As a child growing up in the 1990s, I was an avid “Saturday Morning Cartoon” watcher and was exposed to a myriad of shows thanks to cable TV.
While there were plenty of staple shows touting super heroes, classic cartoon characters, and Disney spinoffs – one of the shows I remember most was “Captain Planet and the Planeteers.”
That series ran from 1990-1992 and later returned in a sequel dubbed “The New Adventures of Captain Planet” from 1993-1996.
Both mixed environmental education with entertainment alongside several famous actors voicing the heroes and villains.
Now, when I was watching the shows as a child, I wanted nothing more than to have one of those special rings that empowered the heroes to harness specific elements– earth, water, fire, wind, and heart.
I can even name several schoolyard pals that also wanted similar rings and we’d all daydream about which one we’d get and how we’d use those powers.
Unfortunately, when reality struck in my teen years, the desire to become a “Planeteer” faded into the background among other personal issues.
However, it didn’t die completely and has been expressed in smaller ways that can happen at home or in public like recycling, beach cleanups, and moving towards being more energy efficient as much as possible.
Still, nothing hit me quite as big as when I attended college out in San Angelo and endured droughts, dusty tornados that came far too close to my campus for comfort and ash from wildfires burning through the Hill Country.
On one hand, I was grateful for the low humidity percentages and actually having more of a winter season than back home on the coast.
But, on the other, I saw lawns turning into rock gardens, the reduction of many native flora species and had my first real experience with water restrictions.
Spending months in that part of western Texas was rather sobering and revived that quiet part of me that still wanted to be a Planeteer.
On our drive to Tuloso-Midway Stadium in Corpus Christi for the Tidehaven Tigers’ area playoff game, I felt like I was back in San Angelo and could hear Haskell Simon’s water warnings echoing in my thoughts.
The yards were dirt patches with dry, dead grass if they were lucky and plain dirt and rocks if they weren’t.
With some careful Google searching, I found out why, and it sent chills down my spine.
In October, the Wall Street Journal had an article stating that drought had crippled Corpus Christi’s reservoirs and the city was on track to be unable to meet the area’s water demands as soon as 18 months.
Apparently, the city’s water utility serves over 500,000 people in seven counties covering 140 square miles and numerous industrial users.
When I checked the city website Saturday, I learned they were at “Drought Stage 3” and had numerous water restrictions in place, including no lawn watering.
It’s terrifying to think that if they don’t get some kind of drought relief soon, they’ll possibly start drawing more water from the Colorado River and that will definitely impact us!
Right now, I’m wishing I was the Planeteer with the power of water more than any other element.
