Every day, when you wake up, do you take a bucket to the stream to fetch water for the day? No. For most of us, water comes out of a tap from a wall. We don’t really know where that water comes from. We might not even care. It’s just there. But we, all of us, are now citizens of an environmental republic, a system of infrastructure and institutions that stands between us and the force of water. We should vote accordingly. Essayist, entrepreneur and senior executive with experience in both the private and non-profit sectors, he has conducted research on water for over 15 years. He is the author of the book "Water: a Biography". This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx