The Big Thirst by Charles Fishman

In The Big Thirst (2011) by Charles Fishman he presents how the water problems of other towns from other countries should serve as an example for us, Americans.  Fishman does a lot of comparing of the management of water in Australia and how America misuses their water.  Again Fishman brings the problem this nation has of believing that there is an abundance of water. When we realize the fact of the unavailability of water we are heading close to that is when we will start making the changes that will affect our lifestyles and how we take care of water.   The water scarcity some Australian towns have suffered had affected their life style in general and caused them to approach this problem cautiously.  Another issue presents that Fishman addresses is the question of how clean tap water is.  This is a big concern that people in general have because they are concerned with the pollution in tap water. When in fact the more developed countries have safe tap water than they think. Water has on earth for thousand of years that contain all kind of possible substances. Due to the many chemicals that have entered the water it is hard to really purify the water from harsh chemicals but then again there is a small chance those substances are harmful.      

Vocabulary:

Acrimonious- full of or displaying anger and resentment 

Cantankerous- easily angered and difficult to get along with

Harrumphed- to clear the throat, or make a noise that resembles the sound of clearing the throat

Raucous- loud and hoarse or unpleasant

Tone: honest, formal

Rhetorical strategies:

Rhetorical question- “Why would you drink recycled water if you didn’t have to?” (160)

Analogy- “If you earned $10 million in your lifetime, 1 part per billion of that income would be a single penny, out of all the pennies that rattle through your life. So the new ability to test for substances at a concentration of 1 part per trillion is the same as the ability to find a single penny out of a lifetime of $10 million in earnings, not for one person but for 1,000 people. And not just to find a penny, but to find a single specific penny.” (175)

Compare and contrast-“Residents are exhorted to “Target 155”- use only 155 liters of water per day per person, 41 gallons, about what an American would use with a single bath.” (170) 

Simile- “But running out of water is like slipping out of the edge of a cliff-it’s hard to be saved.” (147)

Personification- “This is my forest, crying out for water.” (214)

Questions:

Why did the residents of Toowoomba reject the water plan they were presented?

What effect does the compare and contrast between other countries and the United States have?

Why is recycled water a problem for countries that are accustomed to pure water?

Memorable quote:

“Our water habits rely on those same assumptions of water availability. Abundant, flowing water is its own invitation to indulgence. That’s true in nature-who can resist putting a hand in the flowing current of a creek? And it’s especially true in a world where literally no signals tweak us about our water use, either as were using it or even in our monthly or quarterly water bills.” (210)