Shortened Showers
Hi everyone,
A new month! Oh the summer months seem to disappear so quickly! In honor of the very liquid that we are so very blessed to hydrate our parched summer throats with, this month's behavior will target water conservation....Everybody loves water!
More specifically, maximum five minute showers. If you'd like to supersize that challenge, make it a cold shower!
So here's the goal - it's very simple this month: Embrace the full 300 seconds (or less) of your morning/evening bathing routine, but no more. Use a timer, clock, or count to 300 to keep yourself on target!
Questions?
1) I live in the Great Lakes Region. There is water all around me. Why should I conserve it?
No matter where we live it is important to remember to use our water resources wisely! Many scientists are anticipating that global water shortages will be even more serious in the coming decades with climate change.
If you live in a region with abundant freshwater resources, there is even more reason to convserve! It's called protection. The Great Lakes account for 20% of the world’s fresh water (70% is in the polar ice cap) but climate change, industry, rising population and a lack of awareness are putting pressures on the lakes. For example, in Chicago alone everyday there are approximately one billion gallons of water withdrawn from Lake Michigan. And that water does not get returned. Instead, it is dispersed into the Chicago River and sent down the Mississippi to the Gulf.
And as responsible global citizens, there is no reason that we as US residents should be using all the freshwater! This could quickly turn into a slippery slope of guilt trips - but really, it is important to not take for granted very basic resources like clean water. Trust me. When I traveled to India a year and a half ago, I shower with a bucket - this bucket held about the amount of water that it takes to flush a toilet in the US. Haha, this is a funny question in retrospect, what would you rather do: shower or flush the toilet?
2) How much water does my shower use?
It depends, you will have to check your shower. Most conventional showers range from 7-10 gallons per minutes. (This means that a one minute shower in the US is about equivalent in water usage to a weeks worth of bucket showers!) The average person in the use uses 80-100 gallons
3) What if I already take short showers? Is there something else I could do?
That's great! Reduce the time even more if you can. Keep track with a timer and see if you are able to improve your time by the end of the month!
Of course there are a lot of other water conservation strategies that you could also try this month! Watering lawns during the summer is a HUGE source of water usage - try native plants instead of grass. You could also compost instead of using the garbage disposal. There are many options, see this website for more ideas: http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/index.php
4) I don't know. I really like my long, hot morning shower. Plus I have a lot to do - shampoo, soap, condition, exfoliate, shave, stretch ... how can I fit that into 5 minutes?!
Chill. It's only a month. Plus, you can get creative with your usage! Turn the faucet off when you lather in the shampoo or shave. If motivation is a struggle, get a really loud timer. Or a very compelling photograph of children in developing countries who don't even have access to clean water, let alone for 5 minutes. Or, find a personal cheerleader. Whatever suits you will work.
If you have questions or thought, please email them to me!
