There is something in the design of our planet that can be a little misleading. Most people will take a good look at a picture of our planet Earth, observe the enormous quantity of blue, and as a result, smirk at the irony of our planet’s name. The funny thing is that while our planet is made up of more water than land, more than half of that water is not fit for drinking. Does this statistic surprise you? How about this – did you know that nine of the world’s countries contain 60% of the planet’s fresh water supply?
Maybe you did know. After all, the environment is a hot topic in the media these days – and it’s about time! It is a common misconception that water is an unlimited source; water is a renewable source, but its supply is not unlimited.
My Klean Kanteen!
We already have the makings of a global water crisis in the works. Alarmingly, a number of countries – mostly impoverished ones – are already suffering a water shortage. Can you imagine not having enough water to carry out your daily activities? Even worse, can you imagine being dehydrated? I drink multiple times from a Klean Kanteen bottle within the span of an hour, let alone a day, so when I hear about the water shortage, it really hits close to home.
The main problems with water today appear to be its contamination (when it isn’t drinkable) and its distribution, or lack thereof. The good news is that while we have more undrinkable water than clean water, we also have fewer water-related needs that require clean water.
Every single living being on this planet depends on water in order to live. So what can we do about distribution? That sounds like a pretty daunting task, and it’s an issue with which Canada is likely to be hit in the face some time soon. In an earlier study in 2009, I learned that Canada owns 20% of the Earth’s liquid fresh water supply and 7% of its renewable supply. This means that as other countries continue to contaminate and use up their water supply at an alarming rate, they may soon be turning to Canada for water. Scary!
But for now, what can we do to preserve our water? With the recent interest in the environment, you may have heard all you need to know about water. If so, you may be thinking, “Oh no, here comes another list of ways in which to conserve water…” The repetition seems necessary. No matter how many times you suggest someone do something, it doesn’t mean they’ll do it! Does it?
We took a picture without the water running...to save water!
I worked downtown this summer and every day, I noticed the kitchen faucet was leaking. At the beginning of my three-month job, I emailed someone at work about this and I learned that she shared the same concern and would pass along a request to have the leaky faucet fixed. My second-to-last day on the job, the faucet was still leaking. My contact sympathetically informed me that the maintenance crew was more preoccupied with bigger jobs.
I completely understood this claim. But a thought haunted me at the back of mind – how much will we suffer before those in charge realize that preserving water already is a big job?
The media is picking up on the water issue. The maintenance crew at that building might not be catching on just yet, but we have. Here are some relatively simple ways to preserve water. You may know most of them and hopefully you use most of them too. Challenge yourself to implement one new water-saving method per week.
1. Showers: Shower instead of taking a bath; it saves water. Take an 8 minute shower. Once in a while you may spring for the long, relaxing shower, but our planet can’t really afford this several times a week! Also, don’t wash your hair every day – don’t worry, chances are you’re not that dirty! Washing your hair daily isn’t even healthy for your hair, as it reduces your natural oils. No amount of chemical product can imitate that, and nothing will bring back our water once it’s gone.
2. Leaky faucet or not: Turn off the tap all the way when you’re not using it. This may sound pretty obvious, but sometimes we’re in a rush and forget to check!
3. Reuse water from cooking: If you’re making two kinds of pasta and you cook your penne first, save the boiled water and pour it into a new pot to cook your rigatoni – as opposed to throwing out all the water. You may need to add some new water to recuperate the lost droplets, but you’re still reducing your water usage by something!
4. Don’t throw out your water: I use a Klean Kanteen bottle and I take several gulps of water before I fall asleep, so the next morning I end up with “extra” water that I usually throw down the sink. What I should start doing, and you too, is to use that water for other uses that don’t require fresh, clean water; such as watering the garden.
5. Be conservative about your laundry: Is your shirt really dirty, or are you throwing it in the machine because it was lying on your floor for several days? It pays to hang up your clothes after you wear them! For you, and for me (and for your floor).
Each person conserving water can really make a big difference to our planet. You can make a difference by taking small steps. It takes a while before it sinks in – haha, get it? 
Sink…water?
Did that go too far?
By Marisa Baratta
Blog Writer 2009-2010, Change Tomorrow’s World
Posted by Stephan on October 8, 2009 at 2:05 PM
I think that no matter how conscious we are, there are always certain areas where we aren’t exactly eco-friendly. Whether or not people don’t care about the environment or are just oblivious to their actions can be debated, but there’s no denying that all of as can take these little bits of advice and incorporate them in our daily routines.
Posted by Aleks on October 12, 2009 at 8:29 PM
I think that those are all great tips on how to save water!
Some other things to consider could be:
1.) When re-using your water from cooking, you don’t just need to re-use it to cook more. Save it in the sink to wash your dirty dishes after. Rinse with clean water, but wash in the re-usable water.
2.) Rather than waiting for the tap water to turn cold, keep a jug of drinking water in the fridge.
3.) Don’t wait for the tap water to turn warm when you are washing your hands. Just wash them in the chillier water.