We all do it. We leave the water running while we brush our teeth, hose off patios because it is a lot easier than sweeping and put off fixing leaky taps until the sound of incessant dripping drives us insane. For most people, water conservation is one of the last items on their endless “to do” lists. As we neglect to pay attention to our usage of this invaluable good, negligence is more likely to catch up with us when it is too late.
As water becomes more scarce, we all must make a move toward a more sustainable future.
The earth’s water supply is finite and as world populations increase, it will become more scarce. Already shortages are beginning to constrain growth in areas such as China, Australia, India and Indonesia and water conflicts are expected to erupt in the Middle East, Haiti, Sri Lanka, Colombia and other countries. No effort is too small, so try to take shorter showers, turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth, sweep patios instead of hosing them off, run appliances with a full load in order to run fewer cycles and most of all, advocate for reform in water pricing systems to encourage others to do the same. Now is the time.