A few hours ago, I found out from world.edu that today is  Blog Action Day 2010, with water as the topic of discussion. My mind has been racing with all kinds of sub-topics to develop about water – hydro electricity, hydro power, and even that sensitive issue on energy versus water. I’m running out of time and wanting to deliver, I\’ve come up with a close-to-the-heart topic – “Save water at home – little things mean a lot.”

Printed media and online publications, from world leaders and businesses, to “green” advocates and scientists – have been talking – the trend is pointing more and more towards sustainability and global warming. What about the force of water? I don’t even have to think hydro-power, tidal currents and all that.

It’s all about the basics, and that is, saving water at home by doing little things that matter.  After all, “little things mean a lot”, as a popular song in the mid-1950s gently reminds us.

How can we save water at home? Well, for instance, let’s think bathroom, kitchen and toilet. These alone are quite a handful without even going to the outdoors.

Running the tap when we prepare food is one of the most common ways to waste water. We can half fill the sink or a bigger container with water for these jobs. Dishwashers, although helpful, are high in energy use that usually relies on detergents. If we really need to use it, let’s get a water/energy brand.

Although waste disposal units use water and energy, the food scraps they swallow also make up valuable composting material.

Turning the tap off when we brush our teeth and taking shorter showers help, too.

It will surely make a difference. Perhaps we used to manage three songs whilst taking showers and extend the time we get carried away. We can make it just one song now and still have fun. We are now told: “Shower but don’t bathe!” This means we need to reduce the length of time in the shower.

Sanitary towels should be wrapped and put with the rubbish. It should never be flushed down the toilet.  Toilet flushing can reduce use of water if we have a water-efficient unit. We can consider this next time we need to get a new model with a half-flush option. New models are becoming more water-efficient.

Washing our hands is an important good personal hygiene, but we can reduce water consumption by not using the tap profusely.

Kids at home should be educated about all these things and their role model are their adult family members.

Really, it’s all about saving water, it\’s all about trying to limit the amount of water we consume. There you go… little things mean a lot.  Home! Sweet home!

Addendum:  Few hours after I posted this blog, I got an email from a friend and fellow-writer, Helen Smeaton,  living in Cyprus. She shares her article  about the sad plight of water shortage facing them in Cyprus that could be mirrored elsewhere in Europe if people don\’t face up to treating water as a precious commodity.