I was intrigued when I met Terry Swier in 2000 in Remus as she shared her research and work with the declining levels of water in Mecosta County where Nestle’ was pumping too much water every day, 24/7. She founded Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation (MCWC), which sued Nestle’ with the upshot of decreasing the amount of water they could take from 400 gallons per minute to 218. The law case cost over $1million, which Terry and many people all over our state and country raised through fundraising events. Many of you have contributed over the years. Terry’s hard work and unbelievable hours she contributed made a difference. The history of Terry’s organizing efforts are in many environmental books – especially by David Dempsey – a water consultant who works for FLOW, For Love of Water. His new book, Great Lakes for Sale: Lake Michigan may be coming to Idaho, explains new threats that we are facing right now in Michigan as the level of droughts and water shortages in western states are at their highest peaks, and will continue to intensify with climate change.
Terry and her husband Gary recently passed on. We must honor in our hearts the legacy of their protection of Great Lakes watershed. ACTION: Please read about MCWC and increase your awareness of the “water taking” happening in Mecosta and Osceola counties. Billions of gallons of spring water is taken by a new company, Blue Triton. It is bottled and shipped globally for $200 per year per well. Continue your efforts to stop drinking ‘bottled water’ and know the steep price that it has on watersheds and our Mother Earth. Your efforts can include:
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