Not a Drop to Drink

Three bear tongues hang so low they are in danger of tripping themselves.

“I am so-o-o-o thirsty….” complains Cobalt, taking slow steps.

Wise Owl flies circles overhead, wondering if the thirsty bears will make it to Rock Spring. The bears have walked past several dry ditches and stream beds. In past years, spring showers have fallen nearly every day and water has flowed everywhere. Wise Owl suspects that the Pipeline is responsible for this dry springtime. The pipeline construction has cracked the earth in new places and drained away water that now flows in different directions under the land. And the Earth itself is getting sicker and sicker.

“Who-o-o-o do-o-o those humans think they are,” Wise Owl ponders, “with all their thoughtless acts that harm our Earth? They are using up all Earth’s resources and polluting the air and water. They have even caused the climate to change. The Pipeline is just one of their many thoughtless acts.”

“This looks familiar…” Blue calls, interrupting Wise Owl’s thoughts. “Are we getting close?”

Wise Owl lands on a branch and points a wing. The bears stumble along in that direction. Within a few yards they at last come to a pile of rocks. A trickle of muddy water runs from beneath the rocks.

“This doesn’t look like Rock Spring,” Azure says. “Wise Owl, are you sure this is it?”

“What’s left of it, I’m afraid.” Wise Owl laments.

Where once a bold flow of clear bubbly water poured forth from underneath the rocks, now a trickle of brownish-red liquid dribbles across the nearly dry creek-bed.

“Is it safe to drink?” Blue Bear wonders aloud.

“Who-o-o knows?” Wise Owl warns.

But the bears are thirsty, and the trickle is wet. It smells bad and tastes worst, but they lap up the droplets of bitter liquid from what was once a stream-bottom.

“Where are the salamanders and minnows who used to live here?” Azure asks.

“Yes, and the crayfish and waterbugs,” Cobalt adds. “Where have they gone?”

“I don’t know,” says Blue. “This situation is a sad one. While we took our winter’s nap, too many bad things happened. We need to get back to our work of Saving the Earth. We need to stop the Pipeline.”

Now what can the bears do to Fight the Pipeline and Save the Earth? Read the next post of Blue Bear’s Mission to Save the Earth We Share to find out…