We need to talk about the water crisis. What’s your water footprint?
We are in the midst of a water crisis and sadly, as we so often see, it disproportionately impacts disenfranchised individuals. Globally, 2.1 billion people lack access to safe water. We all have a responsibility in this crisis due to the many water-intensive goods, such as clothing, technology, furniture, paper, food, and beverages, consumed every day. Water consumption happens directly through the water that comes out of our tap, and indirectly in the ‘hidden’ water in all products. Manufacturing and agriculture processes frequently deplete water more quickly than it is naturally renewed, as water is a renewable yet finite resource, and water use is growing at twice the rate of population growth. Your water footprint may lie predominately outside your country, depending on where the goods are made – often in low-income areas already facing water accessibility issues. The effects of climate change have exacerbated water issues as a consequence of changes in the water cycle – due to higher air temperatures, increased evaporation rates, and changes in precipitation dispersal. Water used in bottled water, soda, juice is often taken from aquifers meant for daily use by local communities. Multinational corporations, such as Nestle, take advantage of more impoverished areas – promising jobs and economic growth while taking control of water resources.
What can we do? Consider our water footprint! This links back to Sarah Lazarovic’s ‘Buyerarchy of Needs’ which encourages following this sequence: use what you have, borrow, swap, thrift, make, and lastly buy. The water intensity of clothing is horrendous, with 650 gallons of water required for one cotton t-shirt! When it comes to food/drink, the numbers are just as shocking – globally, each consumer ‘eats’ 5,000 liters of water on average per day.
Admittedly, it can get a bit complicated to calculate one’s footprint – beyond direct and indirect, there’s blue, green, and grey water to consider. So here are a few general tips to help reduce your water footprint:
(1) Avoid bottled water and bottled drinks – if you want something tasty, make it.
(2) Avoid animal products – consider that 200 grams of beef is equal to a 370 minute shower! Chicken is better at about ¼ that of beef. However, research published in the renowned journal, PNAS, found that plant-based replacement of animal-based items can add up to 20-fold more nutritionally similar food per unit of cropland – consider the water savings!
(3) Avoid plastics – one pound of plastic takes 22 gallons of water. Yet another reason to stop with the plastic already!
(4) Be conscientious of your direct water use (i.e. when you brush your teeth, take shorter showers, wash your clothes less frequently, and buy drought-resistant plants).
Check out https://waterfootprint.org/en/water-footprint/personal-water-footprint/ if you are curious about calculating your footprint.
