water waste

When thinking about Lent this year, one of the top running disciplines we considered focusing on was our relationship with water. We went a different route this year, but I really, REALLY think it is time for the Clarks to start paying attention.

Full confession: water shortage is an issue I have done very little to address in my personal life. But plentiful, clean water is something we take for granted in the US. And clean water is a justice issue.

For example, worldwide:

-One in eight people lack access to clean water.

-Women in particular spend hours and hours collecting water--missing school and other opportunities and endangering their health and safety.

-Every 20 seconds, a child dies from a water-related disease. We're talking infection, parasites, diarrhea, basic stuff. And in the course of writing this post, 30 children will have died.

-A 5-minute shower in the US uses more water than the typical person living in a 3rd world slum uses in one day!

This and other info is rampant on http://www.water.org/, a charity that works to address these issues around the world.

While I am aware of this, and familiar with it, and while I try to be mindful of avoiding waste in what I purchase or what I do, I have a long way to go until I can say I am having a positive impact on this issue. Maybe we don't water the lawn around here, but I take a notoriously long time in the shower . . . perhaps from my childhood growing up with little privacy, in a somewhat cold house with just a bathtub. (It was a warm, cozy place for an introvert disguised as an extravert. ) Just one example.

Will taking a shorter shower impact the global water situation? I can't say. But it will make a difference around here, and our current water use in this country is not sustainable. Our water is not as clean or plentiful as many of us, myself included, think it is. Think about the gazillion products most of us contribute to the water supply on a daily basis . . . check out any of my posts labeled chemicals to read more, or do some searching for yourself. I have a lot of searching and learning left to do on this matter. I am planning to read Unquenchable by Robert Glennon to learn a bit more.

What about you? What can you teach the rest of us? What are some simple, daily ways we can change our water habits to impact the world towards justice?