Water is essential to all life forms and, without it, there would be no life on Earth. Fresh water is precious and limited. People, animals, and crops would die for lack of fresh water. The oceans support many species of plants and animal although we cannot use it without desalination. Studies show that the average American uses 176 gallons of water each day while the average African family uses only four gallons of water ("Water Facts | The Water Information Program"). If we do not limit our water consumption, we will eventually deplete our supply. The earth is seventy percent covered in water, but less than one percent of the world’s existing water source is safe for human consumption. In Southern California, Governor Brown ordered a twenty …show more content…
The average American showers for 8.2 minutes which uses 17.2 gallons of water ("Water Facts | The Water Information Program"). Because of this statistic, I have been researching ways that people could possibly reduce their water usage. In my research, I read about a shower that reuses its own water. Instead of going down the drain, the water drains through a filter and is pumped back to the faucet. It reduces water usage by ninety percent and, because the water retains some of its heat, it also reduces energy usage by eighty percent. Therefore, when an American takes an 8.2 minute daily shower, only 1.72 gallons would go down the drain which would save 15.48 gallons of water ("Recycling Closed-loop Shower."). However, the cost of this innovative shower is greater than two thousand dollars, which is very costly for most people in the United States and around the world. If we can find a way to do this at an affordable cost, then, we would be changing the …show more content…
Instead of adorning the shower with expensive stainless steel, people can use fiber reinforced plastic (FRP). It runs about thirty dollars for a four by eight sheet. The plastic is a cheap alternative to it and looks just as nice as the stainless steel. Also, people can save money by switching out the faucet types. On many online sites, chrome or nickel faucets are only about one hundred dollars to buy. This is very cheap compared to the expensive faucets and stainless steel wall the shower is equipped with. The upfront cost of this shower is expensive, but people can cut down the cost by swapping out the stainless steel wall and faucets for cheaper materials, like the FRP and chrome faucets. Also, the shower will save many people up $8,707 a year. So the upfront cost of more than two thousand dollars is a little price to pay if people are saving eight thousand a
The California water drought has been declared a crisis by the governor of California. 2013 was the driest year on record, and California could be running out of water. Californians should be water wise, and their use, or no use, of water will have an enormous impact on this drought. They can use the techniques published in a recent Time article called, 5 Ways to Bust California’s Drought, to reduce their water use. Landscape techniques, alternate water sources, and the personal conservation of water can reduce the use of water, and can have a positive change on this water crisis.
Humans need water. In a world that is overpopulated, we use a lot of water and other natural resources. Currently, in our world, clean water is getting scarce. Recently, for example, Flint, Michigan, had a water crisis. In early 2016, the water was discovered to be tainted with lead and other toxins. Long before that, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and Governor Rick Snyder along with his council, knew about the lead, but to save money for the city of Flint in early 2014 Snyder had changed the city’s water source to the Flint River which had corroded pipes, causing people of all ages to be sick from the high amounts of lead
World wide it takes about 72 billion gallons of water each year to make the bottles alone. This massive waste only expands as only twenty percent of the bottles end up being recycled. Those that are not recycled could end up in landfills, in the park, or on the side of the highway, where it could take a thousand years or more to degrade. (RD) However there are healthy, eco-friendly, and affordable ways to carry around tap water. Aluminum bottles are built to be carried in cars, in bags, and on your belt loop. There are even bottles that filter water as people drink them. So even on vacation people can drink from public sources without fear of contaminates. These alternatives won’t only save you money, but protect your health and the environment too.
Drinking water is one of our basic needs in order to survive, therefore the water that we drink and cook with must be of a high quality, and filtered of any harmful contaminants.
Although water is all around, very little is drinkable. Six billion people live on earth and 1.1 billion in 31 countries are unable to access safe, clean drinking water. California has only 20 years of water supply left. Ironically, even the wettest place on earth, Cherrapunji, India, has often water shortages. After years of millions of people dying of thirst and disease, a corporate movement to find a solution to the water crisis has now swept the world. Water, a fleeting resource vital to every life, every single day of the year, is now being taken out of the governments control and becoming a commodity bought and sold by big business, a.k.a privatization.
"If we paid as much for tap water as we do for bottled water, most people would have a monthly water bill of over $9,000." - -Andrew C. Revkin - The New York Times
For about five years California has experienced above average temperatures and a lack of rain. This lack of rain and snowfall has caused California to become increasingly dry, starting arguments over whose right to water is more important and who needs to be more mindful with their use of water. Farming in California truly began during the gold rush when water was redirected to land where food was grown for those looking for gold (Siegler, 2015). The farmers that have stayed on that land now have senior water rights (“Water wars”, 2015). Farmers that settled their land before 1914 are those with senior water rights (Terrell, 2015). Governor Jerry Brown has called for a cut in water use by one-quarter percent to people living
Although the drought is not the only factor in the lowering of California’s water supply, it is difficult to maintain water levels in reservoirs without watering coming in to the state. California does not need a quick-fix way of getting water to the state to help with the issue of the water supply, as this does not address both the root cause of the drought nor does it solve the problem of the water shortage in the long run. In order to address the drought and find a solution, state officials, as well as the residents of California, need to understand and become knowledgeable about why there is a drought to begin with. There are measures and an executive order that have been put into place by state officials and local authorities; however, these measures only address the solution of conserving water, not replenishing it. A solution to the California drought can be grey water recycling.
What do you assume would happen if you ran out of water? Your body loses water through breathing, sweating, and digestion, it's important to rehydrate by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water. In the town of East Porterville, they have not had water in 5 months. Life is legitimately dreadful for them. They can not do basic effects that involve using water. I do envision that California should control phreatic water. In my opinion, I do believe that we should have regulation on how our own selves benefit from the water. Even though farmers understand that they also need water for farming and California is known for farming.
Living in a world that is roughly 70% water, and all living creatures found on this planet depend on this resource whether directly or indirectly, making water quality an important topic and vital to sustain our world of cycles. “Determination of status of water quality of a river or any other water sources is highly indeterminate. It is necessary to have a competent model to predict the status of water quality and to advice for type of water treatment for meeting different demands.” (Bai V, 2009) With most of our water on this planet made of salt water and our constant damage towards the remaining water that can be consumed by humans is diminishing with improper distribution on a global scale. If our greed comes before companionship, and our quality of life is more important than pollution, then our future generations to come will be born into a world of chaos, and a scarce of a basic human necessity.
For every water bottle made, non-renewable resources are wasted to produce an unnecessary luxury. For the bottled water that Americans enjoy, seventeen million barrels of oil are used (excluding transportation), which could fuel more than 1.3 million cars for a year. Most water is imported and exported from places that are thousands of miles away, such as Fiji. Although oil is controversial in nature, for every one liter of water produced, three liters are used. The excess water wasted can supply clean water to the world’s poorest countries.
Water is on of the most precious natural resources that exist on our planet. “It is delivered from the atmosphere in the form of rain, snow, hail, fog, and condensation and returns to the atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration” (Hannigan 1969). Although many of us love activities that have to do with water, we disregard it and pollute out rivers, lakes and oceans. Slowly but surely we are going to harm out planet till no return. Protecting and conserving nature will secure a better future. 71% of earth is covered with oceans. Sounds like a lot right? Imagine ...
Clean Water: “An under-appreciated liquid to Survive” Water is pure and transparent liquid that is vital for all humans, plants and animals on the planet. In the United States, people have access to clean drinking water and clean sanitation systems, not like in other parts of the world where clean, safe drinking water is getting scarce. A lot of people don’t have access to it, and many regions are suffering severe drought. Yet, when humans take it for granted, they don’t appreciate that a reliable, clean supply of water is essential to human health, economy and agricultural prosperity. Having clean and safe potable water is a right, and not a privilege.
Freshwater in the world makes up only a small portion of the water on the planet. While the percentage of water in the world is nearly 70%, only 2.5% is consumable. Even further, only 1% is easily accessible to basic human needs. According to National Geographic, “by 2025, an estimated 1.8 billion people will live in areas plagued by water scarcity, with two-thirds of the world's population living in water-stressed regions as a result of use, growth, and climate change.” With this current trend, water will become more immersed in environmental, economic, political, and social changes.