Water is the most common substance on Earth, covering more than 70 percent of the planet’s surface. Water is also an important element, other than air and moderate temperature that makes the Earth realm an inhabitable place. It is also undeniable that all life on Earth, from the microscopic bacteria to the gigantic whale, depends on water to survive and continue their existence. Human beings are also not excluded. In fact, two-thirds of the human body and about nine-tenths of human blood consists of water. Not to forget that water is also needed by trees and plants to grow and to produce their own food through photosynthesis. Water also helps to shape the Earth’s physical appearance. This is proved by the fact that two-thirds of the Earth is covered by the oceans, seas, lakes and rivers.
It is a fact that water is of great significance to all living things, including Man. Science has proven that a normal human can only live for five to seven days without water and die of dehydration after that period of time. This is because water is needed to carry consumed food, nutrients and oxygen all over our body to live. Furthermore, water is needed by Man to maintain our body temperature as well as to keep our body clean. Water is also used widely by Man to do their daily activities, such as house chores, farming and manufacturing. This shows how essential water is to mankind.
The water in the world is continually moving. The process, called the water cycle, is important to maintain the amount of water on Earth. There are many sources of water, such as oceans, rivers, lakes, glaciers and so on. Most of our water comes from rivers. The purest form of water is rainwater. This is because other substances that are mixed in water will naturally be left behind when water evaporates. There are also sources of water from underground and plants, such as cacti.
The fact that water is essential and very useful cannot be disputed. As mentioned before, water is commonly used for carrying out house chores and agricultural activities. Man also uses water for relaxation and recreation. Not only that, water is also commonly used to put out fires, especially large rainforest fires. Doing so has saved many lives, as water has proven to be the greatest nemesis of fire. Nevertheless, water is also used to turn the hydroelectric turbines to produce electricity for both residential and industrial use. For its many uses in our daily lives, water is called the “universal substance”, and also known by most scientists as the “indicator of life”.
At the same time, water can also be dangerous to mankind. A large amount of water can be a man’s greatest foe. Natural disasters, such as floods and tidal waves could cause hundreds and even thousands of lives to fade away. Not only that, water can also destroy a city within minutes as happened to New York City half a century ago. Not to mention, water is one of the highest cause of death in the world. In addition, water also destroys the crops planted in food-prone countries such as Bangladesh and the Philippines and causes vast destruction.
In conclusion, water can be menacing and dangerous to Man even though it is essential and important. So, we must be aware that everything has its advantages and disadvantages, pros and cons and opposite effects on life, identical to the Chinese philosophy of “Yin and Yang”.
