What makes us Healthy as a Society? The important stuff is not talked about at
all it seems. It is not the Climate Change
that the activists cling to like a mindless recorder or vaccines from big
pharma or fortified flour from corporate farms or standardized packaged processed
foods. Let’s think about this for a more
than a one minute sound-bite. This is not a long read.
What man made change has made the Biggest Health Change to modern times?
Imagine standing at the foot of Yosemite Valley, gazing at the majestic scars left by glaciers that long ago carved through the landscape like nature's own bulldozers. These glaciers didn't melt because of some human-induced carbon footprint or Al Gore's inconvenient PowerPoint slides. No, these giants of ice succumbed to the rhythm of Mother Earth herself, ebbing and flowing over millennia. Geologic weather change is not some modern anomaly but a natural dance of the planet, one that we humans must learn to adapt to, not blame on our latest technological sins.
Context for my point on what Really Matters
The Mini Ice Age and the Dark Ages
Let's take a trip back to the Middle Ages, a time when Europe was not only shrouded in historical darkness but also in a chilling mini ice age. This wasn't a time when people were tweeting about the cold; it was an era where crops failed, and famine was as common as the cobblestones underfoot. The lack of food diversity didn't just make for bland meals; it led to widespread malnutrition, which set the stage for one of history's darkest chapters — the Black Plague.
The last cold spell, often referred to as the Little Ice Age, is generally considered to have occurred from approximately 1300 to 1850. Within this period, the coldest phases were noted around 1650-1715 and 1770-1850. The Black Death, or the Black Plague, swept through Europe from 1347 to 1351, though outbreaks continued sporadically in various places for centuries afterward.
The Black Death wasn't just about fleas and rats; it was a perfect storm where weakened immune systems from poor nutrition met appalling hygiene standards. Picture villages where the concept of sewage was as foreign as WiFi would have been to them. The absence of proper sanitation systems meant that waste was often disposed of near living areas, turning villages into breeding grounds for disease. This wasn't just a case of bad luck; it was a direct consequence of not understanding the basics of public health.
The Spanish Flu and the Rise of Modern Hygiene
Fast forward to the early 20th century, and we encounter another grim chapter with the Spanish Flu. This pandemic didn't discriminate, killing millions across the globe. However, post-Spanish Flu, there was a significant shift in public health strategies. The introduction of indoor plumbing, separate sewer systems from stormwater drains, and a newfound emphasis on hygiene were not just improvements; they were revolutions.
The Spanish Flu, officially known as the 1918 influenza pandemic, occurred from 1918 to 1920. It came in several waves, with the most deadly ones in the fall of 1918 and early 1919.
The advancements in sanitation infrastructure were pivotal in reducing the spread of diseases. Clean water, once a luxury, became a goal of every city and municipality, and keeping sewer waste far from where children play and where families live transformed urban health landscapes. This wasn't just about comfort; it was about survival. The separation of sewage from drinking water sources became the unsung hero in the narrative of modern public health, often overlooked by those who now take such systems for granted.
Indoor plumbing and sewer piping became standardized in the USA over a long period of time, with significant milestones marking this transition:
- Early 19th Century: The first notable advancements included the installation of cast-iron water pipes in Philadelphia in 1829. However, indoor plumbing was largely a luxury for the wealthy at this time.
- Mid to Late 19th Century: With technological improvements like the ballcock valve and the flush toilet, indoor plumbing started to become more widespread in urban areas. The need for better sanitation was also driven by public health concerns, notably after outbreaks like cholera in the mid-19th century.
- Early 20th Century: By the early 1900s, indoor plumbing had become more common in urban settings, but it was not until later in the century that it became standard across the U.S. The establishment of plumbing codes and regulations helped standardize practices.
- Post-World War II: There was a significant push towards modernizing and expanding plumbing systems. By the 1940s, roughly half of American homes had indoor plumbing, but this number increased rapidly in the following decades.
- 1960s to 1980s: By the 1960s, about 90% of the country had indoor plumbing, and by 1980, this had increased to around 98%. An astounding achievement in pluming standardization.
Thus, while indoor plumbing and sewer piping began to become standard in urban areas around the turn of the 20th century, it wasn't until well into the mid-20th century that it was widespread enough to be considered a standard across the entire country. But we all know that the many suburbs built for the post WWII family’s were set up often with dependable utilities of Electricity, natural Gas for hot water, cooking and heat, city fresh Water pipes, city Sewer pipes and some rain run off Storm Drains where we had curbs. This became the standard! What a blessing to a family. What health benefits it was to the community! Who cares if it came with avocado green shag carpets!
Yes the Big Change is wastewater treatment!
The evolution of water treatment reflects humanity's ongoing quest for clean, safe water, a journey marked by both technological innovation and a deeper understanding of public health. Significant advancements occurred with the understanding of microbiology. John Snow's work in 1854 linked cholera to contaminated water, leading to the use of chlorine for disinfection. Slow sand filtration in Scotland in 1804 was one of the first municipal treatments. Chlorination became widespread after 1908, dramatically improving water safety. The introduction of rapid sand filtration allowed for treating larger volumes of water. And with it the beat down of many physical ailments and epidemics. Modern treatment technologies aim not just at cleaning but also result in a Health boon.
Conclusion
Returning to our glaciers in Yosemite, we see not just the beauty of nature's work but a lesson in humility. Just as glaciers naturally advance and retreat, so too should our understanding of what truly impacts our health expand. The glacier of evidence that clean water and proper sewage management, keeping them separate, are pivotal to societal health is overwhelming, yet it's often buried under layers of less tangible environmental concerns. Lets hope groups that fight for “Saving the Planet” will turn to protecting the people from sewage and pollutants and not some stupid unobtainable carbon footprint. And this is what we can hope trickles out of the incoming administration’s goal to Make America Healthy Again. Or the #MAHA thing.
In today's world, where some might argue about carbon footprints, let's not forget the footprints of human progress that have led us to live healthier, longer lives. Sewers, as unglamorous as they might seem, are the unsung heroes of modern city life. They are not just about keeping our streets clean but about keeping our societies healthy. Perhaps, instead of focusing solely on the sky, we should also look down below our feet, where the real groundwork for health has been laid, often out of sight but never out of necessity.
We must have Clean Water, Healthy Food, and proper Sewer Treatment systems for our kids and grandkids to survive in a healthy future. Almost every city has a Sewage Treatment plant. Don’t underestimate it’s importance. Just like the weekly trash pick up. Just how well will you live without that modern convenience? If you lived in a big city that has experienced a sanitation workers strike you know.
In the efforts to Make America Healthy Again let’s remember to keep this foundation in mind.
EG: Really Important Stuff Happens After you Flush.
This essay, while poking fun at those who might overlook the basics in favor of more fashionable environmental concerns, underscores the importance of foundational public health measures.
After all, you can't build a skyscraper on a shaky foundation, and clean, separate sewage systems are just that, the bedrock of modern health. It is for us here in Los Angeles and for you in your town.
It’s Interconnected. It’s Foundational. Clean Water in, dirty water out.
So it is my understanding of the bigger picture that the Health got far better as the quality of the Water and the use of indoor pluming hooked up to City Sanitation fixed a LOT of the health problems we faced.
