The Burden Of Mist Analysis

The differences between the average American’s view of water and the average African’s view of water are outstanding. Americans take advantage of the water that freely flows through our faucets everyday. African women struggle to find, gather, and carry their water to their homes. “The Illusion of Water Abundance,” “The Burden of Thirst”, and “Unquenchable” give unique insight into the way different peoples view the source that gives humans life. This synthesis paper will focus on the ethics of water and will compare the way Americans view water to how people who live in Africa view water. Specifically, it will discuss the effort it takes to obtain water versus the way water is used and appreciated by two different peoples.
“The Burden of Thirst” is an article in National Geographic written by Tina Rosenberg that follows the life of an African woman named Binayo while she carries out her daily chores, one of which is collecting water for her family. The average African woman carries fifty pounds of
If they want a glass of water, they do not think twice about having one. It is not like this in Africa. Women do hard labor to retrieve a minimal amount of water everyday. So when someone wants a drink of that water, he or she thinks twice. That person thinks about if they absolutely need it to survive. They do not look at water as something recreational or something to make their grass greener. They see water as something that keeps them alive and breathing. They appreciate the water that is given to them even though it is not enough water for all of their needs. Americans use more than we need and feel entitled to all of this water. “The Burden of Thirst,” “The Illusion of Water Abundance,” and “Unquenchable” put the way people in different places into perspective. The way a country obtains, uses and views water says a lot about a country. What does America’s behavior towards water say about this