Blog

• Let’s all get dirty for Swain as he swims from Ma. to D.C.! What are you doing for @swimwithswain! Visit http://tr.im/kscO ! #

One of the cool things about running the Water – Use It Wisely conservation campaign are all of the great notes and videos we receive from concerned Earthlings.  In fact, just last week someone sent us a video about the water conservation merits of taking a bath with a friend (A bit creepy to show here).

Today, we received this incredibly thoughtful letter from a fourth grader in Chesterfield, MI, and I just had to share it with you.

Dear Water Use It Wisely,

Water is getting wasted more and more each day. I want to help out and teach people how to conserve water. Please continue reading because your organization is very influential. I had an idea if you could send some workers from your organization to schools all around the world, and they could inform the students about water usage.

Did you know that every minute, 1,000,000,000 (0ne billion) tons of water falls to the earth from rainfall? We are lucky for rainfall water. It helps fill up our lakes. There is about 326,000,000,000,000,000,000 (326 quintillion) gallons of water on Earth. Yes, this is tons, but it is getting wasted. I want to keep this number BIG.

Everyone needs water – so why waste it? I think it is very irresponsible to let the water run when you are not home. The core democratic value, Common Good, supports my issue. This means that we can all work together as a community, country or even continent!

Water conservation is very important. We can use water with respect by making good choices. Take a shower instead of a bath, use an automatic dishwasher instead of hand washing. You can buy Earth-friendly window cleaner spray, so that the bacteria doesn’t get in our drinking water and make it dirty. If your washer isn’t full then don’t start it. With water being wasted every day, by the time we get to the 3000′s we are going to have to survive on milk and juice!!! Won’t that be boring?!?!? That means we have to give our dogs a bowl of juice instead of water with their food. I mean, c’mon, we’re talking real life here!!

Water wasting needs to come to a stop and without delay. Water Use It Wisely, PLEASE inform people about their water usage! It is a big role in my life. It would be really awesome if you take part in spreading the news about this! Thanks tons!!

An impatient fourth grader waiting for a reply,

Mya

We should all be so passionate and eloquent about our good green Earth.

(This post originally appeared yesterday on Park’s “A Brighter Shade of Green Marketing” Blog)

• RT @parkhowell – Water fact: In arid metro regions, 70% of household water use is outdoors: http://tinyurl.com/qldcpf #

The Water – Use It Wisely, “Family Water Audit” quiz is featured in the popular book, “The New 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do To Save The Earth.”

The book, which currently boasts more than 1 million copies sold,  was written by Sophie Javna and a host of contributors from “The Earth Works Group.” “The New 50…” is a sequel to the original title, “The 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do To Save The Earth,” originally penned by Sophie Javna’s father, John Javna in 1990.

To pick up either copy you can visit Amazon here and to learn more about the Water – Use It Wisely “Family Water Audit,” click here.

• Are you “shirtworthy?” Tell us why via Twitter and we’ll send you a free Water – Use It Wisely tshirt – http://tinyurl.com/cjtrzu #
• Box of free shirts is sitting here wondering who’s going to be the next to prove their “shirtworthiness”- http://tinyurl.com/cjtrzu #
• Congrats @_JohnRiley and @soulesister for proving their “shirtworthiness” Tell us why you are and get a free shirt-http://tinyurl.com/cjtrzu #
• Who wants a free WUIW tshirt? Respond @wuiw and we’ll send you one free – http://tinyurl.com/cjtrzu #
• congrats @kdbrackett who proved his “shirtworthiness by being “so fresh and so clean.” DM us with contact info and shirt will be in the mail #
• Is the #WaterWednesday crowd “shirtworthy?” Tell us why @wateruseitwisely and we’ll send you a free tshirt – http://tinyurl.com/cjtrzu #
• Manny Ramirez is certainly not “shirtworthy.” Are you? Tell us why and you get a free shirt… seriously – http://tinyurl.com/cjtrzu #
• Just one more day to get your free WUIW tshirt. All you have to do is respond with why you’re “shirtworthy.” Please RT! Lets get rid of them #
• Las day for your free Water-Use It Wisely tshirt. All you have to do is tell us why you’re “shirtworthy”-http://tinyurl.com/cjtrzu #
• Last chance to get your free Water-Use It Wisely tshirt. Just tell @wuiw why you’re “shirtworthy” and it’s yours – http://tinyurl.com/cjtrzu #

There’s more to check out at the Mesa Red Mountain Library besides books this spring. From now until May 7th, the library will feature a 16-foot tall, 136-gallon water jug pyramid as part of the City’s observance of Water Awareness Month. The display represents how much water one person consumes per day in their home.

“This impressive display illustrates the need for all of us to be more aware of how much water each of us uses on a daily basis,” said Water Conservation Specialist Donna DiFrancesco. “We hope this urges our customers to be responsible in their water usage to protect this valuable resource.”

Typical residential water usage in Mesa ranges from 80 to 180 gallons of water per person per day, including indoor and outdoor use. Water use is broken down in the following categories:

• Consumption – Six gallons
• Showers and Baths – 16 gallons
• Toilets – 18 gallons
• Household Cleaning – 22 gallons
• Outdoors – 74 gallons

The display is part of the Water – Use It Wisely campaign, launched in 1999 to promote an ongoing water conservation ethic among Arizona’s rapidly growing population. Following Arizona’s lead, nearly 400 towns, cities, states, utilities, and private and public organizations have adopted the Water – Use It Wisely campaign, making it one of the largest conservation educational outreach programs in the world.

If you miss the Mesa showing … don’t worry.  The water jug pyramid journey continue it’s journey to the City of Peoria from May 8^th through the end of June.

• Check out the new Water – Use It Wisely tshirt – http://wateruseitwisely.com/blog/ #
• Did you see our new shirts yet?-http://tinyurl.com/c5rmar. Stay tuned, tomorrow we’re giving them away free to Twitter followers. Please RT #
• Are you “shirtworthy?” Tell us why and we’ll send you a free Water – Use It Wisely shirt-http://tinyurl.com/cjtrzu #
• Tell us why you’re “shirtworthy” and we’ll send you a free American Apparel Sustainable Edition WUIW shirt – http://tinyurl.com/cjtrzu #

Remember how Elaine from Seinfeld went through the painstacking exercise to ensure all of her suitors were “spongeworthy?” Well, we’ve just launched new t-shirts here at Water – Use It Wisely and we’re taking a similar approach – we want to know if you’re “shirtworthy.” 

If you think you are, then tell us in 140 characters or less on Twitter and we’ll send the best entries a free shirt sized to order. It’s that simple. The most creative explanations of “shirtworthiness” get a free shirt.

Here’s what you have to do to be considered:

• Go to Twitter and begin a new entry  with “@wuiw” Your entry must start with this tag to be considered.
• Explain why you’re “shirtworthy” in the alloted space
• Contest will run from Friday, May 1 to Friday, May 8. 
• Once complete, Water – Use It Wisely will judge all entries and hand out shirts to the most creative entries. 
• Winners will be notified via Twitter the week of May 11

These aren’t your dad’s typical trade show swag t-shirts either. These are part of American Apparel’s Sustainable Edition brand, custom designed by Water – Use It Wisely. So if you want one, tell us why, and you might get one. Hope you’re “shirtworthy!”