At a time when many of us are thinking about issues perhaps much more critical than environmental ones, it is difficult to focus on the more mundane questions of drinking water and clean air. Unfortunately, while our nation's attention seems entirely absorbed in locating terrorists, water and air continue to be overused and/or contaminated. As we reflect on this strange state of affairs, we begin to understand how easy it is for us to forget one of humanity's basic needs: clean water. Considering that water makes up about 60 percent of our body weight, this is not the case. surprising that it is an essential resource for human beings. (Even higher percentages of water are found in various parts of the body: the human brain (70 percent), blood (82 percent), and lungs (90 percent).) Given its material chemical importance , it's no wonder we have to regularly replenish our individual water content. On a collective basis, we also require enormous volumes of water to "feed" our agricultural needs, such as corn, soybeans, cows, etc. Given how much humans depend on water, it would seem that we would be much more informed about its distribution and availability. Globally, fresh water, or drinking water, represents only a very small amount of all water. Most of the water on Earth is found in the oceans (97%). The remaining part (about 3%) is frozen (in glaciers) or lies below the earth's surface, i.e. groundwater found in aquifers. Surprisingly, all the water in lakes, inland seas, rivers, and the atmosphere makes up only 0.023 percent (or two parts in ten thousand) of all the water on our planet. Of the fresh drinking water we have, 72 percent is frozen, leaving ...... middle of paper ......ter to irrigate non-food crops very successfully (Gleick). Finally, a few countries, particularly those with very limited access to groundwater, have made great progress in the process of desalination (i.e., the removal of salt from ocean water). This process is well developed but remains prohibitively expensive for the vast majority of Earth's inhabitants, but it may become more feasible as renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, become more widespread. These efforts represent a starting point for humans wanting to take our water resources more seriously to avoid future international conflicts and instabilities, which we surely all want. Sources CitedEnger, ED & BF Smith (2000) Environmental Science : A Study of Interrelationships. Boston: McGraw Hill.Gleick, PH (2001) “Making Every Drop Count.” » Scientific American, 284 (2), 41-45.