Water Footprint Assignment
A water footprint determines the individual utilization of water either directly or indirectly. Water is a requirement for everyone such as washing, drinking, and bathing among many other needs. Through such actions, there occur direct consumptions in homes. An additional means of consumption of this valuable resource is from purchases made, an indirect utilization. As such, water remains a propelling force for the survival of humanity. Water is essential for all the activities individuals carry out beginning with the food consumed, clothes worn, or vehicles driven.
Water is not a synthetic resource, which is fast depleting and running scarce. There is a continuous increase in the demand of water, whereas the availability remains largely restricted. Water distribution is becoming immensely unequal because of the water footprint of the humanity across the world. In numerous places, there is a serious depletion of water, and in some instances; polluted water bodies such as rivers run dry, with the level of the groundwater slumping at an astounding rate. This consequently endangers the species existing in the water owing to the water pollution. Accordingly, water footprint would not merely imply the water utilized from the taps or washrooms but should also be inclusive of the energy applied, products, and foods purchased at the stores. The approximated average water utilization by a single American amounts to over 2000 gallons daily. The quantity is double the average utilized be an individual globally.
Measures of reducing water footprint involve a number of considerations such as not permitting water running from taps whereas shaving, brushing, among many other activities. Water saving showerheads and flushes installations is an effective means of reducing water consumptions. Water consumption and the resulting pollution occur indirectly through the goods purchased in the retail outlets. The pollution surpasses, a water footprint, left through the direct consumption of water at homes. It would thus be appropriate to purchase products needing minimal water footprint such as replacing beef with vegetarian meals, tea rather than coffee, and artificial fiber cotton garments. The reduction of water footprint can be through the utilization of water reasonably such as in the case of gardens and adopting an outdoor landscape that suits the climatic circumstances.
Harvesting rainwater is a reliable water source, which when channeled to cleaning and gardening purposes emerges as an effective method. Rather than make use of garden hoses in washing vehicles, opting for commercial washing of vehicles would be further economical as the water frequently undergoes recycling thereby saving gallons of water. The majority of products purchased require water for manufacturing and processing. Purchasing minimal things would decrease water footprint alongside avoiding bottled water. Avoiding the use of bottled waters and instead depending on tap waters results in the saving of thousands of dollars yearly. This is because there will be savings on the valuable resources and energy drawn in the manufacturing of bottles. Additionally, the bottles could take forever to decompose thereby adding to the pollution of the environment.
Strengths of a Water Footprint
There is a personalization of every instrument utilized as they can calculate the utilization of water from scratch.
There is an integration of various sources and data as grounds for assumption.
The H2O conserve and national geographic tools are mainly detailed instruments owing to their concerns touching on nearly every aspect of the utilization of water by persons. The tools endeavor to include a variety of dynamics towards the conservation measures of water utilization at homes.
A water footprint serves as an indication of water utilization. It examines both indirectly and indirectly water usage by consumers and producers.
Water measurement is on the basis of volume consumed and the amount polluted for every unit.
A water footprint is also both geographically and artificially explicit.
Weaknesses of a water footprint
The four tools are only usable by the inhabitants of the US since the data baseline research carried out is in the US Geological Survey, US Energy Information Administration, and the agency for environmental protection among many others.
There is no uniformity in the variables measured, as the categories under measurement are different. The national geographic measures energy, diet, and many other things in terms of gallons per day whereas the water footprint employs cubic meters for the measurement of food, industrial utilization, and domestic activities. The H2O conserve also utilizes the gallon per day measurement for both the direct and indirect usages.
The tools do not deal with the untenable utilization of water alongside the limitations of water.
Water footprint utilization depicts a weakness in its utilization of cubic meters per year whereas the other tools employ the gallons per day measurement. A problem thus arises in the conversion to a consistent measure.
Graph showing water usage
Works Cited
Hoekstra, Arjen Y. The Water Footprint of Modern Consumer Society. London: Earthscan, 2011. Print.
Mason, Paul. How Big Is Your Water Footprint?New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2009. Print.
