One more semester

I think this is going to be a depressing semester.

In one sense, it will be good. This is my last semester of law school classes.  For my final spring semester, I get 14 units working full time for a judge.  That means I don't have to take any classes in the evening, but it also means I can't work at a job that pays me money.  I'm ready to be done with it anyways. The only loss is the cash.

But this semester, three class, 9 units, and I think it's going to be depressing as hell. I'm taking water resources law, environmental law, and federal income tax. Yeah, I know what you are all thinking - "Federal income tax? How boring!" But it's something that effects everyone in this country, and of course, I'm probably going to learn about how the corporations get away without paying any taxes, while the load falls on to the rest of us to support our country. Yippee.

However, it's the other two classes that really worry me. In the water resources class, I have to read a book called "Unquenchable." I've read the first few chapters and it scares me. It's about water, how we use water, and how we are running out of water.  Everything we do requires water. Not just those showers we take, or the brushing the teeth, but me just typing on to this computer. Billions of gallons of water are used to cool down the sever farms that keep us up and running. Yes, some of the water gets returned to the place it came from (much warmer than before) some does not.   People in the dessert want lawns, golf courses have to be kept beautiful, and every rich person needs a huge pond in their backyard. You know those bottles of water people like to buy? First, there are fewer regulations on the quality of water in the bottles than on tap water (and there are some companies that bottle tap water and sell it as bottled water). Second, considering the amount of oil that goes into making those plastic bottles, eliminating those bottles is like taking 100,000 cars off the road. And the amount of water that's needed to make the bottle is at least twice as what's in the bottle.

And to top it off - that whole climate change issue is going to wreck havoc on our water supply. In fact, it's already started.

I get heartaches reading about this material. What is the next generation going to have to deal with? What problems are they going to have to solve because we can't listen to fact and data and plan for the future?

Then again, has any generation planned for the future generation? When has a society really taken care of the earth and maintained it's usefulness for their kids? I hear quotes from great speakers across the globe, from different times and civilizations that explain the need and hope for protecting the world, but quotes do not mean action. We can find great quotes and even movies today about what we need to do, but society won't change it's ways unless we are forced to, unless there is a disaster, unless there is no other way to live. Only at that point of no return will we finally decide to do something about this world. By then, it will be too late.

In the past, civilizations did not have to worry so much about the land. There were so few people that a whole section of land could be destroy - and all any one had to do was move to a new section of land to start afresh. Alas, there is no more land to move to and nothing left to destroy.

I think the children always have the burden of fixing their parents problems. And this is no different. The next generation is going to have to deal with the world that they are given, and make do with what they can. They are going to lead a much different life than us. They are going to be have to be creative, learn to live without, and adjust for

And there is nothing I can do to make that easier for them. With 7+ billion people on this planet - many of them refusing to listen, learn, or understand basic science (or trust the people who do know basic science)  - I can scream, shout, talk, listen, explain, write, and hope - but I'm not going to change anyone's mind.   I can hardly change myself and I'm asking for the world to change? My efforts will be hopeless, but it's all I know to do.

It all makes me so sad.