Water

 Water

Ch. 6 Water (p.90) - 

Freshwater is generally a renewable resource. A constant volume of water moves through the hydrologic cycle where it is continually filtered and recycled, and the total volume of water never changes (Black and King 2009, 12). The problem is not that Earth is running out of water; the problem is that humans pull it from the hydrologic cycle faster than it can be purified and replaced, and that human activities pollute some of the remaining water so that it is not safe to use. The imbalance is further complicated by global climate change (Robertson 2017). 

I did not understand the importance of reducing water use to prevent waste until I read this statement. My mentality or shall I say my naiveness believes we will "never" run out of water. I, now, am aware that running out of water is not the issue at hand, the issue is how we are using up water more rapidly than we should, which is affecting the condition of our future supply. The amount we are using is not giving it enough time to purify our drinking water and replace the current condition the water is at. We are contaminating the water as we dump chemicals down our drains and throw trash into bodies of water, which not only harms the water quality but also animals living in that environment.   

Ch. 6 Threats to Human & Ecosystem Health (p.94-95) - 

Depletion of aquifers is another threat to biodiversity. Plants, animals, and other organisms in lakes, rivers, and underground water systems have evolved to suit the particular ecosystems where they live. When water is drawn down, those ecosystems change and the organisms in them face local extinction (Robertson 2017). 

As I mentioned in the first statement, water contamination is harming both the water level, quality and the animals living in the bodies of water. It is important that we do our part and take care of the water supply we have and only use what is meant for us without taking away from our future supply. These animals that are essential to our survival are going extinct because of our negligence. Water is necessary for every living thing to function properly and keep us alive. This should be a good enough reason to prevent water contamination by simply storing toxic chemicals and trash into their appropriate disposals.    

https://www.conservancy.org/our-work/policy/water-quality

Water Footprint

My results

My results

I was not surprised by my results as I consider myself wasteful when it comes to using up water while I wash my dishes, brush my teeth, wash my face, and shower. My family also noticed an increase in our water bill as there are six of us in one household. I personally did not think using water was considered wasteful as there is "plenty" of water to go around or so I thought. The things I could do to use water less are to collect rainwater, reduce shower time especially on hair days, and turning off water when not in use. Those three habits would make a huge difference and honestly can easily be applied to my daily routine. My grandma takes advantage of rainy days by leaving out buckets and boiling her rainwater for drinking water and plant watering purposes. It rains here in Florida either everyday or every other day so this can be implemented to recycle water and prevent from using tap. I personally do not take long showers unless I am washing my hair and shaving as I take 30 minutes to an hour. I can cut my time by setting an alarm with a 15-20 minute timer for the days I wash my hair that way I get motivated to be showered before timer goes off and make it somewhat of a fun challenge. It would also be helpful to turn of the water as I leave in my hair mask for 5-10 minutes and while I'm shaving. The main issue I have is turning off water when I am not using it such as when I am washing dishes and brushing my teeth. The simple solution to this problem is to be aware of how long it is being left on. I tend to leave it on when I am washing the dishes and while I am brushing my teeth. Breaking this bad habit of mine will benefit all living things and keep us accountable for taking care of our well-being and the environment.  

References

Robertson, M. (2017). Sustainability Principles and Practice. Routledge.