Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/92622
Sarasota News Leader November 9, 2012 more deeply than any other sector of govern- ment." To put the issue into perspective, Barnett compared the current water crisis to the Okla- homa dust storms caused by droughts, which put water at the forefront of the minds of vot- ers and politicians at the beginning of the 20th century. "Today's freshwater troubles are equally ur- gent, but … they do not billow across the na- tion in black clouds," she said. "Our illusion of water abundance keeps these problems hidden from most Americans and from most Floridians." Changing the way the people view water, Bar- nett explained, is the first and most important step toward comprehensive implementation of sustainable water practices in the future. "Neither politics, nor federal and state gov- ernment, nor costly technical fixes are going to be enough on their own to save our fresh- water for future generations and ecosystems," Page 70 she explained. "All of those answers have a place, but to me one solution stands out above all of these others … and this is the idea of a water ethic in our country and in our state." Barnett cited the powerful shift in Ameri- can views about littering and recycling over the past generation as a basis for what could someday constitute a comparable water ethic, with people not only implementing ethical wa- ter practices on their own, but also pressuring their legislators to enforce strict regulations on corporations and other people and entities that would not otherwise comply. In terms of such a water ethic, it seems Sara- sota is already leading the way in the state. Audubon Florida Executive Director Eric Draper explained, in an interview with the News Leader, that was an important factor in the decision to host the assembly here. "Sara- sota was chosen in part for its reputation for being a community that has worked hard to conserve water," he said. "It's known for hav- U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar is regarded by Audubon Florida as an indispensable ally in the ongoing quest to restore and conserve the Everglades.