Water wasting

This morning I took a really long shower, and now I feel quite guilty. I tend to do this more often during the winter, especially in the morning. I am finding more and more that going green is a double-edged sword. In the case of the shower situation, my roommates and I keep the apartment fairly cool during the winter, around 60 degrees or so, in order to save on the electric bill; however, the cool temperatures tempt me to enjoy the comforts of the hot water for longer. I suppose the best answer to this problem is to time my showers to prevent myself from letting too much water go down the drain. I do not like the idea of rushing through an activity that I find so relaxing, but I want to do the right thing.

When I was around ten or eleven years old, I had a friend whose younger brother told me that I should not let the water run while I am brushing my teeth because I would kill all the whales. At the time I knew that the water coming out of the faucet did not come from the ocean, but thinking about the source of the water is an interesting idea. The professor of my ecology class a year ago told us that it was projected, based on the speed at which the city's population was growing, that the water supply of Las Vegas would be depleted in ten years. What would happen to all the residents? Would they enact so form of water rationing in this desert oasis? Would the government force them to leave? It is a scary thought...

Utility Bills

Saving water and electricity are some of my major concerns these days. Living on campus my first two year of school really spoiled me. Regardless of how many lights were left on or how much time was spend in the shower, the bill was always the same. My biggest crime during those years was spending lots of time under the unlimited hot water in the shower. Now a days I have to pay for every fluid once of water that escapes the faucet and every watt of electricity burned. Needless to say, I am much more careful about how much of these resources I use. I have a responsibility to not only my wallet, but also my two roommates who split the bills with me.

Something that I have recently tried to change about my habits is turning the hot water knob on the facet when washing my hands. All children are told to use warm water to wash hands, but think of all the water that runs down the drain before the temperature warms up. Is it worth all the waste to be sure that all the germs are washed away? I suppose that depends on your activities previous to the hand washing. Using the toilet or handling raw meat probably warrants being a little wasteful.

As for electricity, my roommates and I are lucky because we are all friends and feel comfortable enough to study together in the living room. This is important because it means we are not in our separate rooms, using three times the amount of electricity.

It is funny the way that paying for the utilities has made me much more conscious of my usage. Perhaps in the future there will be rations on the amount of electricity and water a household can use before it is charged overage fees. That could make a great difference on the environment.