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by Stratigraphy.net
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Just the facts

“Don’t believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation. Look with your understanding.”

I have always liked this quote by American author Richard Bach, author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull.

The saying obviously urges people to not take things at face value and to do their own research — and more importantly — do their own thinking. I’ve found myself preaching this message more and more.

In recent years people have asked me about what they call the “impending demise of print publications.”

I usually reply by paraphrasing another American author, Mark Twain, a man who must have been armed with a quote for every occasion. My response: “The report on the death of magazines is an exaggeration.”

While the Internet is changing the way everyone does business, including those in media, print publications are not vanishing. There are statistics to back up my claim.

Among my favorites are:

       • Ninety-three percent of U.S. adults read magazines

       • Magazines appeal to younger adults; adults 34 and younger actually read more magazines than adults older than 34.

These numbers show that while magazines and journals are certainly evolving in the 21st century, they are still going to be showing up in mailboxes for a long, long time.

Why share this with you? Well, I’m sure you are approached by people who ask you questions about the source of their drinking water supply on a regular basis. How do you respond to such questions? Do you give a quick and simple “you don’t have anything to worry about” when you receive such inquiries?

I hope not. I hope you not only answer the question, but follow it up with some statistics that validate your point — as well as validate you as the local water authority in your community.

Point out that:

       • At any given moment, there’s 20 to 30 times more groundwater than the amount in all the lakes, streams, and rivers of the United States.
       • Ninety percent of our freshwater supplies lie underground, but less than 27 percent of the water Americans use comes from   underground sources, which illustrates the underutilization of groundwater.

You can find statistics like this on the Web site of the National Ground Water Association. There are plenty of other tools for you there to share with those in your community. Please take advantage of them.

After all, misguided opinions can spread quickly and seem like facts when not corrected. Remember, it was Twain who told us: “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.”

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