wash less, drink more

I drive by one of our city's reservoirs every day, and it is dramatically visibly lower each day. More mud, more wading birds, browner water. Our state is in a drought. My farmer relatives are suffering more than the suburbanites who worry about their lawns. I do my part: I don't wash cars, water plants or lawns, wash patio furniture or vinyl siding. I don't wash the pets, don't wash the windows or the porch, don't really wash much of anything in my life - just clothes, bodies, and dishes. And I do those as little as I can get away with!

Of course I was already living this low-wash lifestyle before the drought, just now I can act all noble about it. A neighboring city has been under voluntary water restrictions for weeks and yet they managed to hit an all-time daily water usage record just yesterday - which was a Tuesday. What's up with that? Washing all the back-to-school clothes? Everyone trying to get their cars clean before the water runs out?

Please, y'all, join me in changing the social image: I hereby declare dirty cars and brown lawns badges of honor representing ecologic and economic responsibility. If we all can let go of the fear that we will be maligned by our neighbors and co-workers for such things, we can free up mental energy to worry about much more significant things! And we can save water. If our cities can't clean and pump enough water for us to drink, life is going to start costing a LOT more. I know my city sometimes "buys" water from other communities, but then those communities have less. It angers me that my city wants to attract new jobs and new residents when they have so much trouble supplying water for those here already. Where is it all going to come from? It costs money to ship it down here from the melting polar ice caps, never mind the additional greenhouse gases that result which make our weather problems worse! Do people ever think about the domino effects?