Anne M. Crossman is a former journalist and media manager. She now does volunteer work in her community of Annapolis Royal. Photo by ContributedArticle contentOne of the main conversations these days starts with the state of your well. Since we live in the rural part of the province, there are lots of families dependent on well water.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentSince we have been in this drought officially now, many dug wells have gone dry and some of the drilled ones are in a bad state. The water table has lowered dramatically this year. These water sources affect everyone in one way or another.Article contentArticle contentArticle contentTo the homeowner, it means keeping clean – washing dishes, laundry, showers and bathing in general. It also means water to make tea with and boil vegetables in and it means having drinking water.Article contentIt affects those who have livestock – those animals and birds need good water to drink. It affects those who need to plant winter wheat or other over-winter crops.Article contentAnd so, the health of our province’s soil is probably feeling this dire lack of rain the way the Prairies of the 1930s did.Article contentLike many, I started being aware of the studies showing the warming of our planet. I watched David Suzuki on CBC’s The Nature of Things. I paid attention to what the American Al Gore was saying about global warming. There were arguments about this in many government legislatures over the years.Article contentArticle contentOur family tried to do our very small best over the years – composting and separating our garbage. Using gardening tools that were battery operated, and going from an oil-fired furnace to electric baseboard heating.Article contentArticle contentAnd I know I felt what we were doing was a drop in the bucket compared to the belching of smoke from factories and seeing the Tufts Cove Nova Scotia Power plant spewing droplets of heavy oil on homes and cars when the wind was blowing in their direction. That was a long time ago, I understand, but it was a symptom of what needed to be cleaned up.Article contentAs we suffer through this drought, it seems to me that our vegetables are going to be even more expensive next year when the lack of water, the crackdown on the number of temporary foreign workers who work in those dry fields and the tariff war the U.S. is waging on countries its leader wants to punish on a whim.Article contentWhen I think of all the big blocks stacked against us right now, I sort of agree with those learned persons who say we are in for a recession. I know there are others who say it won’t happen, but I am leaning toward the former.Article contentThese are not happy times, my friends.Article contentArticle contentAnne M. Crossman is a former journalist and media manager. She now does volunteer work in her community of Annapolis Royal and can be reached at acrossman2@gmail.com.Article content
ANNE M. CROSSMAN: Drought causing concerns
