Climate issues are overwhelming and global news too depressing for a Friday. But, it’s Earth Day - and an opportunity to reflect on positive actions we as individuals can take that contribute to a healthy planet. A drop in the bucket you say? That’s a good metaphor for a major challenge New Mexicans face, now and in the future -adequate access to clean water. It doesn’t take much effort to:
Refill a reusable water bottle, perhaps at one of the HSLIC water stations. It takes about 1.4 gallons to manufacture a single use water bottle. People using their own bottles and filling up at the water stations have already saved the equivalent of more than 200,000 bottles of water.
Think twice before buying another T-shirt. It takes 700 gallons of water for the half pound of cotton needed to make that shirt.
Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth. It’s estimated that a family can save up to 10 gallons of water per day by turning off the tap.
Clean up after your pet. Approximately 22% of E. coli in the Rio Grande comes from dogs. Don’t walk your dog by the river? Even so, more than 80,000 Albuquerque dogs collectively drop 10 tons of poop per day. Some of that ends up in the river.
Turn off lights and equipment when not in use. It takes water to generate energy and to cool electrical components.
Appropriately dispose of medicine. HSC folks know not to flush medications down the drain or toilet, but do your family and friends know that six area police substations provide a secure way to dispose of pills?
Be mindful and grateful when you turn on the spigot. In New Mexico, there are many homes without running water. El agua es vida.
The HSC has more than 11,000 FTE faculty and staff members and more than 2,000 students. If each of us adopted one more strategy to preserve access to clean water in the future, that’s more than 13,000 “drops in the bucket”!
Photo by NASA on Unsplash