Obraz Sasin Tipchai z Pixabay
Okay, we’re right, this description is not top-notch and sounds lame. However, it is true! You probably know all these slogans about the importance of water.
The composition of man is largely water, the most valuable substance on earth. It is ¾ of the surface of our planet. Despite such a large area, 97% is salty water not suitable for drinking, and only 1% is available for consumption and stored in glaciers. Despite such limited resources and access, drinking water resources are still under constant pressure from human activities in the fields of industry, agriculture, municipal management and, of course, climate change.
It would seem that potable water is at your fingertips. You only need to turn on the tap. However, it was not until 2010 that the UN General Assembly adopted an important resolution. Unfortunately, it is not that simple, since drinking water is not a commodity distributed evenly across the planet. The Asian continent is inhabited by about ⅔ of the world’s population of people, who have only ⅓ of the world’s freshwater resources. It is also estimated that 1 in 9 people on Earth do not have access to a source of drinking water and its treatment. There are many problems associated with it, including health problems. According to UNESCO data, in 2014 more people in the world had access to mobile phones than to sanitary facilities. Every year about 2 million people die from “dirty hands” diseases !!!
If you still do not realize how important your choices are, read on. Here are some examples: Each of us can take action to save water. Although on the scale of one person it may seem a small change, on the scale of the whole country or even the world – it is really a huge saving.
How to save water?
– take care of the tightness of the water supply network
– look at the seals of taps and pipes, make the necessary repairs,
– buy new clothes wisely (limit buying, choose used things, check how and where cotton is grown for your clothes)
– one cotton T-shirt is 2,500 l of water used in the production, and a new pair of jeans
– 8,000 l of water (water is needed in the cultivation of cotton, and then in the production of yarn, dyeing the fabric and preparing clothes for shipment to the store),
– do not waste food – 1 kg of bread is 950 l of water necessary for its creation, 1 cup of coffee poured out is as much as 140 l of water,
– collect and use rainwater – you can successfully water plants with it,
– be interested in what is happening with sewage in your region
– if, where and how it is treated,
– choose products whose manufacturers declare and implement measures to reduce water consumption, you can read about it in the companies’ strategies on their websites,
– check what your water footprint is
– take care of the quality of the waters around you
– when going to the river, do not leave rubbish behind, use public toilets
How many of the above examples did you know about?
This shows us that the most important factor is low public awareness, also in the context of consumer life. We have to pay more attention to the choice of everyday life, of course, let’s not go crazy! However, if you persevered to the end of this article, we have a request.
Take a look at your daily activities, choices and spread awareness to friends and family in the immediate vicinity.