I wrote a post about water, and specifically whether it is capable of being owned, and I scheduled it for a few days time. My instincts say, even now, to leave it to post as scheduled.
Meanwhile, Puddleglum has gone a step further and identified what lies behind the current discussion about water. I'll not steal his thunder, it's a hell of a good post and you should read it. Even Bryce Edwards thinks so.
And in the end I got back to where Every Tiny Straw started - back in June last year when wildcrafty said:
over at Cr Guyton's blog. Gosh, that feels a bit weird, quoting someone who was quoting me. However, that's kind of where it all started - a seminal moment, if you will. If you read this blog, wildcrafty, thanks.wildcrafty said...
"I reckon the whole "the land belongs to me" concept is a failure. I much prefer the idea that "I belong to the land". As such, I am its property and thereby I am responsible for looking after it."
There's a conversation I'd like to see NZ having more of.
So, and acknowledging that this pre-empts a post that is already written and scheduled for publication, but is as yet unpublished. I've fallen back to a principle I explained a year ago:
I reckon the whole "I hold water rights" concept is a failure. I much prefer the idea that "I belong to the water, and the land". As such, I am its property and thereby I am responsible for looking after it.
The concept of ownership, as we understand it in our culture, may be too simplistic to allow us to manage water properly.
The Church - Of Skins and Hearts, 1981
