Turn Off the Faucet Commercial

[sonnyjane]

Fresh, potable water is a gift. And someday, will be as precious as gold. Having lived through drought conditions in different parts of the US, I don't take it for granted. We use water conservatively. Have for decades. I know of no other way to be.

Anyone gleeful about abundant water supplies may find themselves singing a different tune the first time they face a drought. Probably good training to start practicing now.

This is exactly what I was thinking. My how the tables will turn when they have a couple of dry summers and all of a sudden they are asked to not wash their cars, water their plants, FLUSH THEIR TOILETS, and to take Navy showers (water on to get wet, turn the water off to wash, water on to rinse). In San Diego some of those things like not washing cars and watering lawns weren't even requests but RULES that would result in hefty fines if caught.

 

[asta]

I think gleeful is the wrong term to use. I think the concept though is what does it accomplish to save water now if we can't deliver that water to a drought stricken area. If I don't use an extra few gallons a day it stays in the local river that flows through the Tennessee valley and on into the Gulf of Mexico. It is not stored in water tanks that are saved for a possible drought years down the road. It is not collected and sold to other areas without water. To us the devastation caused by having too much water has been a bigger problem.

I understand that living in a drought you need to develop different habits. I don't understand how me saving water gets more to you.

 

[sonnyjane]

I think gleeful is the wrong term to use. I think the concept though is what does it accomplish to save water now if we can't deliver that water to a drought stricken area. If I don't use an extra few gallons a day it stays in the local river that flows through the Tennessee valley and on into the Gulf of Mexico. It is not stored in water tanks that are saved for a possible drought years down the road. It is not collected and sold to other areas without water. To us the devastation caused by having too much water has been a bigger problem.

I understand that living in a drought you need to develop different habits. I don't understand how me saving water gets more to you.

Well I already explained to you how saving water ALSO saves electricity (a limited resource) on the previous page (I quoted you).

Also, believe it or not, they WANT to import water from other states to areas that are dealing with drought, they just haven't found financially feasible ways to do it. Heck last year they were talking about putting snow from the northeast in train cars and bringing it over to California, building a pipeline from the PNW down the coast to California, etc. These are all things that have been examined but the cost to actually get the water there are way too high - as of now.

I do have to say your attitude about this is certainly flippant if you don't like the word gleeful.

 

[Shanti]

I do have to say your attitude about this is certainly flippant if you don't like the word gleeful.

"Flippant" is actually a gentle adjective to describe the tone of the original post, which complained about a commercial encouraging people to conserve water. A more accurate word for that poster's attitude is "arrogant".

 

[asta]

Well I already explained to you how saving water ALSO saves electricity (a limited resource) on the previous page (I quoted you).

Also, believe it or not, they WANT to import water from other states to areas that are dealing with drought, they just haven't found financially feasible ways to do it. Heck last year they were talking about putting snow from the northeast in train cars and bringing it over to California, building a pipeline from the PNW down the coast to California, etc. These are all things that have been examined but the cost to actually get the water there are way too high - as of now.

I do have to say your attitude about this is certainly flippant if you don't like the word gleeful.

From the other post, our area has historically been able to keep electricity cost down by harnessing the power of the abundant water that for many years was a flooding problem. Electrical supply is not a problem here.

If someone can figure out how to get our water to a drought stricken area then it helps you if we conserve. My point is that until that system is in place water conservation here does not help. The excess water here is not currently being saved in huge tanks for future use in other areas. There is nothing flippant or gleeful about those statements.

 

[bcla]

I think gleeful is the wrong term to use. I think the concept though is what does it accomplish to save water now if we can't deliver that water to a drought stricken area. If I don't use an extra few gallons a day it stays in the local river that flows through the Tennessee valley and on into the Gulf of Mexico. It is not stored in water tanks that are saved for a possible drought years down the road. It is not collected and sold to other areas without water. To us the devastation caused by having too much water has been a bigger problem.

I understand that living in a drought you need to develop different habits. I don't understand how me saving water gets more to you.

Taking water away from an ecosystem isn't without consequences. There's a massive dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico right now. It's a complex issue, but reducing natural water flow is part of the equation.

Certainly around here we have reservoirs. We talk about building more dams, but that also comes with consequences. Hundreds of people were displaced to build the two main reservoirs that serve my water district.

 

[asta]

"Flippant" is actually a gentle adjective to describe the tone of the original post, which complained about a commercial encouraging people to conserve water. A more accurate word for that poster's attitude is "arrogant".

I posed questions about a commercial that did not make sense to me. What specific part of my wording was arrogant?

 

[Shanti]

What specific part of my wording was arrogant?

As I said, the attitude of your post was arrogant. The arrogance permeates the entire original post and many of your replies to others' comments on that post. It isn't limited to a few words.

 

[sonnyjane]

From the other post, our area has historically been able to keep electricity cost down by harnessing the power of the abundant water that for many years was a flooding problem. Electrical supply is not a problem here.

If someone can figure out how to get our water to a drought stricken area then it helps you if we conserve. My point is that until that system is in place water conservation here does not help. The excess water here is not currently being saved in huge tanks for future use in other areas. There is nothing flippant or gleeful about those statements.

Well, you're lucky to live in such a Utopia where water and electricity exist in an apparently unlimited supply. I'm going to stop reading this thread now because frankly the fact that people with your attitude toward the environment exist drives me batty.

 

[asta]

As I said, the attitude of your post was arrogant. The arrogance permeates the entire original post and many of your replies to others' comments on that post. It isn't limited to a few words.

Someone having a different opinion than you doesn't make it arrogant.

 

[asta]

Taking water away from an ecosystem isn't without consequences. There's a massive dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico right now. It's a complex issue, but reducing natural water flow is part of the equation.

Certainly around here we have reservoirs. We talk about building more dams, but that also comes with consequences. Hundreds of people were displaced to build the two main reservoirs that serve my water district.

The dead zone is a complicated issue. It is my understanding that the problem is mostly a result of fertilizer runoff used by agribusinesses in the Midwest. Everything does contribute but extra water used to brush your teeth is small compared to the problems caused by fertilizer runoff.

 

[Shanti]

Someone having a different opinion than you doesn't make it arrogant.

A different opinion is not what makes the tone arrogant. You asked a question, obviously not with a real desire to get more information, but rather to continually argue that others' experiences with water shortage/conservation have no impact on you. Egocentric and arrogant. If you really can't see that, I feel sorry for you. Like another poster, I'm done reading your thread.

 

[bcla]

The dead zone is a complicated issue. It is my understanding that the problem is mostly a result of fertilizer runoff used by agribusinesses in the Midwest. Everything does contribute but extra water used to brush your teeth is small compared to the problems caused by fertilizer runoff.

However, it's a combination of behaviors. The person leaving the water running while brushing the teeth isn't likely to worry about other water wasting habits. Eventually you're talking about the habits of many people being significant. Perhaps one person acting alone doesn't make a real dent, but these kinds of campaigns are trying to reach a mass audience. It leads people to think about whether they're part of the problem or part of the solution.

 

[CPanther95]

I'm in the flippant camp. I pay for the water I use and I use as much as I'm willing to pay for. If the terms change because of a drought, then I'll reevaluate. The minute you start dry-brushing, some other well-meaning, pompous group will tell you that showering isn't necessary - then some other group will tell you not to flush the toilet. There will always be some "do gooder" complaining about how you live - trying to one-up the other less dedicated do-gooders - until we devolve back to running around the prairie carrying a spear (for walking, not hunting!) wearing grass skirts.

I doubt they have ads in Somalia telling people not to waste sand.

 

[rajak73]

I doubt they have ads in Somalia telling people not to waste sand

But we the people that live in the Midwest don't have much sand! If they would just save some for us........

 

[QueenIsabella]

I have to agree with the PP. While I'm sympathetic to those living in drought conditions, we don't have them here. I live in reclaimed swamp. We have more water than we know what to do with. What makes sense to a person in Arizona or New Mexico, doesn't make so much sense here. Ditto on something like solar power--it sounds good in theory, has potential in practice in parts of the world, but it's not going to catch on in New England as a major source of power.

If I have plenty of water, and am willing to pay for it, who's business is that?

P.S. About the lawn sprinklers I mentioned up-thread--our neighborhood is 50 years old, I suspect the irrigation systems are that old, too. So they may not have moisture sensors, which I would think are fairly cheap nowadays. As to my neighbor who consistently waters the street--he has to know his irrigation system is broken. It creates a 2-foot geyser right next to his driveway, that runs down into the street. It's not even a little effective at watering his lawn, you'd think he'd just shut the system down until he can get it repaired. But, I don't pay his water bills, so none of my business.

 

[PaulaSB12]

That is good but new house builds should include grey water recycling. Why do waste potable water to flush toilets. I am moving in five years and when I do I will get rid of water toilets and replace with waterless composting toilets.

 

[asta]

That is good but new house builds should include grey water recycling. Why do waste potable water to flush toilets. I am moving in five years and when I do I will get rid of water toilets and replace with waterless composting toilets.

I hope it doesn't come to that. Composting toilet sounds exactly like an outhouse. I guess someone has figured out how to move the outhouse inside.

 

[wvjules]

Who knew water would be so controversial?

 

[Hikergirl]

Who knew water would be so controversial?

Sorry, got you confused with another poster