There is the same amount of water on Earth today as when the Earth was formed. (Ewww factor or cool factor?) Today’s water from your faucet could contain molecules ancient humans used thousands of years ago. Need some cocktail conversation for the World Ag Expo? Frozen water is lighter than water by about 9%, so ice floats in water.
If the world population continues to grow at the current rate, by the end of the century, the world will have over 10 billion people (There are over 8 billion people today). Feeding this many people will require more food to be grown in the next 75 years than all the food ever produced in human history. This food will need lots of water and more efficient methods of irrigation. Most Americans find it hard to believe that a quarter of the world’s population is without safe drinking water. This impacts food production, too. You can help by supporting organizations like Chapin Living Waters,
Singing in the shower: next time you shower, think about this instead. Two-thirds of the water used in a home is used in the bathroom. Older toilets can use up to seven gallons of water per flush. At five flushes per day, that is almost 13,000 gallons per year. The EPA has some recommendations about toilets here. Federal plumbing standards specify new toilets can only use 1.6 gallons per flush or nearly 3,000 gallons per year. That is still a lot of clean drinking water per flush and also begs the question, why do we use clean drinking water in our toilets?
In a five-minute shower, we use 25 to 50 gallons of water. If you take a Navy shower, you will keep this to around 3 gallons of water. That is a boatload of savings. It is called hard water, which contains a lot of calcium and magnesium. Hardware contributes to breakdowns in cooling towers and boilers. In homes, we like to soften hard water, which causes issues for our plants. A person can live about three weeks without food but only about three days without water. The United States uses nearly 80 percent of its water for irrigation and thermoelectric power.
The Water Footprint: A water footprint is similar to a carbon footprint. It measures the total volume of freshwater used to produce the goods and services consumed by an individual or community.
Water in the Human Body: An adult human body comprises approximately 60% water. This percentage is even higher in infants, at about 78% at birth, dropping to 65% by one year.
Ancient Water: Some of the water on Earth is older than the sun. Scientists have found that much of the water in our solar system predates the formation of the sun itself, highlighting the ancient lineage of water molecules.
Water in Space: Water is not confined to Earth. Astronomers have found water vapor clouds, which hold 140 trillion times the mass of water in the Earth’s oceans and ice water on other planets and moons in our solar system.
Invisible Water in the Air: At any given time, there are about 37.5 million billion gallons of water in the atmosphere in its gaseous form, invisible to the naked eye.
The Deep Earth Water Cycle: Earth has a hidden ocean locked in its mantle, within ringwoodite minerals, which might hold more water than all the world’s surface oceans combined.
Boiling Water in Cold Air: In frigid climates, boiling water can instantly evaporate and turn into snow if thrown into the air—a striking demonstration of the water cycle’s phases.
Water as a Renewable Resource: While the quantity of water on Earth remains relatively constant, it is continuously recycled through evaporation and rainfall—a renewable resource that requires careful management due to its uneven distribution.
Uneven Freshwater Distribution: Although 70% of the world is covered in water, only 2.5% is fresh. The rest is saline and ocean-based. Even then, just 1% of our freshwater is easily accessible, much trapped in glaciers and snowfields.
Water Energy: Hydropower is the largest source of renewable energy in the US, which harnesses the power of water in motion—rivers, waterfalls, or even ocean currents—to generate electricity.
Water plays an incredible role on our planet and across the universe. As we navigate the challenges of water conservation and efficient usage, especially in irrigation and daily life, these water facts remind us of the precious nature of water. So next time you’re at the World Ag Expo discussing the latest in efficient irrigation or debating the merits of water-conserving fixtures, remember these astounding tidbits about our most vital resource. Please share them with others to spread the word about the importance of water conservation. And don’t forget, if you bump into me, ask for that Jain Blog sticker – a small token to celebrate our commitment to water wisdom!