October 2018

Water is the essence of life. Imagery of water as a representation of our spiritual longing is all throughout scripture. Water is one of the most basic human necessities both physically and spiritually (John 4:14). It is necessary for nearly every aspect of life. Look around you right now. Water was used in the making of everything you see. Wood and cotton need water to grow. Water is used in the production of all plastic goods. The human body is 60% water.

Water is the source of life, water is life. Yet we often treat it with disregard. Some places in the world seem to have an abundance of water and it’s easy to excuse wasting it. Only 2.5% of all the water on earth is fresh, the rest is saltwater. Of that 2.5% only 1% is easily accessible. And, most of that 1% is trapped too deep in the ground or permanently frozen. Only 0.007% of the water on earth is readily useable. Sadly, as pollution continues to contaminate our freshwater sources, filtering it becomes more expensive. As more people continue to populate the earth, there is less to go around.

Who is affected worst by these trends? The poor. Clean, pure water is possible to achieve through filtration and chemical treatment. But that costs money. Water consumption has increased by more the twice the rate of population growth in the last century.1 Indoor plumbing has enabled people to easily waste water as they no longer carry it from wells. Increased production and consumption of material goods also contributes. Lots of water is used in manufacturing goods and few industries have their water usage regulated. For example, it takes 713 gallons to make 1 cotton T-shirt.2 Cotton apparel is one of the more extreme examples. Thankfully, some manufacturing companies are taking their own initiative to improve their environmental impact and water consumption.

Access to water is an issue Christians should take seriously! We are called to care for the poor, and part of that includes ensuring they can access water. Yes, donating to a well drilling ministry in Africa is a good way to do this. But buying that cotton T-shirt made in China has the opposite effect. Places like China often have almost no regulations on what pollutants are dumped by factories into rivers and lakes. The same rivers and lakes where poor people who likely cannot afford to filter their water drink from.

You can help be the change by thinking of yourself as a part of God’s worldwide kingdom. How does what you do here at home affect your brothers and sisters in Christ in other countries? How does it affect those you are trying to reach? Did Jesus call us to give a one-time donation to a well drilling ministry or did he call us to a radical life of sacrifice to the cause of the Gospel? It is time you and I begin to live out our faith in every area of our life, including our use of resources like water.

So how can you save water and waste less? Here are several practical tips: Avoid letting the faucet run. Fill the sink to rinse or wash dishes. Shortening your shower by 1-2 minutes will save 2-6 gallons of water per shower and up to 2,190 gallons in a year. Water your garden or lawn in the early hours of the morning before sunrise with an irrigation system. Invest in water-efficient appliances when you need to replace them. Look for appliances such as washers, dishwashers, shower heads, toilets, etc. that use less water than other current models. Fix leaks as soon as possible. Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth. Reuse and recycle your clothing and other goods whenever possible. Turning your old cotton T-shirt into rags or donating it will save 713 gallons over making those rags or a new T-shirt brand new.

Educate yourself on the water footprint of the products and foods you buy. Where it is within your means, choose brands and products that use less water to manufacture. Following the diet and lifestyle promoted by the Seventh-day Adventist Church is a great step to lowering your personal water use. The water footprint of meat is many times greater that that of plant-based foods. For example, beef requires 1,845 gallons of water per pound to produce. By contrast potatoes require just 34 gallons per pound. Alcohol such as wine requires 29 gallons to produce just half a cup 3 Soda and coffee are almost as bad. Drinking plain water is obviously the best choice. Lastly, teach your kids to conserve water. Teach them to appreciate water by teaching them to search for waterfalls, not WiFi.

Written by David F. Garner




Sources:
1 - “UN-Water factsheet on water security.” (2013). United Nations online. Accessed October 8, 2018 from http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/scarcity.shtml

2 – “Cotton’s Water Footprint: How One T-Shirt Makes A Huge Impact On The Environment.” (01/27/2013). Huffington Post online. Accessed October 8, 2018 from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/27/cottons-water-footprint-world-wildlife-fund_n_2506076.html

3 – “Product gallery.” (2017). Water Footprint Network. Accessed October 8, 2018 from http://waterfootprint.org/en/resources/interactive-tools/product-gallery/.