Irrigation and Water Usage

Starting a new life in the Arizona desert has put my ethics and values regarding Earth on hyperdrive. You'll notice the link I shared on the articles page from the USDA on irrigation and water usage. Water usage is one of the many important issues that seems to trigger many to turn their cheeks and just hope for the best. It is uncomfortable to question our own morals - I myself have done it often and continue to do it as new insights offer me the opportunity to improve my place among others. Water, especially in landscapes such as this, is so extremely precious- but I worry that our ability to adapt to such landscapes through the administrations of our own clever natures through A/C, electricity, water importing etc - is offering a false sense of stability. It seems ideal that we would all be familiar with the regions we live in, the abundant resources, the scarce resources, the other creatures that live there or travel through, the annual phases of weather and process. With that knowledge one could not only enjoy their region with new insights, but one could also make more informed decisions based on true knowledge of resources as opposed to the hauntingly inaccurate "sense" of a baseline many of us feel we "should" have in life because "we can."

We actually can't

I remember living with someone who left the sink on one night. Out of curiosity, I measured the amount of time it took to fill up one measured cup from the sink at the rate it had been left. Had it been left on, say, for a whole day (24 hrs), it would have amounted to 225 gallons of water. That is ONE SINK, ONE PERSON, ONE HOUSE. Let's say 300 people do the same: that comes out to 67,500 gallons. There are gross changes to be made in manufacturing, in the choices that we make in the foods we eat, in the way the fashion industry operates, in the pharmaceutical and product arenas regarding toxicity of ingredients and downstream effects of those ingredients in the groundwater...... yes. The page on the USDA website regarding irrigation states that most funding for irrigation improvements and infrastructure in the US are from private investors. The page also indicates a great amount of space for improvement regarding water delivery systems and efficiency, though a lack of investment has made this difficult.

There are a great many charts available about water usage per crop. Here's a page with one for your viewing. Feed for livestock is a huge investment in square mileage and in water. You may be surprised at some of the others - take a look and see what you think.

When considering the actions we can take as individuals, the net effect could be enormous if we all committed to common goals. I've included a link to a great list compiled by Rob Greenfield. He also has a great website, so check that out and be inspired!

KEEPING YOUR WATER USAGE IN CHECK by Rob Greenfield!