In 2008, the United Nations Children's Fund announced that in order to survive, we need about five gallons of clean water a day.
1st world countries can easily use 400 gallons per household, per day—two to three times as much water as other developing nations. Much of our waste comes from unsustainable planning and policies, and a deep sense of entitlement:
we want what we want, how, when & where we want it, without a thought who else gets affected by our choices, the selfish race we are.
Civilization chooses to grow crops and build cities on former deserts that require irrigation, which means diverting water from streams and rivers. And that corn-based ethanol requires approximately 1,700 gallons of water for every gallon of fuel produced. Which means that even our great green gas isn’t water-efficient. Not that we have much awareness on that in the 1st place.
Sure the government and MNC's have a role to play, but lets band together and be mature enough to look within. We abuse as much as anyone does - which is why we also have the energy crisis. We live in bigger houses than wealthier nations, drive bigger cars, have more clothes that need frequent washing in water-guzzling machines, and we pitch too many things into the trash instead of fixing them. All of this uses lots of water and electricity
So while the backward-uneducated class & the corrupted extremists looks optimistically to the current administration for cues and we can’t hire a lobbyist to rewrite Pakistan's water policy.
What we can do is make some important choices. All it takes is a little bit of thought.
I realize that the idea of halving your water use might deter too many of you. If you want to go crazy, I applaud you (and please let me know how it goes). If you want to start with baby steps, see what you can do about getting it down to 75. Once you realize how easy that can be, add on some other steps.
To help guide the change towards responsible decisions, here are some explanations of how we’re unknowingly taking up too much water and tips that might force you to alter your daily rituals, without reverting to the stoneage. Good luck!
Toilet: 3.5 to 6 gallons per flush for a conventional toilet
Shower: 2.5 to 4 gallons per minute for a conventional shower head
Bath: Up to 60 gallons per bath based on standard tub size, full
Running faucet: 2 to 7 gallons per minute for a conventional faucet
Washing your Car: 5 to 10 gallons per minute for a running hose
Water flow depends on your water pressure.
These numbers reflect conventional water use and conventional tub and sink sizes, on average, without aerators, low-flow attachments, etc.
*To be Continued*
