Renn Darbonne
North Bureau Chief
Each year The Social Science Club at North Campus presents an environmental symposium that gives students at Broward College the opportunity to meet and work with agencies that are key players in the fight to develop and implement various environmental policies. Students that attend the panel discussions are able to have a deeper understanding and appreciation for the efforts made to improve the living conditions of residents in the community. The symposium provides an abundance of various opportunities that will affect how Broward College students understand justice and fairness, thus allowing them to continue the effort of protecting the Earth’s already limited natural resources and restoring the quality of life in Florida.
This year, the symposium was focused on water justice. The right for one to have clean and safe water is one that is unspoken but can affect everyone’s chance at living a healthy life that includes being sociable and economically stable. The speakers provided students with the knowledge of how to understand regulations that are meant to benefit residents of Broward County and help them in their strive for clean water.
In spite of the global recognition of the importance of water and our utter dependency on it, water shortages or unclean water are all too common across the world. The distribution of water across the world is not equal because a large amount of water that is accessible is unfit for consumption and the water that is indeed safe to drink is heavily regulated resulting in some being able to have access to water while others have a restricted amount. In the panel, it was disclosed that this shortage of water is the reality for many, and to prevent this water needs to be seen as something beyond itself and not as just a simple beverage. Therefore, the governing of water has a larger platform of concern as there are now conferences, symposiums, and events planned around the topic.
Dina Krijestorac, vice-president of the Social Science Club expressed her concerns about water justice, “ensuring water justice is something difficult, but necessary. Often times, it seems like there is a water shortage when actually it’s people’s access to water that is being restricted. This is why water intake is important because then we can really make sure people will have access to clean water.”
Those involved in the symposium could not speak of water justice without touching upon climate change. The many water crises that exist are a direct result of climate change and the privatization of water. As a result, water has now become a power struggle amongst those who are making various efforts to control it. Whoever is in charge has the ability to affect people’s lives in a negative manner. This struggle is intersectional and crosses all borders. Therefore, the Social Science Club has taken it upon themselves to encourage students to look at how their lifestyle may affect water services and others dependent on it.
darbr4@mail.broward.edu
