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from Natural Life magazine, March/April
2007 Most of us take for granted an abundant supply of good, fresh
water. However, we shouldn’t. Although almost 80 percent of the Earth is covered
with water, only three percent of that is fresh water. Less than one percent is
available for human consumption; the rest is bound up in glaciers and polar ice
caps. Unfortunately, our thirst for water – to create electricity, grow crops,
run factories and for household and sanitation needs – is increasing faster than
the population is growing. Global water consumption rose almost tenfold in the
last century and many parts of the world are now reaching the limits of their
supplies. According to the United Nations, if current trends continue, two out
of every three people on earth will suffer moderate to severe water shortages in
little more than two decades from now. Globally, one in six people still have no
regular access to safe drinking water, and more than twice that number (2.4
billion people) lack access to adequate sanitation facilities. North America is one of the biggest water wasting areas of
the world. According to the American Water Works Association, the average U. S.
resident uses about 110 gallons (416 liters) a day. Statistics Canada says that
Canadians use 335 liters (89 gallons) per day – 35 percent for bathing, 30
percent for toilet flushing, 25 percent for laundry and cleaning, and 10 percent
for drinking and cooking. Aside from the issue of declining supplies, water uses a
great deal of energy to pump, move and purify. So if you want to do your part to
tackle this looming water problem, here are some ways to conserve water in your
home... To read the rest of
this article,
subscribe to Natural Life's digital edition,
which includes access to this and other back issues. Rolf Priesnitz is the
co-founder and Publisher of Natural Life magazine. He has also been a plumber
for over 40 years.
Read more about him. |
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