Become a thirsty thinker

Why would access to clean water be a dream? Many people question the rationale of spending huge sums of money to search for water on the distant Moon or Mars when billions of people on the Earth currently have no access to water for drinking, sanitation and proper irrigation. What would humble us enough to become thirstier thinkers, people who use less water and think more about our water choices?

As it is, in 2007, more than a billion people do not access clean water to drink and ~2.6 billion in developing countries lack access to sanitation. Unclean water has become the second biggest killer of children. On an average, all over the world 5000 children die daily of diarrhea. “Deaths from diarrhea in 2004 were some six times greater than the average annual deaths in armed conflicts for the 1990s.&rdquo Annually, 443 million school days are lost only from water-related illness.

By 2025, its foreseen that ~2 billion people will live in areas with scarce water. In countries such as Australia, the global water crisis is already a reality in prolonged and unseasonal droughts. Shortages cause us to think differently. No matter where you live, how could you re-think how you use water in your local area?

1) Prioritize the conservation of nature. Watch Al Gore's documentary "An Inconvenient Truth." Listen to why hundreds of scientists agree. Contribute to nature preservation by raising awareness in your community and recruiting friends, neighbours and local council. Identify issues touching your life and needs; from gardening to septic tanks and sanitation. Brainstorm how to clean polluted water.

2) Conserve your water use. Choose to have shorter showers and maybe even shower with a partner or your child. Don't let the tap run when you brush your teeth. Flush toilets for "number 2s" and just close the seat top for "number 1s." Choose drought-resistent plants or plants which drink less water for gardens. Don't wash your car. Teach your children to conserve water and reward them for their efforts and creative ideas about how you can conserve. How else can you cut back?

3) Learn about the origin of your water supply and ecosystems that support it.  Regardless of where you live, you draw from a water system. Your city may provide water you pay for or, your family may have drilled a well. You may access an aquafer, dam or own a reservoir on property. It's useful to track seasonal water levels, compare it to your water use and state of ecosystems. Increasingly, people choose to install rainwater tanks to capture rain falls from your roof.  Consider other initiatives that may increase your water supply. What can you learn from nature?

4) Re-think when and where you use water. Recognize you condition yourself to believe you need a certain amount of water, but you can likely 'get by' with far less. Get together with friends and consider an alternative vision for your water use in cooking, cleaning, sanitation and irrigation (if you're involved in agriculture).

5) Re-connect to the people of the world. Note political talk of of freedom, human rights and human well-being fails to assist hundreds of millions of people in developing nations to increase access to clean water. You may not control money spent on war and conflict, but you can reduce water consumption and realize your choices affect others. Recognize water is a shared resource. Contribute to balance.