As I repeatedly cast my fly out on an apparently fishless river in the north woods of Wisconsin, I thought about what always brought me back to that spot. It certainly wasn’t the constant excitement of a trout on the line; I realized that whenever I get tired of our consumptive society, nature’s primitive beauty is my greatest escape.

Last summer, I once again admired the historic Indian pictographs carved into enormous rocks on Crooked Lake in the Boundary Waters. I thought about how grateful I am that the noted Wisconsin environmentalist and author, Sigurd Olson, fought to protect such a natural wonder. I have been fortunate enough to know Robert Olson, Sigurd Olson’s son, and discuss the Boundary Waters with him.

One thing I specifically remember him telling me is just how addicting of a place the Boundary Waters is. He remarked that once you go there a few times, you become completely hooked. Luckily, it is an addiction I am proud of, and I hope more people will someday value the natural world as much as I do.

Sigurd Olson said, “Wilderness is a spiritual necessity… . They may think they go for the fishing or the scenery or the companionship, but in reality it is something far deeper….” Unfortunately, humans have already contaminated many precious resources and over-developed some of the world’s most beautiful places.

Humans have put toxins in their own air and water that cause devastating health problems. It will take a monumental effort to ensure the future health of our planet as well as those inhabiting it. This cause is a matter of our survival; we need to start taking steps to make the planet a better place to live.

Sitting in two-and-a half-hour lectures as a student at the University of Wisconsin, my mind often wanders to the smooth glide of a canoe or a gleaming bass rising out of the crystal clear Boundary Waters. Clean water like this is a rare commodity. Approximately 2 percent of the planet’s water is fresh, but 1.6 percent of this water is locked up in polar ice caps. Humanity’s water use quadrupled between 1940 and 1990. More than 1 billion people lack access to safe water. This number could rapidly increase as the worldwide population continues to skyrocket. Experts claim that in the next 25 years, over one-third of the world’s population will face severe water shortage.

Even when certain areas of the world are blessed with abundant, quality water, humans have managed to make it unsafe. A recent study found there to be high amounts of contaminants in drinking water in the United States. Antibiotics, antidepressants, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones were in the drinking water of at least 41 million Americans. This is also a worldwide problem, as researchers have found pharmaceuticals in water throughout Asia, Australia, Canada and Europe.

Some widely used drugs, which include cholesterol fighters, tranquilizers and anti-epileptic medications, actually resist modern drinking-water treatments, and chlorine, a chemical commonly used in water treatment, makes some of these pharmaceuticals even more harmful. Furthermore, approximately 40 percent of all U.S. waterways are so polluted that eating fish from them or swimming in them is not advised.

Water issues greatly impact food production. Due to the harmful effects of mercury, suggested limits have been placed on fish consumption. Although eating too much fish could harm anyone, consuming fish is especially dangerous for pregnant women, as mercury is toxic to the developing brain and nervous system of the fetus.

If the fetus is exposed to too much mercury, it can hurt the baby’s intelligence, speech and motor development. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 8 percent of U.S. women of child-bearing age have levels of mercury in their blood that could cause developmental risks for their babies. In regards to health problems caused by failing to ensure adequate safe water, we have only ourselves to blame. As my environmental studies professor said, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.”

As a young man from a small town in the woods of northern Wisconsin, I always envisioned being able to cast a line into pristine waters. Unfortunately, too many people view the land and its non-human inhabitants as our possessions, to do with as we please. A famous environmentalist, Aldo Leopold, wrote, “When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”

Just because we have the ability to alter the planet and the members of this community doesn’t mean we have the right to. Cleaning up our planet will require innovative, fundamental changes to our lifestyle and economy. Human ingenuity has gotten us into these problems, and it will be up to mankind to have the foresight and intellect to get us out.

Will Mayberry ([email protected]) is a sophomore majoring in elementary education.