First of two parts

TO survive, we need three things: oxygen, water and food. I'd also add good health, but it's in a different category. Without health, everything else fades into the background. We may die, but unlike the other three, it's not certain. More likely, we just get sick. And when we do, it dominates our lives. Death is a much rarer result. But without oxygen, we die within minutes; no water for three days and we're gone; a lack of food and we can't survive more than a few weeks. Nothing else affects us as much as these three. So, you'd think they'd be of the most absolute priority to provide, wouldn't you? Well, they're not.