.  It was a bad fall and somehow both she and Charlie ended up on the ground.  My mum’s injuries were considerable and included a fractured elbow, bruised ribs, a colourful blow to the side of the head and a large bleeding wound to the arm.  Picture the scene, a two year old crying on the ground with a small cut to his palm and my eighty two year old mother lying not far away in agony.  We were on an isolated promenade by the sea and quite some distance from a road or town.  

As we pondered what to do a couple of joggers appeared, aged 20- 30 both male.  I supported my mother’s shoulders on the ground waiting for the shock to pass and the two joggers passed us by without a word.  A distraught two year old and a bleeding eighty year-old were obviously not on their exercise programme that day.  I asked Charlie to bring his great granny some water from the buggy and with tears running down his cheeks he raced to the buggy and brought the water bottle. 

Three weeks have passed and recovery has been slow, painful and steady.  The medical staff in Folkstone were fantastic, my son and his wife looked after us with much love but what sticks in my head for some reason is the sight of those two joggers ignoring us.  They had to run around all three of us.  I keep wondering what on earth were they thinking?  Was there some other priority that took precedence?  There are times when you just have to scratch your head and wonder, just what is going on in this world.  Has present day isolation taught us to be immune to human suffering?  Does the plight of others leave us cold and indifferent?    Are we all too busy with our own concerns to react?  I have no answers but only questions.  Can we even see those less fortunate than ourselves?  Do we see the world we live in and those we share it with?  

Through the eyes of a two year old this world is beautiful full of beauty.  Charlie is still at that stage that he greets everyone in a cafe as though they were his best friends.  He is as fascinated with an ant as an eagle.  All of this world is there waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.  At what stage on life’s journey do we turn away from each other and cease to care?  Does our inability to register the needs of others coincide with our inability to be truly happy?  

Three things that bring happiness!

I read recently that the three things that make most people happy are

Going to sleep in a freshly changed bed

Feeling the sun on your face

 and the third was experiencing acts of unexpected kindness from strangers

I found this quite cheering. I honestly didn’t think that these things would be high on most people’s list.  Mind you, what makes you happy really depends on what you have experienced previously.  For example, if you have been in hospital visiting a loved one the one thing that will tick all your boxes is their speedy recovery and return home.  Alternatively, if you yourself have had a severe accident or illness and are at present stuck in hospital you probably have a much more basic and immediate wish list.

to be able to pass urine or stools - it is a little known fact that under severe trauma the body shuts off what it sees as unnecessary options and all things toilet fall under that

being flat on your back unable to turn means your desire to be able to turn onto your side becomes an exquisite luxury and sitting up unaided a distant goal

the dependence on others is such a reminder of one’s intolerable situation that any degree of regaining your own ability to wash, eat and move is seen as a tremendous step forward

It always amazes me that hospital life when you are in one, constricts to become your whole world.  When you manage to leave it is as if you find yourself in a different part of the universe.  These two places exist together but there is some mental moat that cuts us off from hospitals perhaps to protect us.  To remember those lying in hospital beds struggling with pain and fear is too much to assimilate on a daily basis so we edit it out.  That seems to make things much better.  But such choices often mean we are not seeing the world we actually live in.  Children and young people are  no longer taken to visit the dying or elderly in hospital.  It is considered too traumatic for them to contemplate such things.  Yet pretending such things do not exist or happen does not prepare them for their own life’s journey.  We can botox and facelift all we like, eventually things do not go well.  Hanging onto youth is a waste of time.  Ageing is remorseless.  As a witty old uncle whispered to me at a family gathering, “This ageing is not for ginnies!”  (ginnies - those with a nervous disposition/cowards)  It was the same uncle who over heard me criticising Northern Ireland politics and announced, “It’s a poor bird that shits in its own nest!”  

There are those who do not forget the reality of hospital life, who choose a different path.  My mother’s neighbour here used to be a Dr Blair.  He was a minister and his wife was suffering from dementia.  Regularly she would come to my parent's door and demand to be let in.  Dr Blair would come round and kindly lead her home apologising graciously.  Dr Blair was ill himself and a great age.  He walked with difficulty and much pain.  You felt he was not long for this world.  But each day he visited the wards of the local hospital going from bed to bed having sweet conversations.  I once sat and listened as he spoke to a dying man in the next bed.  This was no lecture full of brimstone and fire threats.  He talked honestly and listened.  He let them discuss death and what they feared and felt.  He did not rush to reassure with words.  He held hands and stroked shoulders.  He asked about their loved ones, about their life, asked if they wanted water or a fan.  When he spoke about dying, it was as if he too would soon be taking that final journey and the two of them were just fellow travellers on a well worn path.  He mentioned his own feelings and failings.  There was laughter too, unexpected and raw.  Usually, because Dr Blair was not good on his feet and fell quite often.  He would apologise for his bleeding head, knee or hand with the same expression, “I’m sorry, I know I’m a terrible sight but there you go!” I couldn’t understand why this was greeted with howls of laughter by the patients around him.  But after a week, I too found his bloodied presence therapy for mind and soul.  I think it was his total humility and refreshing honesty - it brought a fresh breeze into the ward.  He made us all want to be better human beings in whatever time we had left to us.  So perhaps I agree with that first list of things that make us happy and Dr Blair was a perfect example of a stranger showing unexpected acts of kindness.  May your life be touched by just such a stranger.