A STEP BEYOND OUR COMFORT ZONES - WEEK 7

Day 1 

Please join me in the effort to “Walk Lightly” on this earth. This week I talk about how to conserve water. 

CONSERVE WATER

DO NOT RUN THE WATER WHILE BRUSHING YOUR TEETH, SHAVING AND WASHING DISHES OR SOAK DISHES BEFORE WASHING THEM

Contrary to popular belief, clean drinking water is not in endless supply. Although 70% of the earth is covered in water, only 2.5% of that water is fresh water and less than 1% is directly available to humans in lakes, rivers and groundwater. Only this amount of water is replenished by annual rain and snowfall and is therefore a sustainable water source.

Standard faucets output 2 gallons of water per minute. Shutting off the water while you brush, shave, wash the dishes, etc, can save. Replacing faucets and aerators to WaterSense labeled models can save 700 gallons a year.

Day 2

REDUCE YOUR SHOWER TIME BY A FEW MINUTES OR SWITCH TO LOW–WATER SHOWER HEADS

Fossil ground water is not sustainable, as it can’t be replenished. We have only a fixed amount of sustainable water supply on the planet and pollution contaminates our sustainable water and decreases our drinkable water supply more and more every year. At the same time, population growth creates a constantly increasing demand for this shrinking resource.

According to EPA, showering accounts for nearly 17 percent of residential indoor water use—for the average family, that adds up to nearly 40 gallons per day. That's nearly 1.2 trillion gallons of water used annually in the U.S. just for showering. This is enough to supply the water needs of New York and New Jersey for a year.

“By retrofitting your shower with a WaterSense labeled showerhead, you can save a considerable amounts of water.”

Standard shower heads output 2.5 gallons per minute. Water–saving showerheads that earn the WaterSense label must demonstrate that they use no more than 2.0 gpm. 

In addition to this tiny effort to save the world, I am an artist. Check my website to see my installations, movies and sculptures in addition to my prints. You could also read about my inspirations.

Day 3

DO NOT OVER-WATER YOUR LAWN

Already, 2.7 billion people experience water shortages for at least one month every year and 1.1 billion people do not have access to safe water.

Day 4

FIX YOUR LEAKY FAUCETS OR RUNNING TOILETS

UN predicts that 2/3 of the world will experience water stress by 2025.  According to the University of Michigan Global Change lecture notes, most Asian countries will have severe water problems by the year 2025.

A running toilet wastes up to 200 gallons per day. An EPA-partner program, WaterSense certifies and labels low-flow toilets, shower heads and faucets that meet stringent WaterSense standards that are lower even than standard low-flow rates. For instance, while standard toilets use 1.6 gallons of water, WaterSense labeled toilets use 1.28 gallons.