Due to the unfortunate cancellation of our field trip to Corkscrew Swamp this past Tuesday, I decided to post about my water usage instead of the trip in honor of Debby, the tropical storm who rained us out.
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| The wrath of field trip party pooper Debby |
Water Controversy
After reading There Will Be Water regarding big businessman T. Boon Pickens and his controversial water supply, I see water in a new light. Living in Florida, it's so easy to forget that water is not abundant in many areas. Water is a pretty consistent resource for the most part around here, so reading of people fighting over water was enlightening. The statement that stuck with me the most in this article was made by Pickens' neighbor, Warren Chisum, who chose to keep his water local instead of looking to sell it like Pickens, which I think is a wise, respectable idea. He wants his grandchildren to have water in that area when they grow up, thinking of the well being of the future instead of his bank account like Chisum.
Ownership of water is a big controversy because people do not see eye to eye on the matter. The scarcity of water is a growing epidemic. Therefore, in my opinion, a single person should not have control over it. It's tough to think about someone not owning something that is part of the land that they do own. Yet, because humans and animals rely on water for survival, I believe it should be accessible to everyone. Local residents should have priority of nearby water, and I don't believe it should be able to be sold for profit. Seems like a truly evil plan to make people pay for a water supply.
The more we use water, the less there will be. As time goes on, water will become more and more scarce. With this being said, I love the idea of using every water resource we possibly can. Some day, we will have to tap into every water supply on earth. Therefore, regardless of all of the controversy, ancient aquifers will have to be utilized someday for the survival of mankind.
I didn't see a link to this article on Angel, but I did find the article on the Business Week website:
Water & Me
Unfortunately, I have not been the most apt to water conservation so far throughout my lifetime. My conserving habits have only included limiting my water bottle usage and making sure the faucet is turned off while I brush my teeth. Yesterday, I decided to record my water usage and see how much I truly use on a daily basis. Of course these are rough estimates over a period of 24 hours, but I tried my best to accurately record my water usage. These readings began at 8 pm on Friday and ended at 8 pm on Saturday.
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| Let's see just how much water I waste... |
15 minute shower- 105 gallons (Wow, what a horrible way to start off)
6 toilet flushes- 30 gallons
6 hand washes- 3 gallons
1 load of laundry- 50 gallons
1 load of dishes- 20 gallons
Drinking water- 0.5 gallons
Total: 208.5 gallons
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| I can't even imagine 208 of these... |
After seeing this number and imaging this much water sitting in front of me, I was shocked. I knew I used a lot of water every day, but 208.5 gallons? There are children in third world countries that haven't seen that much water in their lifetimes. There are so many simple steps I could be taking to save more water, such as using water saving devices and taking shorter showers. After reading this article on the water debate and imagining myself using 208.5 gallons every day, I have a new perspective on the true importance of water.
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