Conserving your water feels futile in the face of corporate water waste— but keep doing it anyway.
Parts of the US are getting dangerously close to a water crisis. Can personal water conservation make a big splash?
Clicking through social media the other day, I came across a woman I had worked with at a summer camp in northern Minnesota. We hadn’t talked in almost a decade, but her post caught my eye. She was sharing advice to other Minnesotans about how to save water —tips and tricks, such as using a wash bucket instead of leaving the sink running while you’re washing dishes, or keeping showers <2 minutes. It was sensible, thoughtful advice, coming from a place of caring for the environment. It stuck with me for weeks, until I realized one day while washing the dishes: once again, individuals were being asked to right the wrongs of corporations.
Don’t get me wrong — I am absolutely committed to reducing my footprint on this planet. I peel the tiny stickers off the banana and avocado peels to avoid adding them to the compost. I take cold showers whenever I can to reduce energy usage. I don’t run the sink while I brush my teeth. I pick through recycling, consulting my local recycling company to make sure what I put in can actually be recycled. I annoy the hell out of my partner by doing all this, even when just 100 companies worldwide are responsible…
