Water is life. That is the slogan of the Guyana Water Inc, and a truer slogan there never has been. Water is necessary for all living things to survive, grow, and function properly. The body of an average human being is about 60% water, with water responsible for numerous vital tasks that maintain our health and well-being. Water is an essential building block for the cells of the body, acts as a ‘shock absorber’ for our brain and spine, transports oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, flushes out waste, keeps our joints lubricated, and regulates temperature. If there is insufficient water for any of these functions, our health would be seriously compromised.
Because water is being constantly used up by the body, it must constantly be replaced. We have all heard the advice to drink eight glasses of water a day. While each individual’s water intake will vary depending on their activity level, environment, and health status, the fact is that while the average human could live for up to three weeks without consuming any food, without water, death will occur in less than five days.
Outside of the body, about 70% of the surface of our planet Earth –our only home – is covered by water (mostly salt; not suitable for drinking although many plants and animals can and do utilize salt water). The actual amount of water on Earth is quite small however; if the Earth was the size of a basketball, the total amount of water in/on it would be approximately the size of a ping pong ball.
Outside of Earth – one of the main things that astronomers look for when they search the galaxies are signs of water, for that is an indication that life as we know it may exist somewhere else. Nothing can exist without water – no plant or animal. Even if these things are grown/bred indoors, in laboratories, they still need to be provided with water. In short, the importance of
