Overview
“No water, no life. No blue, no green.” — Sylvia Earle
Water is life. Yet clean, safe drinking water is a scarce resource under great strain for much of the population across the world. Although considered a renewable resource, we are taking out and polluting water at such an alarmingly high rate that the supply is not able to replenish or sustain itself.
Water covers 70% of our planet, though only 2.5% is freshwater. Of that 2.5%, only 1.5% is on the surface and able to support life. With such a tiny percentage available, the strain on global freshwater supply is intensified by the uncertainties of climate change and pollution. Extreme weather patterns, including droughts and floods mean billions of people are at risk of water insecurity: not having enough clean water to drink, farm, and maintain hygiene. Today, over 2.5 billion people lack access to adequate water sanitation and 4 billion suffer from water scarcity. This all happens while pollution continues to fill our streams, rivers, lakes and oceans.
Water pollution occurs when harmful chemicals or microorganisms contaminate a body of water, making it toxic to humans. Pesticides, fertilizer run off, industrial and sewage pollution, and farming are common water pollutants. Additionally, unregulated urbanization, population increase, climate change and massive demand for water in sectors like agriculture, urban development, and industrialization contribute to water scarcity.
Low income communities of color are at far greater risk because polluting industries are located close to their homes. In 2014, the city of Flint, Michigan switched its water supply to the local Flint River, which is contaminated with sewage, agriculture and urban runoff, and toxins from leaking landfills. The river also has increased lead concentrations, which is linked to serious negative health implications, including cognitive and developmental issues in children, and even caused an outbreak of Legionnaires Disease, a severe form of pneumonia. A Latino community in East Orosi, California has been fighting for 10 years for clean drinking water, because of high nitrate concentrations due to chemical fertilizers. These are just two examples of environmental injustices facing largely BIPOC communities fighting for clean water in the United States.
Pollution is only one aspect of Earth’s water problem. Humans use an enormous amount of water, with Americans averaging 322 billion gallons of water per day. This number is the average “water footprint” in the USA. What complicates it is that most water consumption is hidden or used indirectly in producing goods and services like food, clothing and electricity.
Consider a factory-farmed burger. You may only drink one glass of water with the burger, but what hides behind your meal are the 660 gallons of water used to raise and feed the cow. The water footprint is even higher if you add cheese, as one pound of cheese requires 382 gallons to produce.
It is also important to consider how water is transported from source to consumer. While water is essential, single-use packaging is NOT, yet 1 million single-use plastic bottles are sold worldwide every single minute. Even when plastic bottles do make their way to a recycling bin, only 9% of plastic is actually recycled, and the vast majority of plastic bottles end up in waterways, polluting oceans and harming ecosystems.
Overall, try choosing fewer products with large hidden water footprints and do everything you can to safeguard and conserve this finite resource upon which life and society are built.
THINK
It is important to know if your drinking water is safe and clean, which is unfortunately not the case for too many. Across the United States, pollution from farms is one of the primary reasons water has turned hazardous. When was the last time you checked the quality of your drinking water?
ACTIVITY
Look at the Environmental Working Group’s Tap Water Database to learn about the safety of tap water in your area across the USA, simply by typing in your zip code. If you live outside the United States, research to see if a similar resource is available in your country.
- What did you find?
- Were there any contaminants detected in your area?
- Were you surprised?
Write a short reflection on your findings and share with a family member, friend or classmate.
Don’t forget to post about the challenge and your learnings/doings on social media and tag us on Facebook @TurningGreen, on Twitter @TurningGreenOrg, and on Instagram @TurningGreenOrg and use #TGClassroom.
THINK
Only 1.5% of freshwater is able to support life on Earth. As water demand increases and supply dwindles, the pressure for sustainable management falls on us. This means we must engage in water-conscious consumer practices wherever and whenever possible, including with our hidden (indirect or “virtual”) water footprint, which makes up 96% of total water use.
ACTIVITY
Do you have any idea how much water you use daily? Think about food, bathing, hydration, clothing, dishwashing, all of it. What is your direct water consumption? And indirect?
Write down an estimate of how much water you think you use per day. Now, it’s time to calculate. Use this Water Footprint Calculator to find out how much water you actually use directly and indirectly each day.
- Compare your actual water footprint with your guess.
- What surprised you most about your water footprint?
- Which category of your water footprint was highest – indoor, outdoor or indirect?
- What’s one way that you can reduce your water footprint at home?
Write a reflection on your findings and share with a family member, friend, or classmate.
Don’t forget to post about the challenge and your learnings/doings on social media and tag us on Facebook @TurningGreen, on Twitter @TurningGreenOrg, and on Instagram @TurningGreenOrg and use #TGClassroom.
THINK
Indirect water consumption, or the amount of water needed to produce the goods we use, makes up the majority of our water footprint. You may be surprised just how much it adds up to with everything from growing the food you crave to your very favorite jeans.Many products, goods and services may have a heavier burden than you think.
ACTIVITY
Choose 3-5 items you use, consume or wear daily. Consider food, technology, clothing, transportation, etc. Research and find the estimated water footprint of each. Today’s infographic may be helpful in your research.
- How much water is required to produce each?
- Explain why those items require that amount of water.
Reflect on your research and briefly answer the following:
- What surprised you about the water intensity of the items you use every day?
- Is there a more sustainable alternative to that item or does conserving water mean cutting it out altogether? Is that feasible?
Next, take all of the information that you want to share and create an educational infographic about the water footprint of one item you use in daily life. Make it comprehensive and engaging. Share it on social media, tag @TurningGreenOrg, and invite your friends to calculate their water footprint!
Don’t forget to post about the challenge and your learnings/doings on social media and tag us on Facebook @TurningGreen, on Twitter @TurningGreenOrg, and on Instagram @TurningGreenOrg and use #TGClassroom.