Letter writer: Let’s start conserving water now

Graphic by Lori Deaton

With the recent drought and wildfires, it’s time for all of us to remember to conserve water. We are not in danger of running out as of now, but who knows how long [it will be] before it becomes an issue.

Please take shorter showers; don’t run the tap when brushing your teeth; only run dishwashers and washing machines on full loads; think about a low-flow toilet adapter and anything else that uses less water.

If we all do our part, it could make a big difference. Thanks. I’d also like to invite other readers to share their ideas and ways to conserve water.

— Kelli Perry and Keith McGuire
Asheville

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25 thoughts on “Letter writer: Let’s start conserving water now

  1. boatrocker

    Not a bad idea, as only maybe 10% of all the water on Earth is potable.
    But altrighties will tell us it is an infinite resource, just like (laughing) oil.

    Just because we live in a First World country now with plenty of clean water (except where environmental racism exists, Flint, etc),
    we may not have the same abundant resources in say a year.

    • Lulz

      LOL, let’s start with our own little waste of resources in say downtown where they pressure wash the sidewalks daily. But of course in downtown, they only preach their BS.

  2. think critically

    Animal agriculture uses more than half the water consumed in the US. How? Watering the crops and providing drinking water for the billions of animals slaughtered every year, cleaning away the filth in factory farms, transport trucks, and slaughterhouses, etc. As but one example, producing one pound of beef takes an estimated 1,581 gallons of water, which is roughly as much as the average American uses in 100 showers. All forms of animal agriculture are extremely wasteful, and they create a lot of pollution, too. If you want to save water and help the planet in a myriad of other ways, the number one thing you can do is to eat a plant-based diet.

    • boatrocker

      You forgot to post the Peter Singer quote you always fall back on.
      You know, Singer, the fair weather vegan.

        • boatrocker

          No, I’m pointing out your one trick pony obsession. Do you feel this passionately about any other causes?

          If so, I’d love to hear about them, preferably in your own words vs. parroting a hack ‘philosopher’ who
          advocates among other things performance enhancing drugs for athletes, infanticide, borderline Mengele like eugenics practices,
          beastiality, the oppression of disabled
          folks and ‘cheats’ for being a fair weather vegan.

          But yeah I guess for pointing that out I’m four years old. Mom and Dad don’t know I’m online right now so
          keep it a secret, ok? I’m supposed to be coloring in my coloring books.

    • Snowflake (Social Justice Worrier)

      OMIGOSH! A vegan f̶a̶n̶a̶t̶i̶c̶ ̶ z̶e̶a̶l̶o̶t̶ ̶ devotee succeeded in directing an otherwise unrelated thread towards the i̶n̶a̶n̶i̶t̶y̶ ̶ m̶a̶d̶n̶e̶s̶s̶ ̶ virtue of veganism! Will this i̶d̶i̶o̶t̶ ̶ saint please go talk with this woman and get her to repent of her sins?

      World’s oldest woman doesn’t eat vegetables or fruit; shares her secret to long life: Eating eggs
      http://mashable.com/2016/11/29/worlds-oldest-woman-turns-117/

  3. think critically

    The end of the letter says, ” I’d also like to invite other readers to share their ideas and ways to conserve water.” So I did, and I simply added some scientific evidence to the discussion. I am so sorry to see that there is no room for intelligent discussion. Sigh, such is the state of America. Is there a moderator who can keep comments on topic?

    • boatrocker

      They left the Mtn X building a long time ago.

      As we posters seem to be the minority of those who communicate in written form in complete sentences vs. 140 character texts and tweeting, the only folks left here on the comments threads seem to be sputtering neocons, unapologetic altright types, posters named after reality shows, wide eyed militant vegan cultists and the occasional poster (wink) who likes to watch the monkeys dance.

      You should probably get used to it.

    • The Real World

      Did you comprehend (ahem….”think critically”) that the letter writer meant what can we DO NOW to save water?

      As in: run only full loads of laundry and dishwasher, take showers not baths, check all faucets and spigots for dripping, etc. etc.

      Instead we have one commenter who has to insert politics into a thread about water and another who wants to sermonize to others about how to eat and offers a solution only long-term in nature, not immediate. Hello?

  4. think critically

    OOPS, I forgot that there are those who want to deny science and facts. For those who think that facts matter, this is from the environmental working group:

    A California Water Education Foundation study found that one gallon of tofu requires 219 gallons of water per pound, compared to 477 gallons for eggs, 896 gallons for cheese and 2,463 gallons for beef. A frequently cited global study estimates that it takes 1,857 gallons to produce a pound of beef, and 469 gallons for a pound of chicken (not including processing).

    http://www.ewg.org/meateatersguide/interactive-graphic/water/

    • boatrocker

      “This is a hijacking for my own wide eyed vegan cultist agenda! Nobody move!
      Take this thread to Cuba or I force feed you bland tasteless soy products until you all
      grow man boobs!”

      does that about cover it or would this be the right time to repeat post your Singer (the fair weather vegan) quote?

  5. think critically

    I am all for filling up the dishwasher and washing machine, turning the water off when brushing my teeth, taking a shorter shower, and using a low-flow toilet to conserve water. All are great suggestions. I am somehow perplexed why it is okay for someone to make these suggestions to save maybe 25 gallons of water a day, yet when I suggest eating plants as a way of saving hundreds of gallons of water every day, I am somehow doing something wrong. There was a time when people shared facts in a civil manner, but I guess those days are gone.

    • The Real World

      Reasonable people share facts but when you hijack a thread to push an agenda that has nothing to do with immediate water needs you lose credibility. How ironic that you call for a moderator when it’s your comments that are OFF-TOPIC.

      The subject is water saving measure NOW. Please utilize reading comprehension.

      • think critically

        The authors of the letter asked people to share ideas, and I did. Vegan diets save water every day,As the saying goes, think globally, act locally. Funny how people like you react to information you don’t want to hear.

  6. Excellent. The points made by these two Democrats show a remarkable understanding of rational self-interest. Quite unusual.

  7. Laura Wenzel

    I would like to see us stop throwing away water. How many times have you drunk a soda out of a cup, then thrown away the cup that is still full of ice? Or put the cap on a plastic water bottle that’s half full of water and thrown away the whole thing? This water then gets buried in a landfill. Similarly, composting allows the water in fruit and vegetable waste to return to the soil or evaporate in the atmosphere. When we put compostable materials in the trash, we bury the water that’s available in them. You would never throw away a fistful of cash. We need to raise the consciousness of water as a precious resource that we similarly would never throw away.

    • boatrocker

      BO would describe most of the shoppers at Earthfare, Greenlife , aka other chain stores.
      My advice- a shower is not like a namaste massage- clean the important stuff, then get outta there and dry off.

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