Dear editor:
Water is singularly the most important element on planet earth. It is the lifeblood of all living creatures and all vegetation. All the water we have on Earth today is all the water we have ever had, and is all the water we will ever have. Conserving water in your home was the third suggestion of my original article, Humanity's Chance, but it is possibly the most important. Simple things you can do at home to conserve water are running full loads in the laundry and dish washer, taking short showers, and installing water-conserving toilets and shower heads. Water conserving shower heads can be purchased at any hardware store and run approximately 1.5 gallons per minute. You'll have to talk to a plumber about the toilets. I know they can flush at as little as 1.6 gallons, but I don't know about the cost or if existing toilets can be retrofitted.
All of the above suggestions I'm sure you've heard before; no big newsflash there. But another thing you can do that you may not have previously considered is to install a rain barrel on one or more downspouts of your house. You can either buy a used plastic barrel of any sort and convert it into a rain barrel, or you can buy a ready-made one from the Internet. Keep in mind that ready-made rain barrels can get a little pricey. If you search on the Internet for ways to build your own rain barrel you'll find plenty of different designs. If you can't find one design you like entirely you can always mix and match different aspects of several designs and come up with something else. Also, if you buy a used barrel you run the risk of it being ugly. However, with so many options of spray paint intended for use on plastic you can customize your barrel to match your house or be creative and go all out with a multi-color design. You can use the water you catch in your rain barrel to wash your car, water your garden and landscaping, or hose down the dog. Just don't drink it :-\
Remember, even though 75% of the world is covered in water, only 1% of it is available for human consumption. All human consumption. All seven billion of us. Use wisely.
Respectfully submitted,
Jean Gomory