Small change, big rewards: Showers

You stand in the hot shower still trying to wake up from the alarm clock at 6 AM trying to get ready for work in your still sleep deprived state.  You turn the faucet on and wait for it to heat up, and then you step in and groggily let the water pour over you as if the water is your batch of morning coffee - opening  your eyes slowly.  Finally you shower up and before you know it you've been in there for a good 15 minutes.  You've only just started your day and you have already used 33 gallons of water. That's more water than is suggested to drink in 4 days.

Personal Background

Sadly to say, when I first began tracking my water, electricity, and fuel use last month this is what I found.  I was astonished how wasteful I was being with all of this potable water going down the drain.  I started creating this environmental calculator to create my baseline levels, but after 12 days of seeing how much water I was wasting I was determined to put it to a stop.  I decided to make a small change, which in turn created a large change.

Steps to Saving Water - The Easy Way

#1:

Instead of sitting in the shower with the water running when I don't necessarily use it, I simply flipped the switch and turned it off for those periods.  Its crazy how simple it is.  The bathroom is already heated from the water that was running to wet your hair and get the soap all lathered that when its time to actually shampoo you don't need it to keep you warm.  Also, the amount of water that you save during that time turns your 15 minute showers into more of 5 minute showers - which are just as comfortable.

Don't get me wrong, I still spend about 15 minutes IN the shower, I just don't need the water running the entire time.  I work in the hospitality industry thus I need to be as presentable as possible; but why not try to have a smaller impact on the environment?

#2:

Repeat #1 for the entire month.  I made sure to make it a point to turn off the water.  Some days I accidentally reverted to my old ways - it is fun to take a nice hot steamy shower once in a while, but I was determined to change my unsustainable ways.  

#3:

See how much you are saving, and use that as motivation to continue.  I have tracked my entire month worth of water use.  I am shocked to see the results of my small change.  On my Shower Water Usage graph you can see that within the first 12 days of the month (before I made my changes) I was using over 64% of the shower water I used for the entire month! That's only 2/5th's of the month with over 3/5th's of the water use.

Overall Findings

In the end of my month long experiment with water, I found that I don't want this to be the end.  I have even made predictions for the future.  If I changed my average shower use from an average of 13.3 minutes (29.5 gallons per shower) to 5.7 minutes (12.7 gallons of water)  I would be able to save 16.6 gallons per day.  At the end of the year that puts me at a saving of 6082 gallons.  That is enough drinking water for the entire country of Tuvalu for a day.  Granted its small - about 11,000 residents, but still enough water to drink for an entire COUNTRY would be going down my drain in just a year had I not changed my ways.

I am not saying that you should be unreasonable when trying to save the planet, you and I are both people with typical habits that are hard to change.  However, the way we take our showers is such an easy change that it leaves me asking WHY NOT?  Why not help change the world, put the water on hold and see how much you can save!

10 Topics You Must Cover on Your Responsibility Pledge

These days I find that most people are setting goals to achieve personal success.  Goal setting is a great tool to use, when used properly.  However, most people are setting more than one goal at once or even 100 mini goals at once.  The problem with this is that you typically start to fall through on your plans and eventually burn out.

To aid in your goal making process and to make your plan stick I advise using a pledge to yourself.  This isn't just something you say to yourself, or think everyday.  This is a physical paper in which you list exactly what your goal means and then you sign it so that you can see exactly what you stand for.  This becomes even more powerful when you sign one with a group of people because when you make your goals public, you tend to stick with them longer.

In the green club at my school, we are beginning to implement a Green Pledge for our school where we encourage our students to sign a certificate stating exactly how they will help the environment and others around them - hopefully this will keep the recycling high and the waste low!

Without further adieu:

Responsibility Catalyst's Pledge:

Protecting our Beautiful Earth One Step At A Time

1.  Waste - Waste is the number one factor you can control.  This goes beyond just plastic bags but into food waste, water waste, electricity waste, etc.  This is one of the most important factors for your pledge as this will get results quickly for everyone to see and be motivated to continue not to waste.

2. Water Conservation - This is one of the fastest ways we waste.  On average 2.2 gallons of water per minute out of the shower means that by the end of the morning you are already using about 22 gallons if you are taking 10 minute shower.  Turn the water off when not in use, the amount you save can be drinking water for weeks.

3. Electricity Conservation - 10 watts here, 60 watts there.  One can save electricity in such simple ways that it makes no sense NOT to participate.  Flip the switch when you leave a room, unplug unused appliances, and ensure your machines are energy efficient.

4. Fuel Use- Most of us need to travel in some form to get to work.  Be conscientious of your modes of transportation and the amount of fuel they burn.  The benefit of public transportation is that the 7mile/gallon busses are being shared by 30+ people.  Make the responsible choice, and if you must use a personal car - drive it as little possible, and as efficiently as possible.

5. Buying Power -  We as consumers have the ability to influence the economy by changing our spending habits.  If we all make sure to buy from sustainable companies and demand responsible practices more and more businesses will start to follow suit.

6. Community Service - We all have needed help at one point in time.  Giving back to the community is not only a thank you for everything they have given you but its also a way for you to help someone in need.  Small things make the most difference from picking up a piece of trash on the beach to tutoring kids that are struggling in school.

7. Standing for Your Beliefs - Many people have become so set in their ways they refuse to change.  Many don't understand the need to make a difference by living responsibly.  You must have the determination to do good and stand up for what you believe in and not let the naysayers get you down.

8. Tracking Progress- This gives you a sense of accomplishment and the encouragement to keep making small changes.  If you can't see that taking a 5 minute shower instead of a 10 minute shower saves you 11 gallons of water then are you really understanding your full impact?  Its important to know where you began and where you are headed.

9.  Encourage Others - Its amazing that you have taken the next steps to living responsibly, but are others around you struggling to make a change?  Encourage beginners by helping them out, or by giving them tips and tricks on how to make responsible living easier.  Its always nice to have a community to support you, so be those open arms.

10. Always Find a Way to Improve -  The most important thing to realize in life is that there will always be someone better than you and also someone worse.  Even if you have become the best at the moment, someone is just waiting to come around and take your place.  With this understanding we can change the negative thoughts into a positive statement.  There will always be something more that you can do to help the world. Smile more, help more people, recycle more - its a never ending challenge to give back to the Earth.

I Rachel here by virtually sign the Responsibility pledge on September 3rd, 2015.

If you believe in these actions then please "sign" and post them near by so that you can hold yourself accountable.  Its a promise to do better for the world - why not take the plunge? Good luck in your quest for a responsible life!