Letter 4 - The Sea Calls to Me.
This week in our newsletter, we delve into the discovery of a vast ocean beneath the Earth, explore ongoing water crises, and more.
Hello there, dear reader.
How have you been?
And have you heard?!
About the humongous ocean discovered some 700 kilometres below the earth’s surface? It is so large that it is three times the size of all the oceans on the planet. It changes the way we look at the water cycle of the planet entirely.
This is not breaking news. Scientists have been discussing this for at least a decade. But it got me thinking about how 71% of the earth is water.
I've been thinking about the sea for a while now. Years, I’d reckon.
One of my childhood stories is how I almost drowned at Kovalam Beach on a family trip till my father plucked me out of the Arabian Sea. This is reason enough for me to be slightly uncomfortable with large bodies of water- dams, oceans, seas, and lakes. I recall that when I learnt to float on my back in the water, I was almost always sure a shark would grab me from the depths of the swimming pool.
(Cue Jaws theme song - duuuunnnn duun…) John Williams, who scores this iconic, instantly recognisable piece of music, has used only two notes to create the theme. I was blown away by that, too.
There’s a Reddit page devoted to people like me. I visit frequently, like one afraid of scary movies, and watches scary movies. I know I will be terrified, but I watch anyway.
It could also be because I watched Aadujeevitham, the Malayalam megahit based on writer Benyamin’s Goat Days. It made me feel the intense thirst the characters dealt with in the movie. Every single drop is precious.
But come summer, across the country and the world, we have water discussions. Dire warnings of water running out. Gated communities and apartments reduce the units of water allotted to each house. Helpful suggestions are offered on how to save water, including the flippant, ‘Save Water Drink Beer.’ I think we are often immune to struggle till it happens to us.
It is estimated that “around 4 billion people — almost two-thirds of the world’s population — experience water scarcity for at least one month every year.” (Livemint.com)
What John Williams says about the Jaws soundtrack applies here, too. He describes the theme, played on a tuba, as "grinding away at you, just as a shark would do, instinctual, relentless, unstoppable."
Instinctual.
Relentless.
Unstoppable.
Sounds like water to me.
Doesn’t water always find a way? And when it does find its way to us, it is treated with less respect than it deserves.
Every single drop is precious, and yet, we drink water in a hurry, without a thought, leaving a glass unfinished and pouring the rest away. We leave the tap running as we brush our teeth. We neglect leaky pipes and faucets. We’ve all been there.
If our oceans and seas were potable, would we treat them better? Not run our sewage pipes to them, or dump garbage? Honestly, I wonder, seeing the state of our rivers and wells.
We are living amid the fourth global stress episode, and the effects are devastating and all-pervasive. The waters are heating up worldwide, making life unbearable for marine creatures and plants.
And as we often do, we find wisdom in the gentle ways of those who know the forests intimately.
In the high deciduous forests of South India, we see a remarkable tree. The Indian Laurel (Terminalia tomentosa), known for its rough, crocodile bark, is fire-resistant and stores potable water. What a gift during the hot season! I was familiar with the desert-dwelling baobab tree, with its water-storing capabilities, but to learn about something in my neck of the woods was joyous.
And so, this news is incredibly upsetting. It has taken us just twenty years to lose 2.33 million hectares of tree cover. And the worst thing about this? It hasn’t stopped.
Of course there is a connection between the loss of forests, climate change, and water scarcity. And so, I ask:
What methods do you use to save water?
Here are some of ours:
Wait for a full load of clothes to run the washing machine. The same goes for the dishwasher too.
At a restaurant, ask for half a glass of water and keep topping it up as much as you want. Ensure that you finish your glass of water before you leave. This way, the water doesn’t end up wasted.
Close the tap while brushing, shaving, and washing vessels. Open it only when you need to.
Watch out for dripping taps and leaky faucets, and fix them immediately.
Consider a bucket bath rather than a shower.
Store the water you use to wash fruits and vegetables and use it for your plants.
Speaking of plants, choose them carefully. Our flights of greenthumb fantasy end up not only killing many plants (guilty), but wasting so much water. Speak to a gardener or take advice from an experienced nursery person and choose only those plants that you can take care of. Remember that, “buying does not mean conserving.”
Check if your apartment complex has rainwater harvesting, or ensure that steps are taken towards it.
Water purifiers waste tons of water in the purification process. Collect that water and use it to wash shoes, soak clothes, and water plants.
Each of us can do our bit, and every bit counts.
I leave you with two things today.
One is this quote from Salman Rushdie’s Luka and the Fire of Life.
“The Fire Bug flared up at that. “You want to know what bugs me?” it said indignantly. “Nobody’s friendly about fire. Oh, it’s fine in its place, people say, it makes a nice glow in a room, but keep an eye on it in case it gets out of control, and always put it out before you leave. Never mind how much it’s needed; a few forests burned by wildfires, the occasional volcanic eruption, and there goes our reputation. Water, on the other hand!—hah!—there’s no limit to the praise Water gets. Floods, rains, burst pipes, they make no difference. Water is everyone’s favourite. And when they call it the Fountain of Life!—bah!—well, that just bugs me to bits.” The Fire Bug dissolved briefly into a little cloud of angry, buzzing sparks, then came together again. “Fountain of Life, indeed,” it hissed. “What an idea. Life is not a drip. Life is a flame. What do you imagine the sun is made of? Raindrops? I don’t think so. Life is not wet, young man. Life burns.”
The other is this song I discovered and wanted to share, because it is all about connecting the dots.
Have a lovely weekend.
From the aquamarine bunch at Mycelium, till next time, cheers, and bye for now.