“I need a drink!”

How often does that thought pass through our minds, I wonder? Does ‘need’ really reflect our thoughts most of the time, or is it more of a ‘want’? Of course, that thought tends to bring a picture to our minds of a nice glass of red, or a gin & tonic, or a pint of lager (yes, I’m British!). It’s definitely a want.

Real need encompasses water. We cannot live without it, we really do need it. It makes me angry, it scares me, when I hear about water privatisation. But then, water is already treated as a commodity here in the UK. All water supplies are controlled by private industry, it’s been this way here since 1989, and it’s accepted as being, well, acceptable. I’m not sure that I agree. I’ve been lucky, have always had access to clean water without having to worry about paying for its supply, and for the disposal of waste water.

People in the third world slums pay more for the supply of water than people in New York and London. Women in parts of Africa where privatised water is beyond their reach walk miles to collect water from often-polluted rivers, and they and their families suffer the devastating health consequences as a result.

Deaths from water-borne diseases are killing more people worldwide than all the wars, conflicts and general violence combined.

The United Nations has declared that access to clean drinking water is a universal human right.

Something to remember when you think “I need a drink!”

Here’s my latest offering for the lovely Linda’s Stream of Consciousness SaturdayLinda’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday, where this week she invites to write inspired by ‘drink’ (verb or noun). This was completely stream of consciousness… I started off with one idea i mind and ended up at a real tangent!

Please do head on over to Linda’s blog, read, enjoy, and why not be inspired to take part?