Saving water now is saving the planet’s future

By Hugo Lopes

Let me start by telling you that this is not a scientific document, I’m just an ordinary guy capturing my thoughts. I don’t have exact numbers, fancy theories or eye-catching charts; I’ll leave that to brighter minds than my own. Everything I put down here is “spoken” from the heart.

There are things I’ve always taken for granted and because of that I never learned to fully appreciate them; at least not until recently. It’s not that any special event has taken place or that I’ve had a religious experience; it’s simply because I’ve opened my eyes a little more to the world around me.

One thing that is becoming a real problem is clean water, that most vital commodity that we can’t live without.

I’m not going to lecture anyone about global warming. It is happening. Scientists might not agree on its impact and consequences in our everyday lives, and the future, but the one major fact is that it’s not good news.

There are thousands of articles about it all over the internet, magazines, newspapers, etc and if those *arguably* well funded articles can’t convince you that it is a matter of extreme importance, I doubt I can. What I can tell you is this: no one reading this article is being affected by global warming right now, not in a significant way at least.

There are some noticeable changes as a result but the worst is ahead of us and it’s our grandchildren who will feel it the most.

By changing little simple things in our daily routine, we can save thousands of gallons a year. Imagine what a difference that would make if everyone did that. Our homes are so inefficient as they are but because they’ve always been that way most of us don’t ask questions.

Here’s 5 things you could do to save water (and if conserving water isn’t incentive enough, think of it as saving money instead):

• Grab a 1L plastic bottle, fill it with water and put it inside your toilet tank. It sounds crazy but it will actually save you a full litre of clean water every flush.
• Only run your washing machine and dishwasher when they are full. You can save up to 1,000 gallons a month.
• Drop your toilet tissue in the trash instead of flushing it to conserve the energy needed to clean the water.
• Shorten your shower by a minute or two and you’ll save up to 150 gallons per month.
• Use a water-efficient showerhead. They’re inexpensive, easy to install, and can save you up to 750 gallons a month.

Please share your thoughts about simple water conservation ideas by leaving a comment.

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images: Top photograph by JLBane, side image – newsdigest247.com