A crash course in changing the world.
Depleted Water Tables
For a truly shocking action on par with the world-record breaking toilet line, I envision having people worldwide build a some kind of tower - possibly a human tower - the same height as the amount which the groundwater table has been depleted in the local area. This should show people how much they have depleted their local groundwater table and remind them to conserve water. Also, because it relies on local measures of the groundwater tables, it should be more poignant to more people since it is something which affects them personally instead of somebody on the other side of the world.
Shocking, participatory, local, and memorable.
Views: 3
Tags: Imagine4
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Comment by Ken Eklund on March 31, 2010 at 10:05pm
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This is brilliant. I especially like the local and participatory nature of it. I can see how people in areas which don't rely on their water table could use the same idea to come up with their memorable image: how far they walk for water, how their rainfall or river flow has changed, how their demand for water has risen – all translated into human bodies?
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Comment by Calida DeBello on March 31, 2010 at 10:11pm -
Wow. For many communities I imagine it would be shocking indeed to finally see the unseen. Bonus points from Alchemy!
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Comment by Nick Heyming on April 1, 2010 at 2:05am -
Great idea. What will the towers be made of?
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Comment by Charles Fiertz on April 1, 2010 at 2:07am -
I'm not really sure what the towers will be made of. I was envisioning something like a human pyramid but if the height becomes too great, I imagine each community could come up with its own, locally-inspired materials.
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Comment by Shane M. Wheeler on April 1, 2010 at 7:34am -
I think a pole with a flag might do well- cheap, gets the point across. The flag could be real fancy though.
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Comment by Starling on April 1, 2010 at 12:06pm
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Yes that is a great idea.
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Comment by LunarLight on April 1, 2010 at 6:01pm -
The funny thing is is that human bodies are mostly made of water. :P
This is great! So much cheaper then my idea, and gets the point across so much better!
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Here's Erin's idea, which is kinda neat. Reminds me of an artist that exhibited in New York last year with waterfalls (but I like Erin's idea better actually). Shane's flag idea is good too. The thing that's compelling too about Charles' idea is, the more trouble you have making your tower, the more trouble you are actually in!
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Comment by Michele Baron on April 2, 2010 at 4:52am -
Good idea. If we don't share knowledge of the depletion of the world's resources with the "population at large," then how can everyone take responsibility to alter the future of water (etc) scarcity? Thank you for this posting!
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Comment by Kevin DiVico on April 2, 2010 at 5:45am -
Okay this inspired me to adapt it to a game... it would be a stacking/balancing game... the materials would be sustainable...wooden pieces dyed blue (sustainable dye) the board would be a disc that we would encourage the kids playing to use a collage of photographs to make it representative of where they live..there town, city or country... the blocks would be stacked to show the aquifer and river water of the area... once placed to the appropriate height you place the disc on top of it and it should be stable... then you would pull cards for settlement, agriculture, industry, etc and the cards would indicate how much water used for each activity... then you the player need to move a corresponding block out from below and place it on top... eventually the disc will falter and collapse..a metaphor for using up to much ground water and fresh water... the first expansion would allow other players to play sustainability cards against the growth cards to to try an balance the give and take....
Just came up with the idea on the quick so no thought to shapes, game mechanics , etc .. but it is doable...
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