request to maintain the eligibility of our planet to support living beings....
Created | Updated Jun 11, 2007
Hi,
I request you to spend a few minutes of your precious time in reading this mail to maintain the eligibility of our planet to support living beings....
Drought
A drought is defined as an extended period of abnormally dry weather that causes water shortages and crop damage. A drought starts when total rainfall is well below average for several months. Other signs of drought include: unusually low river flows, low groundwater and reservoir levels, very dry soil, reduced crop yields or even crop failure, and algae blooms in reservoirs and lakes. Groundwater is not replenished because not enough rain is falling to wet the soil's entire surface area and to be absorbed properly.
Drought conditions lead to increased growth of algae in lakes, ponds and other slow-moving bodies of water. The water is no longer a safe place for fish and other aquatic life. Animals that drink from the rivers or streams can become sick and die; swimmers in affected waters may become ill. The ecology of an area may be affected by the drying of wetlands, with wading birds dying out. Crop production will be lower than usual; trees may die. Wildfires spring up; lack of irrigation can lead to famine and disease.
Sociological consequences of drought range from social unrest to relocation of populations to war.
Some ways to save water:
In the house:
• Recycle! Never pour water down the drain if it can be used to water plants, wash a floor, etc.
• Replace washers in leaky faucets. One drop a second wastes 2,700 gallons (10,220 liters) of water a year!
• Repair leaky pipes. When no one is running the water in your home, take a reading of the water meter. Wait 30 minutes and then take a second reading. If the meter reading changes, you have a leak.
• Check for toilet leaks by adding food coloring to the tank. If your toilet has a leak, the color will appear in the bowl within 30 minutes. (Flush immediately to avoid stains.)
• Consider replacing an old toilet with a low-volume model that uses less than half the water of the older types.
• Replace your showerhead with a low-flow model.
• Take short showers.
• Turn off the water while washing your face, brushing your teeth or shaving.
• Wait till your dishwasher is fully loaded before running.
• Rather than letting the tap run to cool drinking water, fill a jug or pitcher and store drinking water in the refrigerator.
• Operate washing machines only when fully loaded or set the water level for the size of your load.
• Consider installing an instant hot water heater on your sink so you don't have to wait for water to become hot.
• When purchasing a new appliance, choose one that is more energy and water efficient.
Out of doors:
• If you have a well at home, check your pump periodically. If the pump turns on and off while water is not being used, you have a leak.
• When watering lawns, water in short sessions so the lawn absorbs the moisture better. Three short sessions of 10 minutes a piece, spaced 30 minutes apart, are preferable to one long 30-minute session.
• Water lawns early in the morning or after the sun has set.
• Make sure your water sprinklers are positioned so the water lands on the shrubs and lawn, and not on paved areas.
• Use sprinklers with a heavy spray. When sprinklers spray in too fine a mist, much of the water evaporates before hitting the lawn.
• Plant grass, ground cover and shrubbery that does not take as much water to survive. Group plants according to their water needs.
• Adhere to water conservation regulations and restrictions, especially if your community is experiencing a drought.
There have been a number of life-threatening droughts over the centuries. Cape Verde has suffered a number of droughts, and continues to suffer from erratic rainfall. Over 10,000 people starved to death due to droughts in the 1700s and 1800s, and a great many residents migrated to other areas.
In the early 1900s, drought led to the deaths of about 3 million people in India and 5 to 10 million people in the Soviet Union. In China, approximately 3 million people died from famine caused by drought in 1936.
Thank you .
I request you to spend a few minutes of your precious time in reading this mail to maintain the eligibility of our planet to support living beings....
Drought
A drought is defined as an extended period of abnormally dry weather that causes water shortages and crop damage. A drought starts when total rainfall is well below average for several months. Other signs of drought include: unusually low river flows, low groundwater and reservoir levels, very dry soil, reduced crop yields or even crop failure, and algae blooms in reservoirs and lakes. Groundwater is not replenished because not enough rain is falling to wet the soil's entire surface area and to be absorbed properly.
Drought conditions lead to increased growth of algae in lakes, ponds and other slow-moving bodies of water. The water is no longer a safe place for fish and other aquatic life. Animals that drink from the rivers or streams can become sick and die; swimmers in affected waters may become ill. The ecology of an area may be affected by the drying of wetlands, with wading birds dying out. Crop production will be lower than usual; trees may die. Wildfires spring up; lack of irrigation can lead to famine and disease.
Sociological consequences of drought range from social unrest to relocation of populations to war.
Some ways to save water:
In the house:
• Recycle! Never pour water down the drain if it can be used to water plants, wash a floor, etc.
• Replace washers in leaky faucets. One drop a second wastes 2,700 gallons (10,220 liters) of water a year!
• Repair leaky pipes. When no one is running the water in your home, take a reading of the water meter. Wait 30 minutes and then take a second reading. If the meter reading changes, you have a leak.
• Check for toilet leaks by adding food coloring to the tank. If your toilet has a leak, the color will appear in the bowl within 30 minutes. (Flush immediately to avoid stains.)
• Consider replacing an old toilet with a low-volume model that uses less than half the water of the older types.
• Replace your showerhead with a low-flow model.
• Take short showers.
• Turn off the water while washing your face, brushing your teeth or shaving.
• Wait till your dishwasher is fully loaded before running.
• Rather than letting the tap run to cool drinking water, fill a jug or pitcher and store drinking water in the refrigerator.
• Operate washing machines only when fully loaded or set the water level for the size of your load.
• Consider installing an instant hot water heater on your sink so you don't have to wait for water to become hot.
• When purchasing a new appliance, choose one that is more energy and water efficient.
Out of doors:
• If you have a well at home, check your pump periodically. If the pump turns on and off while water is not being used, you have a leak.
• When watering lawns, water in short sessions so the lawn absorbs the moisture better. Three short sessions of 10 minutes a piece, spaced 30 minutes apart, are preferable to one long 30-minute session.
• Water lawns early in the morning or after the sun has set.
• Make sure your water sprinklers are positioned so the water lands on the shrubs and lawn, and not on paved areas.
• Use sprinklers with a heavy spray. When sprinklers spray in too fine a mist, much of the water evaporates before hitting the lawn.
• Plant grass, ground cover and shrubbery that does not take as much water to survive. Group plants according to their water needs.
• Adhere to water conservation regulations and restrictions, especially if your community is experiencing a drought.
There have been a number of life-threatening droughts over the centuries. Cape Verde has suffered a number of droughts, and continues to suffer from erratic rainfall. Over 10,000 people starved to death due to droughts in the 1700s and 1800s, and a great many residents migrated to other areas.
In the early 1900s, drought led to the deaths of about 3 million people in India and 5 to 10 million people in the Soviet Union. In China, approximately 3 million people died from famine caused by drought in 1936.
Thank you .
