by Breezycycle

Created on: June 27, 2010   Last Updated: January 15, 2012

We must listen to the rivers.  Rivers show us that change is part of life and that even  power  has its limits. Generations ago, settlers harnessed the power of water to fill their basic needs. Rivers provided a means of transportation leading to migration of people, trade and commerce. These settlers discovered what the rivers could teach them and those lessons built nations. Somehow after mankind started taking rivers for granted, people stopped listening to rivers and have overlooked the lessons rivers offered to them.

Rivers still offer many important lessons:

   Cause and Effect - Rivers show us the cause and effect relationship at every turn. We have learned what happens when waste is released irresponsibly into our waterways for years. We get it now. Cause and effect. Rivers never run straight and there may be boulders that change the course of the flow.

   Change is part of life  -  A river flowing in its channel is a source of energy which acts on the river channel to change its shape and form. A river plays and important part in the water cycle.

   Even power has its downside -Rivers, the forces of water, make hydroelectric power possible. Hydroelectric power plants do not require any fuel and do not produce greenhouse gases directly, the construction of the dam for hydroelectric power disturbs the environment. This construction changes the course of the river's water disturb natural habitats.

   There are limits - There are rules for matter, energy, motion, etc. - In nature, there are limits. There are limits to the amount of sediment a river can carry. There is a limit to how long the banks of the river can withstand the force of water, especially if humans have engineered ways to change the flow of the river. This lesson from rivers is that there are limits to how much hate, violence, and oppression there can be in a society and still be a society.

   Interdependence -  The most successful relationships are ones that are interdependent. The factors biotic and abiotic have something to give as well as needs to be satisfied. Rivers are habitats for flora and fauna and their is also an interdependence between the river and the people who live and work nearby.

   Empty before reaching the destination -  Rivers flow to the sea. Today, many of the greatest rivers are dry long before they reach the sea. The Rio Grande and Colorado Rivers in the United States,

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