Combating Drought this Summer 2012 has proven to be a very dry year, with such severe drought conditions existing that over half of the nation has been declared a disaster area because of it. Weather forecasts are not looking incredibly positive, so it is likely that the drought will continue for some time. There are some ways that people can combat drought conditions, in order to use less water and have a positive effect on the environment; as well as saving them money on their utilities. Combating drought is a fairly simple process that simply requires good habits and self-control to be utilized by people.
Taking Showers Instead of Baths One of the best ways for people to combat drought this summer is to take showers instead of baths, and limit the time spent in there. Baths take gallons and gallons of water in order to fill the tub. Showers use much less fluid, while also allowing people to get clean quickly and efficiently. Cutting down on even shower time can contribute to making a positive impact, since there really isn’t a need to stay there beyond getting clean. Another good thing for people to do in these conditions is to water their lawns less often, and to water them intelligently. Lawns are fairly versatile, and can get along perfectly fine without the sprinklers going off every day.
Water Your Lawn and Conserving Water A lawn can do well when the sprinklers are utilized every other day without serious implications for its viability. Turing on the sprinklers at night rather than during the daytime is also a good idea, because it will mean that there is less fluid lost to evaporation. When it comes down to it, turning on the sprinklers during the middle of the day is wasteful. Since the sun will be up and beating down with heat, a good amount of the liquid will be evaporated before it can help anything. As such, more fluid will need to be used in order to keep things at a healthy level. Turning on the sprinklers at night is an effective way to take care of this issue and save a lot of money on utilities each month. Another idea for people to practice in drought conditions is washing their cars less. Yes, it may make the car look worse, but it is the environmentally conscious thing to do. That is not to say that everyone needs to stop washing their cars entirely. Rather, cutting back and doing it a couple of times a month rather than every week is a good place to start.
There is always room for improvement with the habits with have with water consumption and distribution alike. Encouraging everyone else to be responsible and do the little things throughout the day to conserve is one of the best ways to combat drought conditions. The water that people waste could be going to better uses, so conservation is key to having a successful and viable future. During times of duress such as this, it is when everyone decides to pull together and effect change that the best results can be found. Water can be a problem in a number of ways sometimes it causes water damage or sometimes there just isn’t enough to play with so just remember what area you are in and the situation that follows.