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As we may all know, we are all dependent on water. If we’re parched, we reach for a glass of water. If we want to clean ourselves, we use the shower. If we want to wash the dishes, we use water. If we want to water the plants, we use water. If we want to take a swim, we use water. Everything around us involves water and it is one of the basic yet the most powerful element in the world. Scientifically speaking, water comes from different sources: it may come from ground water or and surface water. Ground water originates from precipitation that falls in the form of rain or snow and it tends to seep through the ground. Surface water on the other hand, also originates from precipitation. This surface water reaches that land surface and it gives a supply of water to rivers, lakes, wetlands, and other surface water bodies directly. This has been characterized as the water or hydrologic cycle, and water in the earth is recycled over and over again. Through this normal occurrence around us, I am completely amazed by how this wonderful work of God has given us life and satisfaction. It has given us all the things we need and it has also ignited our minds to make various creations of art and works that are all based from water itself.
Unfortunately, as the months, years, and decades go by, it has been evident that we grew more negligent in terms of being mindful about our own water consumption, and the quality and state of water itself. We have become more heedless, turning away from the fact that our sources of water wouldn’t last forever. But let’s face it, even though we don’t actually see that water has become more scarce and unclean in our community, doesn’t mean that it’s not happening on the other side of the world. More and more countries and continents have been experiencing this phenomena. The unsafe and lack of supply of water has greatly affected a multitude of families and communities. Various sickness and deaths have been announced due to complication regarding their water supply. Due to the fact that this is a rising issue, has been it has halted mobility and different lifestyles since basically, in order to do our daily activities and tasks, more or less, it has something to do with water, or in a much simpler term, you have to do something that involves using water. To give you a bona fide evidence, I read an article once about the communities in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan who are currently suffering from fatal diseases caused by their contaminated water supply. It has become worse that the US government was also alarmed by the fact that they are experiencing both dehydration and contamination due to their unsafe water supply. Mombasa Kenya on the other hand, even need to buy water from Coast Water, Baricho Dam and Mzima Springs and it was stated that the Mombasa residents require to get at least 186,000 cubic meters supply of water, however, they only get 46,000 cubic meters of water from all of the three water resources.
By simply pondering by the mere fact that these issues and reports have been increasing and getting worse, it’s heart-shattering to hear that families and children in different continents don’t get the luxury to even drink a half-glass of water that we normally drink at the start of our day. We take water for granted and treat it as if we’re living in an infinite number of water supplies. We keep on being ungrateful and we always catch ourselves complaining on the little things in life, yet some people thank the heavens and the gods for giving them a single plastic bag filled with water.
However, through the simulation given to us in our elective, Advanced Environmental Education, it gave me a keen understanding on what water footprints are, and how does it affect the state of our global water supply. I was able to answer and play the water footprint calculator which helped me understand how much gallons I have been consuming every day. According to my water footprint, I spend 1,840 Gallons per day and in my own house, we spend 14, 350 Gallons per day. Mathematically speaking, I’m spending roughly about 12,880 Gallons per week, and as for my household, we’re spending 100,450 Gallons per week. After contemplating about the fact that gallons and gallons of water are being used up by individuals, gave me the realization that it is very much crucial to have awareness and responsibility towards each and everyone’s water supply since it would not be forever abundant and free. In my community, or even comparing it on a larger scale, I’ve noticed the apparent actions and doings of different people on using water. If they were given the chance to calculate their water footprints, it might reach up to millions of gallons since some of them are not really aware of the horrendous consequences of not saving water.
There are several to many factors that affect our own water supply. Inside my home, we all got used to spending too much time in the shower, we tend to wash the dishes 3 times a day, do the laundry every single day, sometimes I catch my brother leaving the faucet open, we would use clean water for watering our plants instead of used water, and so much more. On a larger scale, for example, my community, I’ve been seeing them being so careless and unaware of the fact that they are also the main causes as to why we keep on getting water with low quality and quantity. They would be washing their car with a garden hose for a long period of time, some of them like to throw so much waste in improper places, thus creating a problem in sewage systems, the overuse of water, which is considered as one of the most dominating causes, another would be drought or severe heat, therefore, all of the dams and water resources would not have an ample supply of water since no precipitation or any rain is occurring. These are only some of the causes of having a low water supply and I know for sure that there are probably a hundred more.
Due to these issues and problems on water, it made me realize how vital and important water is. It is essential because it gives us life, it makes us refreshed when we are thirsty, it makes us feel fresh when we need to take a bath, it helps us generate the processes in both our bodies and the earth itself (like the hydrologic cycle). It has shaped our landscape by various water forms such as the oceans, seas, lakes, and springs. And through these water forms, it gives us the water that each and everyone needs. As for the cultural environment, water has also influenced machineries and infrastructures that involve water. This could be the hydroelectric powered dam. Water is the main source of energy in these machines and its main purpose is to provide clean, filtered water for us humans to drinks. Everything else is interconnected with water and think this gives the reason why it is very important to each and every one of us.
Another problem that we are facing right now is climate change. The topic of climate change has been widely discussed ever since the Industrial Revolution, since machineries and factories that emit carbon dioxide were popular during that time, especially in the present time. The issue on climate change has always been due to different emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, Chlorofluorocarbons, and other harmful chemicals that makes it absorb all the heat coming from the sun, thus, resulting to global warming. Because of these occurrences, it has been affecting all ecosystems, organisms, species and humans with their lifestyles and their ways on surviving. On a global context, there has been an increase of temperature through the years and some countries and continents, experience abnormal weather conditions, severe coldness, and severe drought. With the global temperature rising, the polar ice caps in Antarctica have been melting, thus producing too much water and flooding. There has also been a rising rate on tropical storms that forces families to leave their homes due to extreme weather, and some even lose their loved ones. It’s time to take action against the emission of carbon emissions and take part in changing our lifestyles for the environment.
Through these different points, it made me realize that climate change alters almost everything around us. And due to these issues, it all became alarming to different world leaders and presidents since they would want to implement projects and programs that would help alleviate the issue on climate change. I had to play a game / simulation that would make me experience what it feels to be president and also decide serious implementations and projects to other world leaders. This simulation changed my perception oh how to tackle climate change since first of all, we all got used to limit ourselves in doing little things for the environment. However, when I first played the game, there were so many options and projects to choose from, and I took a while to realize that these projects could be applicable in real life. World leaders could also use these programs and projects in order to make and influence the globe, to share the same advocacy in saving our earth. It also changed the way I think about how climate change should be tackled since there are actually so many ways on how to alleviate this problem and all it takes is to have the will, funds, and determination to make the project possible.
With all of these being said, I just want to encapsulate everything by saying that: to always take one step for the environment. It entails a lot of responsibility, dedication, and the will to save our home and indeed, it only depends on us.
