Taking Action

Taking Action

Did you know that only three percent of the world's water is fresh and that only one percent is fresh usable water ("Water")? Now think of six and half billion people consuming it every single day ("Human Population"). It sure is a lot, and the more the population increases the less water each of us will have. Already one person in five has no access to safe drinking water. If we continue at this pace, a water crisis will be imminent.

Saving water is an urgent mission that every person should be aware of. Water is vital for human survival, and it is only up to us to save ourselves. Fortunately, all hope is not lost and there are several ways we can conserve our precious water. I divided these ideas into four categories: indoors, thinking smart, recreation, and outdoors.

The first category is indoors. Most of the time, we use water inside our houses. We take showers, brush our teeth, wash dishes, wash clothes, etc. It's during these daily activities that we can learn how to reduce our water consumption. In the bathroom, we can help by not taking long showers. Also turn off the shower while soaping. Each time we flush the toilet we use a lot of water, so never use the toilet as a wastebasket (Earth Easy). Furthermore, be sure not to leave the faucet openx the entire time when shaving or brushing your teeth. In the kitchen, run the dishwasher only when it is full. While washing pans close the faucet. To decrease the amount of water needed to rinse something, use the detergent the least you can. In the laundry, it is recommended to do you laundry only when you have a full load, if it is not the case, adjust the water level to the size of the load (Earth Easy). Also, check your home for leaks (Earth Easy). Look carefully, since many of them may be hidden.

Another category is thinking smart. By thinking smart I mean to find creative ways in which we can improve the water efficiency. To begin with, we should never pour water down the drain. That water can always be used for something else. Instead you can give it a use such as watering a plant or cleaning something. Also, you can install an instant water heater to your shower so that you don't let the water run to heat up. I think this is very important, since we waste a lot of water even before getting into the shower. Do not unfreeze food by running water on it. Unfreeze it overnight outside the freezer or use your microwave. Additionally, wash your car and bathe your pets on the grass. In this way you will water your grass at the same time. You can put closed plastic bottles filled with water inside the toilet tank, so that each time you flush the toilet, it will use less water (Earth Easy). At hotels or public places, don't overuse the water just because you are not paying for it. Additionally, it would be great if you could teach others that water saving is simple and necessary for us. Now that's thinking smart.

The third category is recreation. Water is also used for recreational purposes, especially in a hot city like Miami. People may sometimes use it to have a good time and refresh themselves at the same time, like when children use water guns. But a good idea would be to go to the beach, have fun, refresh yourself, and not