When does the health of citizens become worth more than business and worth more than economy. This may seem radical but without citizens who are healthy there would be no economy. The lack governmental regulations and strong public policy has led to to serious water crisis to rural citizens in the Midwest.

When we have talked about a potential water crisis for rural Iowa citizens it has sometimes been met with a small chuckle and a description of apocalyptic wrapped in air quotations. A kind of joking reaction to what could be (and is) a serious problem.

In a New York Times article titled, “Rural America’s Own Private Flint,” by Jack Healy, he describes how Midwestern citizens are suffering from contaminated water. This impending health crisis has awoken one thing out of citizens and that is the drive to vote. The article explains how some elected officials have cut back on budgets on “environmental enforcement and inspections” making it easier for pollution to go unchecked. These decisions are likely to be challenging in upcoming elections by candidates that are advocates for stronger enforcement of clean water regulations. There is a new sense of accountability being placed on politicians by rural voters. Communities need help cleaning their water. They need options and financial assistance, and I think that assistance should be available to all members of the community.

I understand that no one wants to point the finger but, I think we should. I’ve said before and I will say it again. Big Ag. Big Ag is a big contributor to this water epidemic. We have to acknowledge the fact that the practices that keep these big 1000+ acre farms running are also ruining the places where we live. Farmers are the problem and consumers are too. The low food prices we have are made possible by the mass production of crops. As consumers I think it is also our role to recognize that we are eating our way into an environmental crisis. So yes, the farms need regulation, they need policy, they need government intervention, but as consumers we play have a responsibility as well. We can tell food producers to clean up their act. We can buy foods that are made through clean practices; using minimal manure, using no till, using no pesticides.

This approach is just a start, not a solution. It leaves out a people and treats the problem like a one fix solution. But if we don’t start now then most damages already made may be irreversible.

We are killing our access to diversity, which in turn is killing us. Water is just one problem that fits into a whole mosaic of catastrophe.