May 16 - Water, Water Everywhere?

I have attempted to write this post a couple times, trying to sound intelligent and educated. I read articles. I looked up research and photos and charts. I couldn't quite pull it off, but the info is still worth sharing.

Some "fun facts" I learned from a National Geographic, uh, graphic (April 2010) while volunteering in Naomi's 2nd grade classroom last week:

- It takes 1857 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef.
- It takes 2900 gallons of water to produce 1 pair of blue jeans. Cotton is a water-intensive crop because of the water needed to dilute fertilizer waste.
- It takes 37 gallons of water to make 1 cup of coffee.
- It takes 9 gallons of water to make 1 cup of tea. Tea and coffee actually require the same amount of water to grow, but coffee produces less end product per acre.

This is based on the amount of virtual water needed, which includes amount drunk + what is used to grow feed + water used to clean the waste. Per expert scientists in the field, our efficiency in water use must double in the next 20 years in order to feed the growing global population. Water is already being calculated as a commodity, and it's export/import can affect trade decisions. We're currently blessed in this country with a positive export/import ratio, but we're pretty consumeristic and probably use more than our fair share.

Virtual Water Trade

So what does this mean for little me, who lives surrounded by marshes and lakes and really likes long, hot showers sometimes? I'm going with a little education and awareness is a good place to start. You can even go here and approximate your own water footprint (although I didn't find it that personally helpful). I guess it gives me one more reason to switch to tea.