H2Ohhh NO!! What about us???

3%. When you think of 3%, what do you picture? Probably not a lot right? You probably barely picture anything at all. That’s how micro 3% is. Well that’s how much usable drinking water there is on this planet. 7 billion people have to share 3% of the planet’s water to survive.

You might be thinking, “what does this have to do with going green?” Well it has everything to do with going green. For the past week, the Greener Days bloggers have been reflecting on how we are changing our mindsets to live more sustainably. We have been reflecting on how our planet can be impacted by recycling, etc. Now, we are beginning to once again talk about the impact water has on our environment. My fellow bloggers recently posted some eye-popping statistics about conserving water. I’m going to add a few more to the list to make a greater point:

• Run your clothes washer and dishwasher only when they are full. You can save up to 1,000 gallons a month.
• Shorten your shower by a minute or two and you'll save up to 150 gallons per month.
• Grab a wrench and fix that leaky faucet. It's simple, inexpensive, and you can save 140 gallons a week.
• Set a kitchen timer when watering your lawn or garden to remind you when to stop. A running hose can discharge up to 10 gallons a minute.

See how many thousands of gallons of water you can save by the smallest of tasks? 

Think about it, by saving those thousands of gallons of water, you are saving that 3% of water that we depend on for life.

Life. When you think of "going green," people automatically think of saving the life of the planet. But saving the planet also means saving our own lives. By conserving water and recycling, we are adding time to our own occupation on this earth. By saving water, we are saving human life.

See what I mean:

• 780 million people lack access to an improved water source; approximately one in nine people.
• The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns.
• People living informal settlements (i.e. slums) often pay 5-10 times more per liter of water than wealthy people living in the same city.
• An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the average person in a developing country slum uses for an entire day.

So by "going green" by conserving water, we will have more water to give to the people who need it most. By conserving water, people will be given the chance to live. By conserving water, we can afford to not worry about fighting over the world's water supply or worry about running out of water. By conserving water, we can sustain the planet's life AND human life. 

By reflecting on how we can change our mindset to "go green" on our planet, don't forget to think about how we are saving ourselves. We will be saving mankind. Now that's food, I mean, water, for thought.

S.P.

For more statistics like those mentioned above, visit                           http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/index.php 

and:

http://water.org/water-crisis/water-facts/water/