Water is the most basic of necessities for all life here on Mother Earth. Without it everything would perish: mammals, insects, protozoa, plants.
Rivers are being dammed creating havoc on ecosystems below the dam through desertification.
Water is being privatized at alarming rates. Peaceful protests have met with corporate and government violence over privatization schemes.
1.1 billion people, about one-sixth of the world’s population, lack access to safe drinking water. More people have a cellphone than a toilet.
40% of America’s rivers and 46% of lakes are too polluted for fishing, swimming, or aquatic life.
What’s a Pagan to do?
Start by using tap water instead of bottled. The millions of pounds of plastic, and the high carbon footprint associated with bottling water and delivering it, don’t make bottled water worth the effort. Tap water is safe. Drink it. Find where it’s available using this app.
Promote an event free of bottled water.
Don’t shower everyday. If you have a gritty, messy, smelly job, then go for it. But if you’re working in an office and don’t sweat that much, skip the daily shower. And keep the showers you do take down to a minimum. Time yourself so you’re only in there for 3 minutes.
If it’s pee, let it be. If it’s brown, flush it down. Get yourself a low-flow toilet or make your toilet use less water by putting something in the tank. (source)
Stop watering the lawn.
Get rid of that pool (responsibly of course) and discourage others from flaunting their wealth through hoarding water.
I’ve heard the next world wars will be fought over water. I find this very, very easy to believe. Two years ago I was without water for three weeks during a drought. I can see how tensions could become strained enough for violence. (You can read about how Wolf and I coped without water here, here, and here.)
Westerners are not entitled to more water than anyone else on this planet. It’s time we start seeing ourselves as a major component of the problem and work to fix it. The water crisis we’re in won’t be solved overnight. But if we all take responsibility of our share of the problem, then we can solve fairly. Simultaneously we can repair the damage we’ve done to Father Water and Mother Earth.
Another thing is laundry — some things (like jeans or sweaters) don’t need to be washed after every wear for most people. Also, don’t do laundry until you have a full load. (Bonus: also saves you time and quarters.)
Same with the dishwasher. Don’t run it if it’s not 100% full.
Also consider rainwater harvesting. It works at almost any scale and there is a lot of information available. Here’s one good resource: http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/publications/reports/rainwaterharvestingmanual_3rdedition.pdf
Thank you for this post!
To anyone who is worried about some of the content in tap water (like I am) use a filter, rather than getting bottled water. the plastic in bottled water is bad for women anyway, as it is an estrogen mimic.
We already do lots of your water saving ideas, also if we have a bath ( not too often ) we share it and then scoop out the water in a bucket and flush the toilets with it, if there’s any left the garden gets it, seems to work ok. I can’t use soap only aqueous cream so maybe that helps the flowers I don’t know
its great