Water Conservation

Did you know that 97.5% of all the water present on Earth is not drinkable? Did you know that only about 2.5% of water is consumable, and roughly 1% of that is 

available for human use? Due to global warming, the weather and rainfall patterns have changed throughout the world. As a result there has been water scarcity throughout many countries (“Water”). With this in mind, it is now time for citizens all over the world to realize the importance of water conservation. According to Answers.com water conservation is the protection, development, and efficient management of water resources for beneficial purposes. If we plan to continue to use water in their daily lives, we need to find alternative ways to use water properly with our now limited resources.

            One misconception that a lot of people have about water is that it is a renewable resource. In reality, this in fact is not true. This misconception is the main reason why many people have failed to pay attention to this issue in the past. If people are not made aware of the possible shortage of water in the future, then they will continue to waste this essential resource. With the help of global warming, this problem has just continued to get worse .It is time for water conservation to be addressed now.

Many people may want to know why we should conserve water when it seems to be available anywhere and everywhere. According to the Environmental Protection Agency at least 36 states will be facing water shortages by 2013 (“Water Conservation”). Keep in mind that this is less than two years away. Water is more than just a resource. It is a necessity for daily life. Water makes up about 50%-70% of a person’s body weight (“Why do”) and it performs other jobs such as flushes out toxins from vital organs, carries nutrients to cells, and it also provides a moist environment for the ear, nose, and throat tissues (“Water: How”). Without water there would be no human life. 

Surprisingly, there is a lot being done about water conservation. There are hundreds of websites available that give helpful ways to cut down on the current waste of water. Some of these tips include simple things such as cutting your shower down by a minute or two and turning the water off when brushing your teeth (“100”). It is small tips like these that make it easy for everybody to help in the effort. Also, the United States government has given funds and grants that help possibly cut down on this problem. We believe that enough is being done as far as funds are concerned, but there could still be more education on this affair.  

According to Usgovernmentspending.com the U.S government spent about $63 billion in funding for water conservation last year. However, this funding is not enough and should be increased. In 2010, $100 billion was spent on fuel and energy. If you ask us water, fuel, and energy are all of equal importance, so why not also increase the amount spent on water conservation to $100 billion too. All of these items are necessary for our daily living and without them life would be difficult, probably even impossible.

It is important that everybody help in the water conservation effort. If we as citizens do not help resolve this issue quickly, then life as we know it would not be the same. All you have to do are little things such as turning the water off while brushing your teeth and cutting one or two minutes off your showers. All it takes is one person at a time to do his or her part and eventually over time there will be an abundance of people helping out in the situation. After all, water is an essential part of our lives, and life is always worth living.