#WorldWaterDay
World Water Day was March 22, 2015 and while I was able to participate in an interesting Twitter chat, the main hashtag #WaterIs got me thinking. That's how you know a hashtag is effective--it makes you think! Water is everything; it is life, survival, hygiene, relaxing, healing, and the list goes on. Yet for as essential as water is, there are far too many people on this planet who don't have access to safe reservoirs of it. On the flip side, many people who have an abundance of access waste it. What an imbalance! What can we do to truly affect change? Here are my thoughts below:
Identify the biggest ways you waste water and stop
When I think about my daily habits, I can easily pinpoint a few instances where I've used more water than needed. Think about it? How much water does it take to brush teeth or moisturize and cleanse your face? While it might seem like only a few minutes, that's liters of precious water being wasted. Does the faucet really need to run while you're brushing those pearly whites? No! Also, when washing dishes, does the water really need to run while you're soaping up the dishes? Now while I have tried to be more conscious of how long I let the water run when washing dishes, I am clean-obsessed and have on occasion let water run while I'm soaping up dishes. Gotta admit when you're wrong to make it better right?
Brainstorm ways on how you can reduce water consumption...and do it!
- Take shorter showers
- Wash full loads of laundry
- Cook with strictly the amount of water you need (same thing goes with making coffee!)
- Start-stop the faucet when brushing teeth or washing dishes (water does not need to run the entire time)
- Flush toilets wisely (sometimes we flush unnecessarily, be strategic)
These are just a few ideas but I bet there are more...would love to get your thoughts!
Get the message out there!
Tell you family, tell your friends, shout it on the rooftops! Okay, so maybe not that last one but seriously I think awareness is key. I think once you've modified your own habits and become aware, you'll be more empowered to suggest how others can reduce their water consumption. Sharing your success and impact is more powerful than you know.
Learn more about organizations that help populations lacking access to safe water sources
We are all one world! While many of us have the luxury and are blessed enough to not have to worry about this issue, unfortunately that is not the case for many around the planet. According to the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation, at least 1.8 billion people world-wide are estimated to drink water that is faecally contaminated. (Source: http://www.unwater.org/statistics/en/ ) Lack of safe water yields disease, dehydration, and economic strife among other things.
Here are few organizations truly working to make a difference:
The Water Project: http://thewaterproject.org/
WaterAid: http://www.wateraid.org/what-we-do
Waves for Water: http://www.wavesforwater.org/about/story
For more information on the world water crisis and how YOU can help make a difference, please visit: http://www.unwater.org/
#WaterIs ... LIFE! So let's spread the love and help save LIVES :-)
