What can we do to protect the environment, especially the water?

Answer 1

For the water problem
There are so many levels of water protection, individual, city, country, the world.

Individual level
1-common sense ways, like decreasing the time you spent in a shower.
2-awareness to develop your understanding. for example, by seeking knowledge you realize that putting plastic bottles in the toilet tank will reduce flush volume.

city level
1-studying the use of water in the city in detail, industrial, agricultural,..etc.
2-formulate regulations based on their findings. what pollute water, which sector is wasting more water and the like.
3-forcing of regulations.

Country level
1-Studying water use in general.
2-put strategy and plans, set priorities.
3-follow up, coordinate, and forcing regulations.

World level
1-Global conventions.
2-protocols.


You see how these levels integrate to save water. unfortunately, the complete solution to the problem is difficult and every step on any level is part of the solution.

Answer 2

cutting down on personal use is easier than you might think. like, put a bucket in the shower to catch the water while you're waiting for hot water to come in, then water your garden with it. Reclaiming and purifying (or recycling) waste water is a much better use of energy than desalination. With desal, you're sucking water out of the ocean and your by-product is salt.

Answer 3

One major way to do this yourself is to stop using so many lawn chemicals. This can be done by either replacing your lawn with interesting landscapes that do not need chemicals, or by treating it more "organically".

For instance, when it comes to fertilizers, you will see three numbers on the package, such as 20-20-20. The higher the number is, the more synthetic the product is. Single digit numbers (such as 9-9-9) are more likely to come from a natural source rather than an oil-based one. The benefit to your lawn itself is much like the benefit of you eating a meal of meat and vegetables (the organic numbers) vs. eating a bunch of candy bars (the higher numbers). The lower numbers are also slower to break down, meaning you apply less over the years, and do not wash off into streams quite as easily. The lower numbers also keep growth from becomming rampant, saving you from having to mow your lawn every 3 days, and it will thrive on less watering.

There is really only two herbicides you would need to use on your lawn (although you may opt out of using them). The first is a "pre-emergent", applied late winter or very early spring. This will prevent annual weed grasses from even sprouting. The second, if you even feel like using it, is a broad leaf killer...best applied in the fall, when most broad-leaf weeds (like dandylions) have sprouted and begun their growth...we tend to associate danylions in the late spring when they flower....however, summer and fall is when they start growing, then they overwinter, and then they flower in spring to start the cycle all over again.

Broad insecticides are, frankly, useless. When we still used them in the past, it only got rid of the "good bugs" (lady-bugs, praying mantis, etc), while letting the bad bugs (chiggers and ants) thrive. Its best to use personal insect repellents, and to use insect-specific baits (such as the clear gel bait used for sugar-eating ants, or the underground baits for termites, etc.)

We have one neighbor on the block who goes incredibly psycho on her lawn....ChemLawn is out at least once a week spraying. She waters nearly every day. Certainly, she has the nicest lawn on the block....but she has to mow it every three days, and the amount of money she spends is insane. With our method, our lawn looks the same as those neighbors who, while they don't have the lawn companies out every week, still spend four times as much money and four times as much physical time on their lawns.

Of course, as I said, the best method is to replace your lawn with interesting landscapes that require little watering and no chemicals.

Answer 4

we have to stop being selfish.if you forget about yourself you run out of nothing. That is the nature's rule in humanity. so let's think about others, other roomates(earthates).

Answer 5

Stop polluting it, perhaps?

Answer 6

take out the chlorine. it's a conspiracy!