Freshwater is one the rarest and most demanded resource we possess. Freshwater has been called the oil of the 21st century (Liveris), only 3% of the water on the earth is drinkable however 2.5% of that water is locked up in glaciers and in the atmosphere (USBR). That leaves us with 0.5% of all the water in the world as available to consume currently. As we use this water throughout our life our water footprint is steadily increasing. Sometimes we realize we are using too much water, whether it’s taking too many showers or leaving the water on while you’re brushing your teeth. This is known as a direct water footprint, there is however an indirect water footprint that millions of Americans are unaware of, while you are reading this paper you …show more content…
The footprints should help you understand how you can change your behaviors and approaches to your consumption. Even though my water consumption is about half of the average American’s 100 gallons per day (USGS) and about the same as Seattle’s population at 50 gallons per day (Seattle times), I still want to lower my consumption. There are many ways to do this, I personally will eat less beef and substitute it for more chicken. Saving around 70% of water per pound. I am also going to try to take shorter showers, getting efficient toilets when I have a place of my own, and taking the bus more often and carpooling. If you have a lot of consumption in the area in clothing, donating clothes can make a huge difference. If it’s hard for you to change your ways due to various reasons one of the most important lessons is learning about water footprints in general because in the future freshwater is going to be harder and harder to supply with the increasing population. It's the knowledge that can lead to conservation and protection movements. Every person needs to know about how every drop of freshwater