As I come to the end of my blog series, I am grateful for having this opportunity to voice my opinions on issues that are important to me. Classes such as these, give students like me the opportunity to learn and then educate others on the future of our planet. It has been very eye-opening to be a part of this class this semester and I am excited to continue down this path in my academic career. I have learned a lot in this process and I am excited to continue learning about the environment. 

On a day to day basis humans consume massive amounts of  water than we realize. As it is an obvious example of water use, showering and using tap water is surprisingly not the main source of water consumption. Most American consume most of their water from the things that they buy from stores. One cotton t-shirt for example, is equivalent to 680 gallons of water. A loaf of bread, uses 160 gallons of water to process and make. There are many things that go unseen when measuring water consumption. It is utterly important to understand the accurate amount of water that you and what the people you live with consume, this is so you can decrease your individual water consumption. Taking shorter showers will not cut it. There has to be a systematic change of how our goods are produced. 

The world is running out of fresh water fast. Droughts around the globe have been more common due to rising global temperatures and increasing water use overtime. By the year 2059, it has been estimated that 45 percent of the world will experience an even higher level of drought than we do today. For example, this summer In California, droughts have resulted in large forest fires that wreak havoc on local communities and destroy wildlife habitats. Putting out these fires also takes a lot of water. When rebuilding forests water is also needed to feed the plants in that area. With droughts becoming more common it is that much more crucial to take the energy to limit the amount of water you consume. 

Suburbs in America are more likely to consume higher amounts of water due to larger properties that include: grass lawns, pools, neighborhood parks and the ability to have bigger families to fill up the larger spaces. They are also more likely to be built on wildlife habitats like marshlands, wetlands and grasslands, which are all important aspects of the ecosystem and the water cycle. If America is able to distance itself from building more suburbs that are not environmentally friendly we can lower water consumption in the more rural areas of America. Suburbs are a great location for families to settle down and start their lives. There is a high amount of people living in these areas due to the low cost, guaranteed safety and secured friends for children. However in an article written by Christopher Boone, a professor of sustainability at the University of Arizona; he says: “In 2010, suburbanites outnumbered city and rural dwellers combined for the first time. We Americans live in a suburban nation” (“The US Has Become a Nation of the Suburbs”. The Conversation, theconservation.org). With this information, it becomes clear that suburban neighborhoods are consuming too much water. 

Water is one of the most sought after resources in the world, but it is draining fast. By the time the world reaches ten billion people it is unknown if there will be enough water to support the population. This is why water conservation is so important.