Travel & Truffles...: World Water Day 2012

Hi guys! Sorry its been awhile since I've wrote but I've been so busy! I wanted to write a post yesterday on World Water Day on March 22, but didn't have a minute until today. But its still not to late to bring awareness to the cause.

Water has always been and will always be a precious resource. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations coordinates world Water Day 2012 on March 22 and every year, a specific aspect of freshwater is highlighted according to the UN-Water website. This year the theme is Water and Food Security: The World is Thirsty Because We are Hungry. The theme this year focuses on the impact industrial-scale agriculture has on the world’s fresh water supplies. It take a lot of water to produce food, and FOOD WASTED = WATER WASTED.

Here is the manifesto:

There are 7 billion people to feed on the planet today and another 2 billion are expected to join by 2050. Statistics say that each of us drinks from 2 to 4 litres of water every day, however most of the water we ‘drink’ is embedded in the food we eat: producing 1 kilo of beef for example consumes 15,000 litres of water while 1 kilo of wheat ’drinks up’ 1,500 litres.

1. What can we do?

I am not here to tell you to not eat beef, and become a vegan. But I am saying there's certain things that we all can do more to help the cause. these are things I personally do, and you can do easily also. Just getting into the mindset of conserving water is a start. Here are some things we can do around the house that will go a long way.

Follow a healthier, sustainable diet
Reduce food wastage! 30% of the food produced worldwide is never eaten and the water used to produce it is definitively lost!
If you have own a dishwasher or washing machine, only run them for full loads.
Turn the water off while you wash dishes or vegetables. Soak/wash the vegetables in a pot.
Use a re-fillable BPA-free plastic or glass bottle. Invest in a Brita filter and not buy water bottles! They drive me crazy.
Take shorter showers. An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than a typical person in a developing country slum uses in a whole day.
On that note, don't leave the shower running before you jump in it.
Turn the tap off while you brush your teeth or shave.
Check pipes for leaks regularly.
Avoid the garburator by using a compost bucket, especially if you own a house.
Use common sense! Any time you are running water to wash or water something water is being wasted. Fill a bucket, fill a sink, fill a bottle and use only what you need.

2. Donate

A few years ago, I met someone who worked for a company called Charity: Water. When they spoke of their company, they seemed so passionate about it and I'll never forget that intensity. Charity:Water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. 100% of public donations directly fund water projects. A donation as little as $20 gives one person clean water for 20 years. Theyre such a transparant company, you can see every project they've done on google maps and their offices are always open to visitors. Learn more or donate.

3. Volunteer

I've signed up to be a Charity Water volunteer and you can too. If you live in NYC, you can come to the monthly volunteer night to help out in our office and hang with other charity: water supporters. Sign up here.

4. Spread the Word

Don't have an extra buck? Just pass the message along. Spreading awareness is one way we can help combat the water crisis. This is what World Water Day is all about, awareness.

Websites:

I think we as a society sometimes forgets how fortunate we are that we don't have to hike 20 miles for clean water, and I think if we could just conserve a little more, I think it will make a difference. Check out Water.org for facts and Charity: water to read up and learn about ways to get involved.