So, I was washing my face this morning, as I do every morning. I suddenly realized that, even though I turned the tap off while I was scrubbing my face with soap, I had the water on full-blast when I rinsed. Did I need to have the water all the way on? Could I have rinsed the soap off of my face just as well with the water only halfway turned on? The answer is yes, so I turned down the water and finshed rinsing the soap off of my face, using less water.
Then, I was in the kitchen having a glass of water from our water cooler. I drank about 3/4 of the glass, then decided that I'd had enough and dumped the remaining water down the drain. As soon as I'd done that, I thought of all of the people in the world who don't have ANY clean drinking water, and I immediately wished that I hadn't wasted the 1/4 of water that was left in the glass. From now on, I am going to make a strong effort to put unfinished cups of water into the refrigerator and drink them later, when I am thirsty again.
I really like how this unit on water is making me change the way that I see the world, and the way that I use water everyday. I am trying to think of some ways in which I can use less water and have a more positive impact on the earth and the people in it.
Can you give me some ideas? What are some things that you do to try and not waste water?
I usually ask my Year 7s to brush their teeth with the plug in the sink and see how much water they use ... very interesting answers and responses when they come back to class! That's the main area I try to stop wasting water on.
ReplyDeleteHow about collecting rain water to use on the garden and to wash the car instead using the water hose?
ReplyDeleteOne of my Grade 5 students recently explained to me how she placed a 2-litre soda bottle, sealed and full of water, in the tank of her family's toilet. This means the toilet flushes with 2 litres less water each time it gets used and there's no noticeable effect on the effectiveness of the flush. That sure adds up! If your toilet tank is smaller, then use a 1 litre bottle. I love simple ideas that make a big difference!
ReplyDeleteAfter a meal, I use the left over water in our glasses to water the plants. And the left over hot water from the tea kettle goes on the greasy dishes especially cooking utensils before I put them in the dishwasher.
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