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Science
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Written by Curt Roese
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Thursday, 18 June 2009 12:51 |
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The Earth's surface is nearly 80% water. Our bodies are mostly composed of water - no one can live without water; we can live only days without water, we will die of thirst long before we die of hunger. Making sure to conserve water is something which everyone must take on as an important duty. If everyone in the world began to conserve water, each of us could save thousands of gallons of water annually.
Although most of the surface of the Earth is water, this is mostly salt water in the oceans and not suitable for human consumption. Out of the fresh water found on the planet, only about 1/3 is available for our use.
Since most of the world's water is salt water, we can't drink it. As it happens, most of the world's fresh water is not actually consumed by people either - most is used for crop irrigation, energy production and sanitation purposes.
The world's fresh water supplies are shrinking as the population of the Earth increases. Human consumption of water has been increasing at a dizzying speed over the last century; something which caused the UN to draw attention to the problem by making 2003 the "International Year of Freshwater".
If the world does not conserve water, there will be a disastrous effect on worldwide economic activity and the effects on the environment could be devastating. We use water for nearly everything and many industries would grind to a halt in the face of a sustained drought.
Conserving water is really just about reducing waste and effectively managing this valuable resource. Everyone in the world must aim to reduce their water consumption as much as possible to protect our most important natural resource.
Conserving water helps the environment and it can do wonders for your pocketbook as well. When you conserve water, you'll lower your water bill. You can save thousands each year (and thousands of gallons of water) by installing low flow fixtures, water and energy efficient appliances and choosing native plants for your landscaping, since these plants use a lot less water than a lawn.
A tankless water heater also helps to save water, since it does not need to be filled and heating water constantly. These heaters can save 30% on the cost of running a conventional water heater. Simple steps like these can help us to conserve water and lower our energy usage. Everyone has a responsibility to conserve water - so that we don't wake up one day soon to find ourselves in a crisis.
Curt Roese is the author and is a Real Estate Broker holding the EcoBroker, NAR GREEN and Certified Green Professional Designations. Find more information about green healthy homes and sign up for his informative newsletter at http://www.GreenHealthyHome.com
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