This is the year 2070 I have just turned 50, but I look and feel 85 . I suffer from serious kidney problems, because I do not drink enough water. I'm afraid I do not have much time left to live. I am one of the oldest people in this society.
I remember when I was a child of 5. There were lots of trees in the parks, houses with beautiful gardens, and I could enjoy having a shower for half an hour. Everything was very different. Nowadays we use towels with mineral oil to clean our skin.
Before, women had beautiful hair. Then, my father washed his car with water coming out of a hosepipe. Now, my son does not believe that water could be wasted that way. Now, we have to shave our heads to keep them clean without the use of water.
I remember there were SAVE WATER warnings on outdoor posters, radio and TV, but nobody paid attention. We thought that water was to last forever. Now, all the rivers, lakes, dams and underground water beds are either dry or contaminated.
Industry came to a standstill, unemployment is sky high. Desalination plants are the main source of employment and workers receive part of their salary in drinkable water.
Assaults on the streets for a can of water are very common. Food is 80% synthetic.
Before, it was recommended an adult drinks 8 glasses a day. Nowadays, I am only allowed half a glass. We now have to wear disposable clothing, and this increases the amount of litter. We are using septic tanks, because the sewerage system does not work for lack of water.
All the people look horrible: wrinkled due to dehydration, full of sores caused by ultra violet radiation, as the ozone layer is almost gone. Skin cancer, gastrointestinal infections and of the urinary tracts are the main causes of death.
Due to the excessive drying of the skin young people of 20 look like 40. Water cannot be produced, oxygen is not sufficient due to the lack of trees and vegetation, and the intellectual capacity of the younger generations is severely impaired. Scientists have no solution to the problem.
The morphology of spermatozoa in many men has changed. As a consequence, babies are born with deficiencies, mutations and physical deformities.
The average life expectancy is 35 years
Water became a very coveted treasure. Any green zones crossed by rivers are guarded by armed soldiers.
Where I live, there are no trees, because it seldom rains. If it does, it is acid rain. We were warned to look after the environment, but nobody cared.
I tell my son about the green fields, the beautiful flowers, the rain, how we swam and fish in the rivers and dams, drinking all the water we could, and how healthy people were
He asks: Daddy! Why there is no water?
Was I guilty ? My generation destroyed the environment. We did not heed the warning signs.
Now our children pay a very high price!
Soon, I think, life on earth will not be possible, as the destruction of nature has reached an irreversible stage.
How I would like to go back and make mankind understand… ...that we still had time to save our Planet Earth.
