Water used to be an abundant resource on Earth. It was, and still is, one of the main reasons life does not exist (as far as we know) on other planets. A number of drinks have taken over the beverage industry, but water is still on the shelf. It’s a vital necessity for any living organism’s functioning. The water we drink today is scarce; yet we continue to waste water, not thinking about the implications this will cause in the future. Even if the water supply does not run out during our life time, what about the generations to come? Will they be able to sustain on Earth with a limited water supply?
In the last 60 years, the American people have increased water usage by 127%. Producing one kilogram of beef takes 15 thousand liters of water, proving that going vegetarian for just one day, all over the world, can help save a tremendous amount of water! Products we use, eat and drink regularly such as cane sugar, milk, and bread, require thousands of liters each to produce.
Zooming in on…
Cheese: The global average water footprint according to www.waterfootprint.org is 5000 liters for 1 kg of cheese.
The Wine Glass: About 125 ml of wine uses 120 liters of water, as it is used to grow the grapes.
Apple: An apple of 100 grams needs 70 liters to grow. 200 ml of apple juice takes 190 liters to make.
Coffee: 140 liters for one cup. International trade for coffee products requires 80 billion cubic meters of water!
Leather: 16600 liters for one kilogram of leather is atrocious. Skinning the hides of cows for material to wrap around our feet is scary, especially if it takes so much water to produce!
Water may seem abundant but when you take a close look at where all the water is going and how it’s being used, the truth is terrifying! Try to save water! Drink coffee and wine less often and try to resist buying those shiny, polished leather dress shoes. Remember, each effort you make saves water! :)
Sources: http://www.chelseagreen.com/content/ten-facts-about-the-water-we-waste/, http://www.waterfootprint.org
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