We had an unusually wet spring this year but we also know that our area had a serious drought through the summer last year. The weather seems to be increasingly unpredictable around the world and water often factors into that uncertainty. At the same time, industry is consuming more fresh water than ever to make an excess of products we don't really need. Whether your part of the world is experiencing flooding or drought (or both) or excessive water consumption, one thing remains true: we cannot live without fresh, clean water. While some corporations claim that access to clean water should not be a human right, it absolutely is and needs to remain that way because our lives depend on it. Water is essential yet few people know much about it. Here are some important facts about water that you need to know:
The average adult human body is made up of 50 to 65 percent water.
The human brain is 75% water and depends on water to ensure the electrical communications in the brain work correctly.
A person can live about a month without food but only about a week without water.
68.7% of the world’s fresh water is found in glaciers.
A whopping 97% of the world’s water is salt water and is therefore not drinkable.
Whatever we pour into the ground or flush down the toilet or add to our washing machine ends up in water supply.
Whatever spews out into the air finds its way into our water.
According to the journal Environmental Science and Technology, the artificial sweetener sucralose, which is also known under the brand name Splenda, is now a widespread contaminant in surface water, ground water, and waste water. Most likely, it finds its way into our water supply by those who use it and urinate it out or through the manufacture of this artificial sweetener. Scientists determined that sucralose is a recalcitrant compound, which means that it resists break-down during chemical processes or treatment. Once it finds its way into the water supply it is likely to find its way into your drinking water.
According to research cited by the national coalition Moms Across America and Sustainable Pulse, 70 percent of household drinking water contains glyphosate. They also found that the amount of the toxic pesticide, glyphosate, (also known as Monsanto’s Roundup) allowed in American drinking water is much higher than the limit should be. The current limit in the United States is 0.4 parts per billion, which might not sound like much but research shows that even with only one-fourth of that amount which is the limit in the European Union (EU), glyphosate can damage 4000 genes and can cause many serious health problems.
Unsafe water kills 200 children every hour.
In just one year the average American household uses over 100,000 gallons of water (indoor and outdoor use).
Water helps to regulate the earth’s temperature.
Water performs many functions in the human body, from temperature regulation, carrying nutrients and oxygen to cells, cushions joints, protects tissues and organs, and removes wastes, to name a few.
Growing animals for consumption uses more than 50% of the fresh water. Simply reducing our animal foods consumption, we would reduce our water use by at least half.
One pound of beef requires between 2000 and 8000 gallons of water to produce—for either grass-fed or grain-fed cows. Pound-for-pound and gallon-for-gallon, animal foods use many times the water of plant-based foods and produce vast amounts more carbon than plant-based foods. According to UCLA, ounce-for-ounce, plant sources like legumes, seeds, and grains yield similar amounts of protein as meat yet also provide fiber, sterols, stanols, vitamins and minerals.
One gallon of cow’s milk requires 1950 gallons of water to create.
Compare the amount of water to yield animal products to the amount of water needed to produce plant-based foods: one pound of oats requires 290 gallons of water; one pound of tofu requires 302 gallons of water to produce.
To compare the environmental effects of animal-rich diets to plant-based ones: it costs 20 to 80 gallons of water to yield one gram of protein from beef compared to 3.8 gallons of water to yield one gram of protein from oats.
It takes 20 gallons of water to produce one pint of beer.
A cucumber is 95% water, making it an excellent source of water when you need it.
While water may seem endless because it flows from the skies, we only have the amount of water that we have. As a result, we need to show water greater respect, conserve it and keep water pure.
Michelle