Conserve Water
Conserving water can greatly limit the negative impact we have on the environment. By thinking conscientiously and creatively, we can make sure that everyone has enough water, while also minimizing the energy we use to bring it to our faucet or garden hose. Plus, using water wisely can lower many water bills.
At Urban Times, it has been high on our agenda to bring more awareness to the increasing scarcity of water. This infographic, brought to us by Seametrics, illustrates that our water consumption is rising so rapidly that our water withdrawals have tripled in the last 50 years. The increasing demand for water, with depleting supplies, might result in international conflict as countries often share water sources. We must become more educated on the implications that wasting water can have on the planet. There are also ‘hidden’ ramifications as we effectively ‘eat water‘: one pound of chocolate requires a staggering 3,170 gallons of water, indicating the excessive use of water in the chocolate industry. In fact, 70% of fresh water is used for agriculture. And what about the plight of the 46% of people that don’t have access to clean fresh water in their dwellings at all?
Wise water use stretches our water resources and can help avoid seasonal and long-term water shortages. Studies show that in some areas there is less groundwater than originally thought, that drilling deeper may provide poorer quality water, and that the aquifer is not being replenished as quickly as we assumed.
97% of the earth's water is in our oceans and 2% is trapped in icecaps and glaciers. This leaves about 1% of the earth's water available for human consumption. It's easy to understand, then, that our domestic water supply is a manufactured product whose raw material is limited. Environmental and financial restrictions also limit the supply available at any given time. This means that our water supply has to go a long way towards satisfying all the competing interests:
At Urban Times, it has been high on our agenda to bring more awareness to the increasing scarcity of water. This infographic, brought to us by Seametrics, illustrates that our water consumption is rising so rapidly that our water withdrawals have tripled in the last 50 years. The increasing demand for water, with depleting supplies, might result in international conflict as countries often share water sources. We must become more educated on the implications that wasting water can have on the planet. There are also ‘hidden’ ramifications as we effectively ‘eat water‘: one pound of chocolate requires a staggering 3,170 gallons of water, indicating the excessive use of water in the chocolate industry. In fact, 70% of fresh water is used for agriculture. And what about the plight of the 46% of people that don’t have access to clean fresh water in their dwellings at all?
Wise water use stretches our water resources and can help avoid seasonal and long-term water shortages. Studies show that in some areas there is less groundwater than originally thought, that drilling deeper may provide poorer quality water, and that the aquifer is not being replenished as quickly as we assumed.
97% of the earth's water is in our oceans and 2% is trapped in icecaps and glaciers. This leaves about 1% of the earth's water available for human consumption. It's easy to understand, then, that our domestic water supply is a manufactured product whose raw material is limited. Environmental and financial restrictions also limit the supply available at any given time. This means that our water supply has to go a long way towards satisfying all the competing interests: