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Living waters: Connection and separation in water from physical, legal, political, and spiritual perspectives
Citation:
LEIBOWITZ, S. G., A. Wolf, AND B. Barnett. Living waters: Connection and separation in water from physical, legal, political, and spiritual perspectives. Presented at Distinguished Panelists in Water Resources, Institute for Water and Watesheds, OSU, Corvallis, OR, February 27, 2008.
Impact/Purpose:
Water is a dominant material on the Earth’s surface, covering most of the planet. Water significantly shapes land through the hydrologic cycle.
Description:
Water is a dominant material on the Earth’s surface, covering most of the planet. Water significantly shapes land through the hydrologic cycle. Water is essential to all life, and plays critical roles in human society. In this talk, we will examine water from physical, legal, political, and religious viewpoints. In particular, we will focus on the connectivity and separation of water from these different perspectives. Scott Leibowitz, a research ecologist with the US Environmental Protection Agency, will discuss how the federal government views water, in light of recent Supreme Court cases. He will contrast this with a physical perspective of hydrologic systems. Aaron Wolf, a professor in OSU’s Geosciences Department, will consider the political aspects of water, especially as it relates to conflict and opportunities for peace in the Middle East. Benjamin Barnett, rabbi of Congregation Beit Am, will discuss water as a spiritual metaphor in Jewish thought and mysticism.