Today marks the last monumental lifestyle change with No Impact Week— water. It's amazing to think that so much of our lives revolve around the simple molecule H20. All our food needs water to grow. Our health requires us to consume large amounts of water. In fact, over 90 percent of our bodies are made up of water. Water is, in the true essence of the phrase, the foundation of life.
Looking at planet Earth, the majority of the surface is blue. One of the most visually recognized images that conveys our planet's large quantity of water is “Earthrise.” This photograph was taken by astronaut William Anders on the Apollo 8 mission on Christmas Eve of 1968.
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| "Earthrise," 1968 (photo by William Anders) |
While Earth is largely comprised of water, correctly earning the title of blue marble, we are experiencing water shortages. Rodney R. White explains the Earth's water situation eloquently in his book North, South and the Environmental Crisis (1993):
Globally there is no shortage of water per se. The problem is the cost of making water available at a particular place...Roughly, of the world's total water only three percent is fresh, and of that three percent less than one percent is available at the surface...Of the water that is available at the surface, about half is cycling through the atmosphere (Environment: an Interdisciplinary Anthology).
With this knowledge, it becomes clear that we as a whole need to use water in an efficient and conscious manner. In the United States, I think it is difficult to understand this reality that White shares because we do not experience water shortages.
In my times abroad I have experienced these water shortages first-hand. During my sophomore year, I went to the Bahamas with Habitat for Humanity over spring break. While the island of Nassau is surrounded the the Caribbean, it lacks sufficient potable water. In fact, it is brought in offshore daily. Most days while I was there my shower either put out a trickle of water or none at all. From that experience, I came to value the priceless role of water and realize it is indispensable.
Keeping these thoughts in mind, my new tasks are to:
- Assess your current water habits from the moment you hit the snooze button until bedtime. Calculate your approximate water footprint and figure out the water foodprint of your food.
- Create a list of the water that you will likely consume today (not exact measurements, just general usage). Think about where you use water: at home, at work, church or school, on the go, and eating out. This will help you think about how you use water.
- Begin! Turn off the faucet. Run the water gently when needed. Soak the dishes. Sponge bathe.
- Ask yourself throughout the day: What is the hardest part about reducing the amount of water you use? Are you doing something particularly novel or fun to reduce water consumption?
- Write down five things for which you are grateful.
(Source: No Impact Experiment How To Manual)
As instructed, I calculated my water footprint online (http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=cal/WaterFootprintCalculator). According to the online calculator, I consume 887 cubic meters per year. Of this figure, 554 cubic meters comes from the meat I consume.
I also calculated the the water footprint of my food separately (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/06/from-lettuce-to-beef-whats-water-footprint-of-your-food.php). This second website did not have a calculator but instead listed most food items and how much water they require. Some of the items that I usually eat include:
- 1 pound of lettuce— 15 gallons of water
- 1 pound of tomatoes— 22 gallons of water
- 1 pound of wheat bread— 154 gallons of water
- 1 pound of rice— 403 gallons of water
- 1 pound of chocolate— 2,847 gallons of water
- 1 pound of eggs— 573 gallons of water
- 1 pound of chicken— 815 gallons of water
- 1 pound of pork— 1630 gallons of water
- 8 ounces of tea— 7 gallons
- 8 ounces of coffee— 29 gallons
After calculating my water footprint and my food waterprint, I then made a general list of all the water I anticipated to consume over the day. Here is what I came up with:
- showering
- washing hands
- brushing teeth
- washing dishes
- drinking water
- toilet flushing
- food consumption
While this list is not as long as I anticipated, I realize after calculating my water footprint that each of these uses of water add up, especially food. On that note, I think that one of the many reasons that we as a society do not realize the amount of water we use is because we do not visually see the amount of water required for us to perform basic functions like those I listed above. In other words, we do not see the entire water process such as the purification and treatment phases. Perhaps by educating ourselves more about the cycle of water in general and how we use it we will become more conscious and concerned about this invaluable resource.
Of the course of the day, I found reducing my water use both easy and difficult. To begin, I found it easy because many ways that I have used water are wasteful, such as letting the water run while washing dishes or my hands. Therefore, it was easy to curtail how much water I used today in this regard.
However, reducing my water use was extremely difficult for me in other ways, mainly with showering. For me, showers are a source of stress relief. It is often while under the shower head that I have my “ah ha” breakthroughs and my “ahh” calming time. With the spring semester coming to a close and assignments climbing, I find myself becoming more stressed. Curtailing my first go-to source for relaxation has been difficult. However, I have done my best to cut-down on my shower time today and must say that I am proud of my six minute shower. While still considering lengthy by some, it is a start!
Thank you for reading about my adventures today. I'll close with another five things for which I am grateful:
- the opportunity to shower
- the availability of fresh, potable water
- naps
- my creativity to search for new sources of stress relief besides showering
- my roommates
Until tomorrow,
Krista
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