Meeting the energy needs of human beings depends on a thorough understanding of the science of energy. Acting to meeting those needs in an environmentally and socially responsible way depends on ethical analysis and spiritual reflection. As with every topic in Healing Earth, today's energy challenges must be approached from the standpoint of an integral ecology--a standpoint that integrates science, ethics, spirituality, and action.

All life depends on Earth's natural resources. In a tragic paradox, human beings are extracting needed, non-renewable resources at a rate that will exhaust the supply for future generations. It is imprudent to place all hope in a technological solution to this paradox. A change in human behavior will have to accompany any realistic attempt to preserve and protect Earth's precious natural resources.

Meeting this challenge must begin with a thorough understanding of the science behind natural resources. Similarly, any proposed actions will require careful ethical analysis and spiritual reflection. As with every topic in Healing Earth, natural resources must be approached from the standpoint of an integral ecology--a standpoint that integrates science, ethics, spirituality, and action.

This chapter of the Healing Earth e-textbook outlines the water's physical structure and characteristics, describes the hydrologic cycle and shows the sources and uses of water. The chapter utilizes the Ignatian pedagogy to further a reader's understanding of water in terms of ethics, spirituality, and action. It includes a case study of the River Ganges.