Water: A National Tresure

One need only read popular science fiction books such as Dune (Herbert) or Stranger in a Strange Land (Heinlein) to see how important water is to humans and the lengths that we might go in the future in arid places to conserve that resource.

But to grasp its value, you need not go any farther than this planet at this date and time to see that in places - water (especially clean water) is scarce indeed, and that its scarcity results in hardship.

In Canada, and particularly in the lake riddle Canadian shield making up much of northern Ontario - clean water courses and natural areas abound. Michael Valentine Smith, the "stranger in a strange land" would have been shocked to see Kilarny Lake in its glory when he first arrived on Earth - to him a glass of water was an extravagance. However, the booming population of the GTA is most certainly putting pressure on all of the watersheds in its vicinity. The Toronto Star today reported on the precarious state of Lake Simcoe. While past articles have discussed fears that the Oak Ridges Morraine Act will be undermined by municipalities seeking to appease developers in their bounderies. Its a difficult dilemma. Land that can't be developed loses value - yet, the future value of protecting the integrity of our environment is nearly impossible to measure. I don't blame the developers for trying, but I hope that before any decisions are made, people consider the long term consequences seriously.

Jenn