How to Recover Water Cycles
Why zero-waste products help in the cleaning of drinking water
What goes down the sink is what we drink. What goes down the drain falls on your head as rain. We lose life when forests shrink…do you get the link ?
Water cycles — we all heard of them and we all know how they work — do we ?
Getting up, brushing teeth, spitting toothpaste into the sink — where is this going though and what is inside the toothpaste ? How does this influence the quality of our water systems ? And what are the long term effects on our environment ?
Most of our toothpaste contains microplastic that when swallowing or spitting into the sink either remains in our bodies or the water cycle. This is basically the same, because, do you know that there is not a single place on earth that is not covered by microplastic and therefore not a single baby born without micro plastic in its body ?
Before we dive deeper into the topic of why using zero waste products is necessary to being part of a new era, we need to understand how water cycles work.
How do water cycles work ?
Water cycles start with the sun. When the sea, rivers and lakes are heated by the sun, water rises and turns into water vapour. The molecules start to vibrate at a high rate so they escape into the atmosphere. This process is called evaporation. As soon as the water vapour cools down, due to lower temperatures in higher layers, clouds are formed. This is the process known as condensation. When the cloud gets too heavy it releases rain, hail or snow which is also referred to as precipitation. Through this process again, water returns to the seas, rivers and lakes, or filters beneath the earth as groundwater. Through constant transformation the water rises, accumulates in clouds and goes back to where it came from.
A circular system.
There are as well other forms of water rising up like transpiration; plants releasing water like sweat, or sublimation which refers to snow molecules rising without melting. Those two processes are the reason why it rains/snows more in tree and snow covered areas. When trees are cut down and glaciers melt, the logical conclusion is that it gets progressively hotter.
Why do we need to keep freshwater clean ?
Needless to say, fresh water is crucial for human life. 97 % of the total amount of water on earth is sea water, 3 % is fresh water, but only 1 % can be used as drinking water.
Our drinking water derives from lakes, rivers and groundwaters. If those water sources are polluted and start lacking water due to global warming, the grave consequence is that more and more people have access to less water. This is a life threatening fact.
So what can we do to keep water cycles clean and make sure enough water is produced for everyone ?
What does it take to recover water cycles ?
To recover the highly limited resource of fresh water we need to cool down our climate and keep our water cycles clean. This can be done by everyone with simple changes in our daily lives.
- Composting and regenerating soil
- Planting trees
- Using renewable energies
- Being part of a circular economy
- Consuming less
- Eating reduced amounts of meat
- Using zero waste products
- And much more
For most of us adapting to these measures may require significant personal changes, changes in one’s daily habits, and changes in one’s mindset to the next evolutionary step.
Why should I use zero waste cosmetics ?
Change is not convenient but it is the only constant we have.
Using zero waste products that include pure and natural ingredients you take better care of your skin and the planet as well. A win-win.
Speaking of cosmetics however, we would wind down this blog by delving into the harmful effects on the environment (primarily our oceans) caused by the microbeads present in many skin-care products.
What scientists say about microbeads in water cycles
According to the Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, microbeads are, “small, solid, manufactured plastic particles that are less than 5mm which don’t degrade nor dissolve in water. They are added to a range of products, including rinse-off cosmetics, personal care and cleaning products. Microbeads are not captured by most wastewater treatment systems. If they are washed down drains after use, they can end up in rivers, lakes and oceans. Once in the water, microbeads can have a damaging effect on marine life, the environment and human health.
Many of us love the feel of exfoliating our faces with products which contain these tiny beads, but it is important to be cognizant of the danger they cause once they slide down our sinks, into our drain pipes, and sadly into our oceans.
A study from the Journal Marine Pollution Bulletin indicated that if millions of these microbeads find their way into our oceans, an estimated 80 tonnes of microplastic waste can be created. This is concerning for human life, as well as marine life which is already being adversely affected. Researchers believe that almost half of the world’s sea turtles ingest plastics unknowingly. Studies have also shown that fish mistake microbeads as food. Such ingestion can lead to poisoning, or even blockages of their intestines. Learn more about the effects of microbeads here.
So go on…be part of the circle of life.
Many of us familiar with The Lion King (either version) would remember the words that “we are all connected in the great circle of life.”
Water is life. We owe it to each other, and to ourselves, to play our part in ensuring that this most vital resource is kept clean, healthy and secure…and thereby remains sustainable for generations upon generations to come.