Lab #4 (1)
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School
San Francisco State University *
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Course
301
Subject
Geography
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
Pages
5
Uploaded by HighnessGiraffe1601
Lab #4 Assignment
Introduction
A critical issue that is a part of resource management, climate change, and
environmental sustainability is the supply of freshwater in California and the United States.
California, one of the most populated and productive states in the US for agriculture, has
specific problems in guaranteeing a sufficient supply of freshwater for its residents, businesses,
and ecosystems. These issues are not specific to California, we see water scarcity, pollution, and
the need for efficient water resource management practices as problems that many American
states face today. To ensure a sufficient and equitable supply of freshwater for the country's
current and future demands, it is necessary to address the concerns of a growing population and
the shifting climate patterns. I read,
Science and Technology to Support Fresh Water
Availability in the United States
, which is a report about highlighting the importance for
collaborative efforts in science and technology to solve the growing need for understanding the
supply and demand for fresh water in the US. By reading this report I found out that the
concerns about water scarcity are prominent in the drier areas of the Western states, where
groundwater pumping has exceeded natural rates of aquifer recharge and surface water
withdrawals have reached its max. “With reduced flexibility in the water allocation system,
supply shortfalls have become increasingly severe during drought periods—raising the costs of
water access and threatening the integrity of aquatic systems.” I found this quote important to
my research because it emphasizes how important it is to have flexible water allocation
mechanisms in regards to shifting temperatures and increasing water demands. Along with
raising the cost of obtaining water, that results in constraints in supply that put aquatic
ecosystems' sustainability and well-being at serious risk. This means that it's critical to develop
flexible and resilient water management strategies to meet these difficulties. When going into
taking the Water Footprint survey I think I was already expecting it to be the same or lower than
the national average because I live in an apartment/dorm so I don't have ordinary things that
would cause me to have a larger footprint like a hose to water my lawn or a dishwasher along
with my sink or an in unit washer and dryer to wash our clothes or a swimming pool. On average
in my household since there are two of us which means that daily routines get doubled such as
showers, teeth brushing, and washing our dishes also our diet because we both eat meat 2 times
a day, after realizing this I was worried it was going to raise my footprint score . I have learned
to become more conscious with what I put into our landfill trash can and our recycling trash can
to build better habits in my household, along with recycling or donating old clothes to balance
out the times I do like to splurge on some new clothing. Because I am a college student and I was
born or raised here in the Bay Area I did not have the opportunity to have a car up here so I rely
public transportation to get to and from work which is mainly the only time I use public
transport because everywhere else I need to go I can just walk, so I don’t really travel far
distances on a week to week basis which worked out in my water footprints favor.
Analysis
1.
What do your results mean to you and how do they relate to the bigger issue of fresh
water availability in California? Additionally, which categories of your water footprint
were a surprise to you and did the results confirm or reject your hypothesis?
Being from California and knowing that the state has experienced many short-term droughts
throughout the years I know how important fresh water availability is to the residents of the
state and how scarce water can become so seeing my water footprint being close to average
made me realize that I could very much be apart of the bigger issue of fresh water availability.
The categories that surprised me the most were the fact that my diet and my consumer habits
played a bigger role in my water footprint than my 20 minute showers and the amount of times I
wash dishes weekly. The results that I got definitely confirmed my hypothesis but it definitely
rejected the part of my hypothesis where I thought recycling old clothes would make up for my
shopping.
2.
There are many ways to reduce your water footprint. What are some steps that you can
take today to reduce your daily water consumption? You can play around with the
calculator to see which changes would make the biggest difference.
I went back and changed my answer on my shopping habits from “like to shop” to “shops for
basics” and it lowered my score by almost 300 gallons. By clicking on the tips I learned some
steps I could take to get better at my shopping habits like thinking before I buy, reusing and
repurposing things I already own, donating what I can when I can, and buying quality reusable
products to help with my water footprint. I then went back to my diet and clicked on the tips and
I learned some steps to take on lowering my score for this section as well. One of the steps that
intrigued me the most was something called “Meatless Mondays” . It is where you try and go
vegetarian one day a week and it apparently can lower your water footprint significantly. I also
learned that coffee has one of the highest water footprints per pound so drinking one less cup of
coffee per day could also help your water footprint.
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3.
Please articulate your thoughts on your water consumption compared to national
averages. Do you think your water footprint is sustainable, why or why not?
I would say my water consumption is sustainable given that my consumption is 1,447
gallons/day and the average is 1,802 gallons/day. Because of my below average consumption I
am reducing strain on local water supplies, and minimizing the environmental impact, such as
my carbon footprint, associated with water treatment and distribution. I definitely know that my
footprint isn’t as sustainable as it could be but by taking this survey it gave me some reassurance
that I was at a good starting point for my water footprint but also it will help me be more
mindful of my water consumption and practice more ways to conserve water
Resources
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT WASHINGTON DC NATIONAL SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL. “Science and Technology to Support Fresh Water Availability in the
United States.”
ADA464992.Pdf
, 1 Nov. 2004, apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA464992.pdf.
“Grace’s Water Footprint Calculator.”
What’s Your Water Footprint: Water Footprint Calculator
Home Page
, www.watercalculator.org/wfc2/complete/.