Water is LIfe

WORLD WATER DAY

Every year the UN commemorates World Water Day on March 22nd. Granted, it may bring education about this crisis to some but what are we as a whole really doing to address the global water crisis that is already upon us? The blatant socio-economic caste system employed in many poor countries like Bolivia is not just about fighting for water access but about respecting human rights every day.

As this video recounts, climate change is now affecting access to water and is also affecting quality. Monsoon rains have already been affected resulting in less rain where it is most needed and extreme rain which then destroys crops. Droughts are more severe resulting in decreasing soil quality. Sea level rise resulting in erosion and salt water intrusion that also effects agriculture and coastlines. Lack of access to water also results in lack of access to food.

Millions of people needing to move due to extreme events and the effects of climate change is something we are not anywhere near prepared for. Water management and conservation based on equality and humanity are critical now as well as ending reliance on fossil fuels if we are to prolong the catastrophe awaiting us due to taking the seriousness of this crisis for granted.

No one should be denied water because they aren't rich enough or white enough. We will never be able to fully address any crisis on this planet adequately until we face the root causes : selfishness, greed, hubris, entitlement. Water is a human right and it is life. That is what we need to remember EVERY day.

A Brief History of the Game

Football’s Early Beginnings

Football (as well as rugby and soccer) are believed to have descended from the ancient Greek game of harpaston.   Harpaston is mentioned frequently in classical literature, where it is often referred to as a “very rough and brutal game“.  The rules of this ancient sport were quite simple:  Points were awarded when a player would cross a goal line by either kicking the ball, running with it across the goal line, or throwing it across the line to another player. The other team’s objective was simply to stop them by any means possible.  There was no specific field length, no side line boundaries, no specified number of players per team, only a glaring lack of rules.Most modern versions of football are believed to have originated from England in the twelfth century. The game became so popular in England that the kings of that time (Henry II and Henry IV) actually banned football. They believed that football was taking away interest from the traditional sports of England, such as fencing and archery.

Evolution and the Beginnings of Standardization

Football didn’t really begin to take on any consistency of rules and boundaries until it was picked up as a sport in the seven major public schools of England in the early 1800’s.  Six of the seven schools were largely playing the same game (including Eton, Harrow and Winchester) - while the seventh, Rugby School (founded in 1567) was playing a markedly different version of football.

The other schools moved ahead refining their rules and eventually their game became known as "association football" – or soccer, which was played back then much as it is today.