Weird ways to save water in Oregon

It’s shaping up to be a dry one out there, and it is leading to some weirdness: kitten abundance, succulent swiping and…Bigfoot?  Treating water as precious is always a good idea, but in a year when Oregon has 90% less snow pack to refresh our rivers, it’s time to get creative about saving.

If you’re already using low-flow everything, consider this:

Most Americans use 70 gallons of water a day.
The average Gambian uses about 1 gallon a day.
We’d all be better off if we each stuck closer to 13 gallons a day. (Pacific Institute)

Test yourself: How many of these truly creative water-smart practices do you use?

• Eat low on the “water chain.”  Find out how much water it takes to make your meal. Hint: choose veggies, of course.
• Dress it again, Sam. It takes 100 gallons to make a pound of wool or cotton. You can save by buying second hand. See also what apparel companies are doing to use less raw material—including coupons for you.
• Dye, cow’s milk and baby trees. Some clothing makers are saving water by making sure it’s clean before it leaves the factory. Some farmers save water by feeding cows from pasture instead of grain. Some save by delivering water to the roots of baby trees instead of up over the top.
• Shower like an astronaut; check out the video.
• Get yourself some colorful buckets, and other tips from National Geographic
  
• A pokey shower curtain? A tippy bathtub? A scornful mirror? The gadgets profiled on this Web Ecoist site may not yet be practical, but they do make you think.
• Donate your water. The Water Project challenges you to drink only water for two weeks. You can invest the money you’ll save to give a world neighbor access to fresh water.

So: How did you do? I already know: if you’ve read this far and followed all the tips, you’re a true water-saving hero. But seriously: if you want to know how much of a water miser you really are, try calculating your water footprint. And raise a glass of water to enjoying the sunshine but appreciating the rain!

This Living Green blog is brought to you thanks to support from Organic Valley.

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