by Kade Agan
On the heels of the carbon footprint (pun quite possibly intended) as a way to measure energy usage, the water footprint has come along to do the same for water consumption. Introduced by professor Arjen Y. Hoekstra in 2002, the idea of a water footprint has taken hold as a means of measuring water consumption the world over.
A water footprint represents both direct and indirect water use by consumers, and also measures the total volume of freshwater used to produce goods and services. The water use is measured in water volume consumed (evaporated) and/or polluted per unit of time.
The footprint is made up of three components which are blue, green and grey. A blue footprint measures the amount of water evaporated from a global source that is then used to provide a good or service to the community. The green component accounts for the use of green global water resources like rainwater stored as soil moisture. Grey water refers to the polluted water that must be diluted in order to make the final good or service acceptable to consumers.
Professor Hoekstra’s organization, Water Footprint Network explains on its website that, "[T]he interest in the water footprint is rooted in the recognition that human impacts on freshwater systems can ultimately be linked to human consumption, and that issues like water shortages and pollution can be better understood and addressed by considering production and supply chains as a whole.” With this in mind a look at the website proves educational as it allows visitors the chance to see just how much water goes into producing a liter of milk, a kilogram of rice or a cup of coffee. If you run the numbers you’ll likely be surprised at how much water we really do use on a daily basis.
Even more startling may be the results of your own water footprint calculations courtesy of the individual footprint calculator. And if you’re set on changing your water usage habits remember that the greatest journey of all starts with a single step.
About Eco Encore
Eco Encore raises finds for environmental causes around the Pacific Northwest through online reselling of donated used books, CDs, DVDs and software. Since 2002 Eco Encore has shipped over 26,000 items to 51 countries, diverting about 25 tons of paper and plastic from local landfills.
It's easy to join the Eco Encore mission by donating or buying used media through our online bookstore.
