Did you know that World Water Day was celebrated on March 22, 2022? It is centered around the awareness of the 2+ billion people living without access to clean and safe water. World Water Day is centered around taking massive action to address the global water crisis. We must all do our part to find sustainable solutions for global water sanitation, saving, security, and sharing for all citizens. Water scarcity was determined to be a National Security threat in many countries. Fighting and wars are breaking out due to food and water shortages with the two being linked together.
World Water Day was on March 22, 2022, and worthy of these additional words with wisdom. It is better to be late than miss sharing the message and opportunity. Therefore now is always a great time to share some words of wisdom about World Water Day and ways to save water and save the world. We must each start being part of the solutions and stop being part of the problems. Excessive rainforest destruction and expanding deserts are causing more land to have less water and less biodiversity and carbon leading to climate change. We must focus more attention and education on the importance of the Save Our Soil (SOS) movement.
The recent celebration of Earth Day on April 22, 2022, is a great follow-up to World Water Day since the two are connected. The Earth Day 2022 theme is “Invest In Our Planet” and also applies to investing in protecting and saving our water resources. It is essential for people to understand that all life on planet earth depends on access to water. Many cities and mega-cities have major water supply issues that are leading to animosity, economic sanctions, fires, rationing, and violence. Several countries are on the verge of being totally dry or without surface or underground water.
We Must Begin to Act
We must all begin to act and invest together so that World Water Day and Earth Day are higher priorities. What will you do to be part of the solutions instead of being part of the problems? Some of the best things each individual can do to celebrate World Water Day is to plant more plants and trees and reduce water waste in every way possible. Plants and trees help protect and Save Our Soil (SOS) by holding more organic matter and water. Conserving water helps prevent our aquifers, lakes, rivers, and streams from being depleted and wasted.
In addition to the current crazy coronavirus conditions, many areas of the planet are facing extreme water crises and insecurity. Environmental issues like global food availability, Save Our Soil (SOS), and water scarcity are real crises on a global scale. We must invest our energy, money, and time to reduce, reuse and recycle our water supplies in a way that is healthy, safe, and sustainable. Climate change, destructive farming practices, environmental damage, excessive irrigation and wastewater, pollution, population growth, water rights, and other complex factors are causing most of the world to experience severe water consequences and costs. Some experts are predicting we will see major disasters, food conflicts, and wars linked to water accessibility. Some experts are predicting tens of millions are at risk of death, famine, and malnutrition in 2022 and beyond due to the convergence of several environmental and water-related factors.
Over 2 billion people face water insecurity and many billions more are facing clean water instability. Water pollution and shortages are problems all people share and must solve together because the consequences are too high if we avoid taking massive action now. After two years of crazy coronavirus conditions, people are finding it even more challenging to deal with food and water issues which are totally interrelated. Today may be the perfect day to discover how easy it is to take simple small steps to help Save Our Soil (SOS), save water, and save the world.
The goal of this blog is to share some basic education, information, and inspiration about World Water Day and how we can do our part to save water and save the world. To be happy and healthy requires us to have access to clean and safe water. We also depend on food which requires adequate supplies of clean and unpolluted water. If we do not solve our water problem soon we must be prepared to deal with a wide variety of life-threatening challenges and problems. As an environmental student, supporter, and serious treehugger since 1972, my experience may offer helpful ideas to help more people do their part every day in celebration of World Water Day. For additional information about clean and contaminated water see a previous blog Water Water Everywhere But is It Safe To Drink.
Celebrate World Water Day
First, it is important to have gratitude for all the beautiful and bountiful waters we are blessed with on earth. Without abundant clean water, we are doomed to die or become diseased. Our world is based on the water giving life to all things. As we give thanks for these many blessings water provides it is also time to reflect on what we have done to the waters of the world. We have caused the destruction of the environment, decimated species, and destroyed large areas of the rainforest and old-growth woodlands which serve as vast reserves of carbon and water. While reflecting on World Water Day we should also invest in thinking time to see ways to save water and save the world before things get worse. With some simple steps, we can change our lifestyle to stop wasting our water resources and start saving water resources for the benefit of all people on earth. Once we understand we all play a role in the destructive choices that cause water problems we can begin to find the pressure points and tipping points to make better choices. Each of us must take baby steps to create a smaller water footprint by reducing, reusing, and recycling more to protect our precious water resources.
Action and Awareness Save Water
One of the first things to do is to identify the areas where water is being wasted. Start by looking at your daily habits and routines. Become aware of how each choice you make impacts your water footprint. The next step is to identify what areas you can have the biggest impact the fastest. Look at the clothes you wear, the food you eat, and your lifestyle. Learn to observe and research the water required for the various choices and decisions you make each day.
Now would be a great time to do an audit of your daily water usage and wastage. Look for some blogs, books, or websites for coaching and guidance on water conservation. Start drawing up a blueprint for your water savings and water usage allowance. Identify the top ten areas where you are wasting water and address those first for the biggest impact the fastest. What is the best way to save water? Be the change you want to see in the world and share the message to help others save water.
How to Save Water
- Avoid all Genetically Engineered (GE) and Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) plants that use herbicides and pesticides that pollute our food, soil, and waters.
- Avoid taking long showers. Avoid rainshower heads. Both of these waste a lot of water. Take a normal length shower in a tub and notice the amount of water you use. Be sure to catch the cold water that is wasted as you wait for warm water. The amount will shock you. Use it to water your garden plants, trees, and yard.
- Avoid letting the kitchen faucet run non-stop when doing the dishes. Avoid letting the water run when you brush your teeth. Also, turn on lower water pressure to conserve water.
- Avoid the temptation of owning your own swimming pool. They are expensive to build and time-consuming to maintain. They also use a lot of chemicals and waste a lot of water from evaporation. Find a community with a pool or join a club or facility that offers one for members’ use.
- Books can be great resources. You can learn about reducing water pollution and water conservation easier and faster with a wide range of tutorials. There is a wealth of wisdom in books, ebooks, and websites with great techniques, tips, and training on how to be a guardian of our waters.
- Buy organic food from local farmers that care about the environment, food, and saving soil.
- Growing your own nutrient-dense organic foods in your victory garden can help save fossil fuels, money, and water. People waste a lot of water for grass in their yard when they could grow an edible landscape and a victory garden.
- Consider learning about harvesting wild foods and planting wild gardens. Many wild plants can be found along bayous, drainage ditches, flood control levees, lakes, rivers, and streams.
- Consider installing a rain cache system to catch excessive rainwater and save it for dry periods.
- Green spaces, landscaping, lawns, and parks can require massive amounts of water to maintain them. Consider replacing them with food forests, gardens, native drought-resistant plants, and natural landscaping.
- Reduce your purchases of excessive accessories, clothes, and shoes. Manufacturing these items requires massive amounts of water and creates massive amounts of toxins.
- Repair or replace all faucets or toilets that are leaking and wasting water.
- Stop using so many body care products containing health hazard chemicals. These end up mostly contaminating you and polluting our waterways.
- Washing your clothing less frequently and wearing them more times before washing can save significant water. Some adults and children wear their pants, shirt or socks one time and throw them in the wash. Instead of lots of small loads aggregate your loads. Adjust the water level to the load size.
How to Save the World
Saving the world will require better, bigger, and bolder moves by a large number of people:
- Agriculture requires massive amounts of water for irrigating and watering crops. Many of these systems are very inefficient and waste a lot of water. Sprinklers cause a large percentage of the water to evaporate during the process. Aquafers containing pure fossil water are being used to irrigate GMO crops like canola, corn, cotton, and soy. People should reserve this pure artesian well water for human use only and not waste it on animals and crops. Once this water is gone it may never be replenished with the same quality fossil water. When you pump too much water from underground it causes the water table to drop and shallow wells dry up as does the entire area. The Ogallala aquifer is the largest aquifer in the United States and sits under eight states and is being over drained primarily for agricultural uses. It occupies an area of 174,000 square miles but is rapidly being depleted. Once depleted it will take over 6,000 years to naturally replenish it from rainfall. We need more biodynamic, permaculture, and regenerative farming around the world.
- Chemicals, pollution, and toxins in our waters are causing disastrous problems for animals, birds, fish, and humans. Every person on the planet is doing something that contaminates our waters and each of us must start doing more now to greatly reduce this damage and harm. We live in a blue bubble and everything we do affects everything around us. Remember Planet Earth is our home and there is no Planet B to escape to.
- Commercial Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) are some of the biggest consumers and polluters of water. The amount of water that is necessary to grow the grains and water the animals requires a huge water footprint.
- Cotton requires massive amounts of water to grow. Clothing manufacturing pollutes massive amounts of water with the chemicals and dyes used in the process. Hemp is a much more eco-friendly fabric for clothing. Reduce, reuse and recycle all clothes you no longer need or wear.
- Golf courses and manicured lawns consume a large quantity of water. They also result in massive amounts of chemicals like fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides being used which pollutes our waterways. Consider ways to be more eco-friendly and reduce all the harmful chemicals. Support more natural landscaping.
- Lakes, rivers, and streams are being over-harvested and over-polluted. Lake Mead and Lake Powell are examples of lakes that are being over depleted by too much water usage and wastage. The Aral Sea in Eurasia near Kazakhstan is one of the world’s largest lakes and has now become a dry lake bed and an abandoned ship cemetery. The Colorado River Basin is being excessively drained and runs dry before reaching the sea. Animals, fish, and humans are being harmed due to excessive exploitation of our waters. The recent article, 10 Most Endangered Rivers Put Tens of Millions of Americans at Risk reveals alarming information about rivers in the United States.
- Manufacturing of goods and products all require the use of virtual water which is the water used in the production process. Our virtual water usage makes our daily water footprint even larger.
- Oil and gas drilling, production, and refining also require a massive amount of water and cause significant soil and water pollution. They often end up contaminating and poisoning our drinking water. Excessive dependency on fossil fuels is polluting and wasting massive amounts of water.
- Permaculture principles are amazing for minimizing the damage to our environment and maximizing the optimal production and utilization of our eco-systems. One of the best and biggest contributing factors to water conservation is the principle of designing the land and systems to divert, hold, slow, and store more water over larger areas for longer periods of time. By combining this with planting more eco-friendly and soil-saving grasses and plants they are able to recharge the entire area and expand the water retention capacity of the land. Monocrops must be replaced with soil and water-friendly permaculture, regenerative and sustainable solutions. Many knowledgeable permaculture experts believe and have shown that permaculture can save water, save people, and maybe save the world. Google Greening the Desert by Geoff Lawton.
- Save Our Soil (SOS) is a major environmental movement to bring awareness to the importance of protecting both soil and water for protecting our own health.
- Transportation is responsible for significant water consumption and pollution. We must all promote and use more eco-friendly and efficient mass transportation. All countries can benefit from investing in cleaner and more efficient transportation to reduce water contamination and pollution.
- Wastewater treatment plants treat our sewage. Unfortunately, chemicals, medicines, pollution, toxins, and waste products are being dumped into sewers and the waste treatment plants only handle a portion of the problem and the rest is dumped back into our environment to flow downstream to other communities.
Passion and Purpose
The passion and purpose of Morningstar NEWS are to condense many hours of research down to two minutes of education, information, and inspiration for being happy and healthy. World Water Day may be one of the most important days of the year to help draw our attention and focus on the environment and call us to action all year long.
“The Save Water to Save the World Support World Water Day message must be a top priority and a powerful vision for each of us to share and support, if we want to survive as a species and not become extinct dumb dodo humans.” —Michael Morningstar
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