I recently came across an article with some very interesting facts and it really made me look a the BIG PICTURE on how much water is really used. I am sure I am not the only one who only considered the obvious when examining "saving water"!In our daily routines we are all aware of the contribution we can make to save water (Visible water) but oh WOW we really do not want to ever be short of water!! I never considered the following facts which we use and consume on a daily basis!
It is known as virtual water... the water footprint.
* To produce an apple weighing around 100 grams, 70 litres of water is used.
* One slice of wheat bread requires 40 litres.
* The water footprint of a beer, 75 litres, pales in comparison to that of the hamburger that often accompanies it, which comes in at a whopping 2,400 litres. In fact, beef requires a full 15,500 litres of water to produce just 1kg.
.....and it is not just what we eat and drink!!
* One A4 sheet of 80gr paper, processed from wood, requires 10 litres of water - something to consider before printing out the joke email that will be discarded later.
* The global average footprint of one cotton shirt is 2,700 litres; for one kilogram it’s 11000 litres.
* One kilogram of leather requires 16,600 litres of water (global average).
South Africans consume , per capita 2,500 litres of water per day, but not by drinking or cooking or gardening alone. What we overlook is just how much is required for production of those goods we take for granted.
South Africa is facing a critical water shortage and here’s the thing, those of us with who live comfortably will not be the first affected despite being the country’s biggest consumers. The poor, whose water footprints are in many cases negligible, will suffer first, giving rise to more problems than just higher prices and water cuts; these problems will affect everyone. We waste a lot of water but if each of us developed just one water-saving habit, we’d be able to make a big difference. So please let us all continue our efforts.. and even more!
When chosing your travel packages be aware of your surrounds, just because you are not paying for the water bill does not give you the pass to waste uneccesary. Your choice of establishments & destination should be compliant , responsible venues will be proud to share their efforts and complacency in their green contributions.
African Chapter Tours encourages and promotes such travel packages, so you can rest assured your choice with us, is already a start in the green direction!
