Watering the Family Tree

Most of us know something about our family tree, our genealogy. Many of us are proud of our antecedents and some have spent considerable time and money researching our roots. But what of the future?

In these early years of the twenty-first century, with the increasing concern over climate changes, dying polar bears, diminishing species, what is our individual responsibility to be good stewards of the earth? Will our actions make those in our families who come after us, proud? Or will we carelessly contribute to difficulties they might encounter because today’s population (that’s you and me, folks) is made up of people who are too lazy or too self-centered?

Do you tell yourself that letting the water run in the yard, the kitchen or bathroom sink doesn't matter? Or that flushing the toilet after dropping in a piece of tissue is insignificant? It most certainly is significant, and as time passes it becomes more and more so.

Some may find this graphic comment distasteful, but many years ago when I was living in Eugene, Oregon there was a water shortage in that part of the country. The motto all across the state was, "It's mellow if it's yellow, if it's brown, flush it down."

My research has informed me that the highest average water use in the world is in the US, where the average person uses 150 gallons of water per day. Do the math… multiply the number of people in your household times the average amount of water a person uses in one day and multiply that again just by the number of households in your family. If you keep on going, it becomes astronomical.

So what’s the point of my harangue? Well, here in Georgia we’re in the middle of a drought. There’s a water ban in effect (are you paying attention yet?) and like it or not every one of us is responsible for keeping our usage to a fair and reasonable level.

As water continues to become a critical concern for everyone I thought I would pass along information on the websites below. One is for the latest watering ban information in our local area, four more include water saving tips, the fifth is about water facts, and the last one is for a small but possibly important solution... information on rain barrel cisterns.

Here you will find ban information: http://www.northgeorgiawater.com/html/305.htm; here you’ll find some great downloadable tips to save water: http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/.
Want more information on water use? See: http://www.wssc.dst.md.us/INFO/tips.cfm, www.caes.uga.edu, www.watersmart.net, and
http://www.water.org/resources/waterfacts.htm
And last, to find out more about rain barrel cisterns for collecting rainwater, go to: http://www.SavingWithRain.com.

Every household, whether in a drought area or not, ought to review the information on water, water conservation, watering bans and why it is an increasing problem.

And while I’m berating you, are you recycling? (Paper, aluminum, glass...) It’s every bit as important as saving water. Please help me to help your great grandchildren and mine to a healthy planet. Let’s not have them remember us as being selfish and lazy, or worse, make it impossible for some of them to survive at all.