By: Alyssa Musa
Saving water. It’s a practice that many of us strive to master in our day-to-day lives.
But have you ever wondered about its true significance?
In this article, you’ll gain fresh insight into how fundamental saving water really is: for humanity, for the ecosystems - for our Earth. Without a doubt, you’ll leave with a renewed desire and determination to conserve water!
Before it reaches your kitchen sink, water must be extracted from the oceans, rivers, and bays.
It’s important to remember that these aren’t simply endlessly stretching, lifeless pools of blue; rather, they are the homes of all sorts of fascinating creatures, some of which we could never even imagine.
Unfortunately, when countless people and corporations treat water like it's an infinite stream whooshing from their taps, the lives of innocent plants and animals are stolen.
Just like humans, plants and animals require a sufficient amount of water to drink, grow and reproduce. And they have no choice but to depend on humanity to get it.
Over the past century, the world has proved to be far from dependable to biodiversity:
“Globally, more than 50% of wetland areas were lost during the 20th century,1 mostly due to conversion and drainage.6”
- NCBI
Can you even comprehend that? It’s unbelievable, unimaginable, and painful to acknowledge. But these statistics need to be uncovered so that communities and countries will make stronger efforts to lead sustainable lives.
As it happens, the environmental impact associated with supplying excess water isn’t limited to the draining of water bodies; both pollution and electricity are generated through the necessary processes of heating and treating water - in outrageous quantities.
With an excessive demand for water comes an unthinkable demand for electricity.
In other words, the heating and treating of water releases a significant amount of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. In fact,
“The energy needed to move, treat, and use water in the US for both residential and commercial purposes produces nearly 290 million metric tonnes of CO2 annually – the equivalent of 5% of the nation’s overall carbon emissions.”
That’s simply disgusting. However, this wouldn’t be the case if more people shifted to make responsible choices surrounding their water consumption.
But the world shifts slowly. It needs many more courageous voices to stand up and drive it towards a greener future. Will you be one of them?
Sometimes we forget, but water isn’t only for households. An abundant amount of water is required for farming, something that a warming climate is pushing out of reach.
For years, global warming has been at the center of persistent droughts and unprecedented temperatures. As a result, water scarcity is on the rise along with crop failure.
The level of stress that this situation is forcing onto farmers and their families is injust. Farmers need a steady income, one which is tied to the success of their crops. And the success of their crops is tied to millions of other people’s behavior towards the environment.
However, if we reduce our water consumption appropriately, the climate would be on the road to recovery. This means that farming worldwide will be less stressful and more successful.
Without question, we need to change our behavior around water for the sake of our farmers, our country, and our future.
Finally, if you get greener, your wallet will get tighter! In many countries, your water and electricity bill is not fixed. Instead, it reflects how much you’ve used.
According to the EPA, a minute in the shower (using a standard showerhead) consumes a whopping 2.5 gallons of water!
So imagine, if you even reduced your shower by a minute for a week, for a month, for a year, for ten years - how much water you would save, and how much money you would save!
Finally, remember to be patient with yourself. It takes time to become a more sustainable member of this Earth. It’s best to focus on one or two new water-saving strategies at a time, otherwise, you’ll find yourself feeling overwhelmed.
Hope you loved this read and stay tuned for more! As always, thanks for reading, and take care of yourselves!
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