Water depletion is a worldwide problem. If we continue using our fresh water in the manner we currently do, we will run out. As we all know, we cannot survive without water. Our plants and animals also cannot survive without water.
We use water for things other than hydration. Washing our cars, dishes and clothes, brushing our teeth, showering, landscaping and cooking are just some ways that we use water on a regular basis.
The fucked up part is that 70% of the planet is water, but only 2% of that is fresh water. Of that 2% of fresh water, 1.6% of that water is trapped in polar ice caps and glaciers. When those melt due to our global warming (not fake news!) that fresh water will flow right into the oceans and mix with salt water. We cannot drink salt water and unfortunately desalination is a very expensive process that we have not spent enough time researching to find a less expensive method to execute . Do the math. This is not good. It is estimated that by 2025 two thirds of the global population will run short of fresh drinking water. That is less than 10 years away. This is our lifetime. This is now.
The average American uses 2000 gallons of water a day. This number seems really high because you are using water for things without even knowing about it. This includes the water used to create the clothes we wear, the food we eat, our transportation, the actual water we drink and the water we use in our daily activities. Knowing this, here are some ways you can lessen your daily water usage and help with this unfortunate global depletion. You have probably heard some of them before, so if you are not doing them, start!
Basic Boss
Turn off the water when brushing your teeth
Cut your showering time by 4 minutes
Wash dishes in the dishwasher versus by hand
Make sure the dishwasher is full prior to running it
If it's yellow?
Shower vs. Bath = Shower
Boss
Install water saving aerators on faucets, low flow shower heads and high efficiency toilets
Have a plumber check your home for leaks. Not all leaks are obvious.
Aerate your lawn so water is able to soak in easier and to avoid run off and avoid solid surfaces that prevent water from reaching the ground such as driveways, cement pads, flat roofs, etc.
Purchase a front loading energy efficient washing machine and wash colors on cold water.
Bad Ass Boss
Have a plumber re-route your grey water from your laundry to hydrate your outdoor space instead of going into the sewer.
Install a rain catchment system in your yard to collect that wasted rain water and use it to water your grass/plants.
Use xeriscaping, a method of landscaping using low water usage plants
Now let's take a second to talk about how we not only waste water, but we pollute it! We only have 0.4% access to fresh water and we shit in it. Literally. 80% of water pollution is caused by littering garbage onto open ground and in bodies of water. Because of this approximately 15 million children under the age of 5 years old die every year due to diseases caused by water pollution. Okay. I have guilt tripped you enough. Here are some ways you can help prevent water pollution:
Basic Boss
Avoid using your garbage disposal. Compost
Do not dump grease, fat or oil down the sink. Keep a separate container of these items and dispose of them properly
Do not pour household chemicals or cleaning agents down the sink.
Medications should not be flushed either.
Toilets are not a garbage for your Kleenexes, cotton balls, cleaning wipes, etc.
Pick up your dogs poo. Plus this is just considerate.
Boss
Adopt a dive site through Project Aware
Join a clean up group
Vegetate bare spots in your yard to prevent rain water runoff
Drive a low emissions car, ride share or bike
Bad Ass Boss
Start or join your own dive site event through Project Aware
Host a class to teach youth groups about water pollution
Become involved with One Drop, an international
non-profit where water as a transformative force to improve living conditions is their mission
This problem is a great way to wrap up April's Tattooed Mom Boss Saves the Planet because it is so important that we pay attention to what is going on in regards to water. We have to change our ways or this is not going to be something you see on a website or on television in 3rd world countries, it will be something that you see in front of your face happening to your own family. If each one of us could do even some of the Basic Boss actions that I have listed above, it would make a huge difference. Be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem.