Things Got Political‚Ñ¢ tonight in my household as we argued the recycled water debate.
I’m not well researched enough to offer you a concise solution to this country’s water battles, but what I will say is that I am not against drinking water that has been cleansed. All our water currently goes through cleaning procedures, and I have a pretty strong faith that someone, somewhere will ensure that the entire population won’t be killed en mass. After all, it can not be any worse than what is currently coming out of our pipes, which right now has a very funky smell and taste.
It is, however, somewhat difficult to conduct a debate with people who obtain their information from Today/Tonight reports and fellow middle-aged (and therefore continually “outraged!”) citizens. I pretty much gave up with my scientific approach when my mother called it “poo water”.
I’ve noticed my parents are becoming what I’m sure one day they braced themselves against becoming: their own parents. My father’s favourite hobby of late has been complaining about the Youth Of Today. He complains of kids “as young as 16″ drinking and partying till all hours of the morning. If we flash back 30 odd years, my mother had left home at age 16 and my surfie father was hitchhiking across the country. I’m sure as they rested in the back his van, it was pure friendship and happiness that was getting them high smack bang in the middle of the 70s.
Of course, it’s difficult to take his diatribes seriously when he includes such gems as “… and then the kids faxed their friends to come over and help beat up the cricket master.”
It seems as hard as we try to run away from becoming our parents, it turns out we’re running the wrong way on a travelator*.
* In a side story, my late great grandmother could never be taken to a larger shopping centre because she had a fear of, and refused to ride on an escalator.
It annoys me so much when people get all rabid about drinking recycled water. Do they not realise this country has extremely high standards for drinking water? You’re not going to find turds floating in the tap-water anytime soon. The issues people have are purely due to the psychological “ick” factor, and ignorance about what the recycling process actually entails.
Mindlessmunkey – I agree! And besides, a decent size turd could hardly fit through the taps, so I don’t know what they are complaining about! (thanks for your comment, btw)
In reality, even the filters in use right now don’t get all the impurities out. Look at the Giardia scare a few years back.
Recycled water definitely would have its uses, but this issue goes back further than when the plans for Warragamba Dam were first drawn up. Australia is a land of such diverse weather conditions, that even after the number of years of drought that has been suffered in the 200 odd years of European settlement, Governments seem to have continued with the attitude that they should sit back and do nothing until it is too late.
Clutching at straws this far into the game just isn’t going to work.
It is also ironic that they will give you $2000 to convert your car to LPG but only $800 to get rainwater tanks put on.
we drink more e-coli in our water at the moment than there is bacteria in wine, so I think we should replace our water with wine (like in the bible – the only part of that thing i remember) and be done with it.
Having said that, and having such strong beliefs and trust in science, if they can do it overseas they can do it successfully here.
As for the escalators, they eat people. Why do you think they have those jagged edges when you step off, and the metal covering the death pit at the end of your ride? eh??
i empathise with you as my grandparents who live below my house and they are constantly arguing about whatever appeared on Today/Tonight AND A Current Affair.I swear people put these shows on television so oldies can watch a biased, one sided arguement and have something to argue about in thier living rooms and proceed to try to win the battle with other generations who have a completely different viewpoint and level of analysis….
as for the water…i agree with mindlessmunkey in that Australia does have a high water standard.
Kevin – Let’s face it. We need to start getting people used to the idea of drinking their own urine, and we won’t need those big ugly factories!
AJ – There were some particularly scary escalators in a Sydney train station that were made of wood and leather straps and I was conviced we were being taken into some dug out pit in someone’s basement.
Kass – Yes, they serve a very particular audience. My grandparents seem to love getting outraged by every scam and conman they discuss. I’m sure their product reviews are entirely truthful and not “sponsored”, too.
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