Hello everyone! Today I would like to introduce you to a really exciting part of our project: the monthly topics. Every month, we focus on a different topic that is related to our daily lives and we all embark on a learning and experimenting journey in order to reduce our impact on the environment in that field.
This month, we focused on water. We did some research and it turns out that nearly 97% of all the water on the globe is salty or undrinkable. Another 2% is locked in the ice caps and glaciers which leaves us with only 1% for our needs and that is without mentioning the needs of other animals. And when we say needs, we mean agricultural, residential, manufacturing, community, and personal needs.
Water is such an important element on our planet, if not the most important. It regulates the earth’s temperature but also our body’s temperature, carries nutrients and oxygen to cells, protects organs and tissues, and removes wastes. 75% of our brains is water just like 75% of a living tree is water.
But here’s the thing, water is part of a deeply interconnected system. What we pour on the ground ends up in our water, and what we spew into the sky ends up in our water. Which means that that one 1% that we can use represents less and less water everyday.
Thinking about it, water is part of a cycle, the water we use everyday is the same water that was on earth millions and thousands of years ago. Water is not something we can create or that shows up like magic, it is a resource that has always been there and that nature has been recycling.
So to preserve that resource we have been thinking and experimenting during this month about what we can do, on our scale, to waste less water. Some of us have been trying to make natural cleaning products, others taking shorter showers or saving the cold water wasted at the beginning of the shower and using it to water plants.
We also had an eco-cinema club on the topic, where we watched the documentary « Brave Blue World ».
I would say that the biggest lessons I have learned this month are these two:
by taking action and showing the example you inspire others to do the same.
The story behind this one is that we all felt like sometimes it can be hard to hold yourself accountable for these small changes in your habits and you tend to forget or feel like you’re not going to make a difference. But when you are thinking of the others who are making the extra effort to save water it empowers you to do the same because you don’t want to let them down.
the best way to save water is to unveil the invisible water in the products you consume everyday.
What I mean here is that yes we can all make a difference by saving water in our homes on a daily basis. Of course it is good if I save 1L of water every time I take a shower by collecting the cold water at the beginning and using it to water plants. However I can save 4500L by not eating ONE beefsteak or 2700L by buying a second hand t-shirt instead of a new one. Water is involved in the production process of almost every product we buy but we tend to forget about it because it is not something that we can see. So I encourage you to start questioning how much water is behind some of the things you buy on a regular basis and switching to a more sustainable option. Eating less meat and dairy, eating local and seasonal foods and using, repairing, recycling or giving a second life to objects are all really good ways to reduce your impact.
I hope that this post was interesting and that it got you thinking. Please share your water saving tips with us in the comments and join us on our sustainability journey.
Next month’s topic will be Chemicals, I’m looking forward to learning more and sharing the experience with you.
- Mathilde
