Positive Propaganda: Teaching kids about Water Conservation

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In the above video, a boy learns the hard way about water conservation. Although this video is obviously comedic in nature, it helps communicate a very important message: even small acts of wastefulness contribute to water scarcity.

According to the Appamattox River Water Authority, for an average family of 4, as much as 600 gallons of water a month can be saved by simply turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth. (http://arwava.org/water-conservation/) Now take the population of the Portland Metro area (2,389,228), divide by 4 (2,389,228/4=597307) multiply that by 12 months and 600 gallons (597307*12*600), and just a few simple math problems later you realize that we might be wasting as much as a staggering 4,300,610,400 gallons of water a year, simply by forgetting to turn off the tap!

"Portlanders waste 4,300,610,400 gallons/year brushing our teeth"
In many parts of our country, peoples lives and livelihoods are at stake due to lack of water. In Ojai California, the situation has reached desperate levels (https://www.propublica.org/article/california-drought-colorado-river-water-crisis-explained). If we in Portland simply turned of the tap, how much of a difference could we make in these peoples lives? One step at a time together, we can make a huge difference for regions facing water scarcity.


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