Though we may have our differences with other countries or world leaders, most citizens of this planet can agree on one thing: It’s important to care for Mother Earth. On World Environment Day, people from all regions come together to clean up the environment and focus on ways to conserve limited assets for the future.
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Water is an all-important resource that could soon become scarce. Here are a few ways to stretch out the earth’s limited supply:
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- Turn off the water – Take shorter showers and turn the water off when brushing your teeth or shaving. A person who turns off the water while brushing his or her teeth can save as much as 160 gallons of water each month.
- Use water-efficient appliances – If your appliances are water guzzlers, consider purchasing more environmentally-friendly versions. It may be a bit of an investment, but the savings from your water bill will defray your expenditure over time. Get a water-efficient dishwasher, showerhead, washer, toilet, and more.
- Plant your garden during spring – Water requirements are lower during the spring season.
- Do not defrost food using running water – It wastes water to defrost food by leaving it under running water. Try other options that don’t require heavy resources.
- Check for leaks – You can hemorrhage water if there are leaks in your piping system. Periodically check your system for any leaks, and fix them immediately.
- Wash full loads of laundry only – Wait until you have a complete load of laundry before you start washing. Washing a little here and a little there is inefficient. The same rule applies to washing dishes.
- Turn off the faucet when washing dishes – If you wash dishes by hand, keep the faucet off as much as possible during the process.
- Minimize the lawn watering time – Water your lawn only when needed. Do not let the water overflow to the storm drain. Replace your lawn with rocks and drought-tolerant plants.
- Harvest rainwater – Instead of letting rainwater flow into the storm drain, harvest it using large containers.
There are plenty of ways to conserve. Start by being mindful of the need to stretch the water supply. As you are conscious of this need, you will find many opportunities in the course of each day.