corner view - water

:: before we are born we float in water. or actually, by the time we are born the water mainly consists of fetal urine, but it all begins as the amniotic sac fills with water only two weeks after fertilization.

(nothing calms me more than the sound of waves. or to watch the endless movement ofwater, looking toward the horizon. except maybe the sound of my babies breathing in their sleep at night. i love that i live so close to the sea, always have, that it's not more than a short drive away. it makes me feel at home.)

:: when a baby is born water makes up about 80% of the body weight, but as an adult, this has changed to something like 70%. when we feel thirsty it means we lost 1% of this water.

(most summer mornings i crave water so badly. the heat in central-coastal israel is overwhelming, with humidity reaching as much as 80-90% some days. it makes me feel like the skin of my body is covered in sweat, while my inside is dried out like a desert.)

:: 70-75% of the surface of the earth is covered in water, and the total amount of water on earth is something like 326 million cubic miles of water (which is too big a number for me to understand). the demand for clean water, whether it's caused by population growth, environment abuse and/or poor water management, plays a great part in hundreds of ongoing conflicts all over the world, including the conflict here in the middle east.

(every summer we see government sponsored campaigns in israel. we're urged to not use too much water, to understand the grave concern that is the sinking shores of the galilee sea, israel's main fresh water supply. but besides the fact that gardens turn yellow, you don't feel the problem much as a private individual. which is not the case for the palestinians. the water supply to the west bank and gaza is controlled by israel and the amount of water supplied to the palestinians vs israeli citizens is disproportionate: the average water consumption per palestinian is way below the average consumption per israeli. )

:: earth is a closed eco system, which means that it rarely loses or gains any extra matter. the water on earth today is the same water that existed on earth millions of years ago. the same that made up the oceans from where the first living cells were created, those cells that make up humans and all other living creatures on earth.

(they promised rain this week in israel. i like the rain, the smell of the rain, the sound of raindrops on the roof. i hope we will get more rain this winter. we need it. like so many other places on earth. i wish we would stop messing with earth's eco system.)

for more water, visit dana, who is hosting jane's corner view.