Quenching the Big Thirst
Campus Reading Celebration Explores the Fluid Future of Water
By Lori Putnam
From the spray of the morning shower to the final wash of dirty dishes at the end of supper, water is an inevitable part of our daily routines鈥攁vailable at the touch of a button or the turn of a faucet. Yet according to journalist Charles Fishman, the future of water isn鈥檛 guaranteed. Fishman is the author of 鈥淭he Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water鈥� and was the featured speaker at this year鈥檚 9th Annual Campus Reading Celebration held on October 10.
鈥淏ottled water has become the indispensable prop in our lives and our culture. It starts the day in lunch boxes; it goes to every meeting, lecture hall, and soccer match; it鈥檚 in our cubicles at work; in the cup holder of the treadmill at the gym; and it鈥檚 rattling around half-finished on the floor of every minivan in America,鈥� observed Fishman. 鈥淥nce you understand the resources mustered to deliver the bottle of water, it is reasonable to ask as you reach for the next bottle, not just 鈥楧oes the value equal the 99 cents I鈥檓 about to spend?鈥� but 鈥楧oes the value equal the impact I鈥檓 about to leave behind?鈥澛�
According to Fishman鈥檚 research, the U.S. uses more water in three days than the world uses oil in a year.聽
The Campus Reading Celebration has a history of hosting authors with a social perspective, including Nobel Peace Prize recipient Dr. Muhammad Yunus and Pulitzer Prize-winning author and scientist Jared Diamond. In a nod to CI鈥檚 distinctive interdisciplinary approach, as part of his campus visit Fishman also accompanied CI environmental students to an innovative water treatment center in Oxnard. Currently the city receives half of its water from Northern California. Through its Groundwater Recovery Enhancement and Treatment (GREAT) program, Oxnard is seeking innovative ways to recycle water and supplement the city鈥檚 water supply.
鈥淭he topic of water aligns with our focus on interdisciplinary studies,鈥� said Matthew Cook, CI Associate Librarian and head of Unique Collections and Scholarly Communication. 鈥淲ater can be a metaphor in literature, a resource in environmental science, an inspiration in art, or a revenue source in business.鈥� In addition, Cook believes this book more than any other Campus Reading聽 Celebration topic speaks directly to the Southern California community.聽
鈥淚n the agriculture community, water is a resource that our citizens and friends depend on; California is almost always in a drought, so water is an issue resonant with the community,鈥� he added.
Fishman鈥檚 previous book was the New York Times bestseller 鈥淭he Wal-Mart Effect鈥� which explored Wal-Mart鈥檚 impact on the economy and small businesses.
He is a former metro and national reporter for the Washington Post.