Social Science teacher Gail Chastain using the film to get students involved at Mercy High School in San Francisco

Gail Chastin has been working with her high school senior class to raise awareness around water. She collected quotes from her students around democracy, the global water crisis, and actions! Read on - we can all learn from Gail and her inspiring students!

WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THE FILM?

“It shocks me to see how many problems there are in this country…In some places people don’t even know there is a water crisis. If I hadn’t watched this movie, I would have no idea this was going on.”

DEMOCRACY?

“The film revealed a lot about the injustices faced by people in the US and taught a lot about democracy. I learned about the power people have in a democracy through Vallory Johnson… she and her son formed the Highland Park Coalition which spread the word about injustice and a plan for water control. It is amazing to see what people can do with their power. It reminded me that in a democracy we the people have the opportunity to speak up and act out when we find it necessary.”

BIGGEST CONCERNS ABOUT GLOBAL WATER CRISIS?

“This concerns me because I feel that everywhere water will eventually disappear or become privatized right before our eyes and it will be too late for us to realize the consequences and the mistakes we have been making…Also, the fact that Maude Barlow stated..that when water schemes are implemented, the poor will die, is a very scary thought. We are a globally interdependent planet and if there will be water shortages in one place, surely (they) will travel across the planet.”

“The thing that concerns me the most about a global water crisis is that soon people are going to be fighting for water. If problems are happening in the US about water and privatization, imagine how it is in third world countries. People who don’t have money to pay for water are going to die because they need water; everyone does.”

“What concerns me most about the water crisis is how little some people know. Our country is very inefficient in addressing environmental issues. I’m afraid that if our government refuses to acknowledge our crisis, that citizens will not start making the responsible decisions necessary to keep our waters clean and flowing.”

“What most concerns me is the ripple effect water problems have. Farmers run out of water, leave their families for months to find work in cities, are lonesome, visit prostitutes, contract AIDS and return home to spread it – a global disaster.”

ACTION?

“Something I can do on a regular basis to confront the global water crisis is to tell others. Getting people involved and making them aware of this crisis is one step in solving the problem—the next step is taking action!”

“Something I could do on a daily basis to confront the global water crisis is a very basic thing – conserve. I can take shorter showers each day, turn the water off when brushing my teeth, and inform my parents, family and friends about the crisis so that they can save water, too. Something else that has been brought to my attention that I can do is inform my city about any water leaks. I have recently seen the sprinkler systems in the Sunset spraying water strictly on the sidewalks (not even touching the grass) and wasting water away. I plan to contact San Francisco’s water department and tell them that this fresh clean delicious water is literally being tossed into our sewer system for no reason at all.”

“To try to confront this global water crisis, I can cut down the time of my showers. I take way too long in the shower and waste a lot of water. I can also start bringing my own good water bottle and fill it up at home instead of buying a new bottle of water every day.”