I am concerned about the environment.  Especially given the world’s casual abuse of air, land and water.  And now with the troubling National Climate Assessment report.  My very first blog entry touched on the subject of conservation.  It has been a theme in many of my posts.  One way everyone can help — is to Just Turn it Off®!   

Take WATER.  We cannot live without it.  Yet there’s only so much of it.  And more than 95% of the water on our planet is salt water.  Thus it is natural that we would want to shepherd our precious supply of fresh water, to use it sparingly and keep it clean and potable.   But most of the water that enters our homes literally goes down the drain – into the sewer.  So what can the average person do to conserve this valuable commodity for future generations?  JUST TURN IT OFF®.   If every person in America saved one gallon of fresh water daily, that translates to a savings of hundreds of millions of gallons of fresh water.  

Consider the following. . . . .  

●  When shaving or washing, instead of leaving the water run, JUST TURN IT OFF.  And turn it on to rinse as needed.

●  When taking a shower, turn on the water – get it to the temperature desired – stand under the shower and then JUST TURN IT OFF.  Soap down while the water is off. Frankly you will probably get cleaner than if the water just continues to pour down the drain.  This is what Europeans do – and the military.   

●  When rinsing dishes, don’t just let the water run.  JUST TURN IT OFF and turn it on to rinse the next plate or pan. 

●  Make each drop count when watering plants and shrubs.  Use an on/off nozzle so that when moving from one plant to the next, so you can JUST TURN IT OFF. 

●  Toilets should provide a flushing choice for disposing of liquid and solid waste.  And by the way, “if it’s yellow, let it mellow.  If it’s brown, flush it down.”  You heard that right.  There is no need to flush every time. . . . .   

●  Rely on Mother Nature to water the lawn.  Use sprinklers when necessary.

●  In the laundry room, use less hot water, run full loads or use size cycles, skip the extra rinse and reuse towels (always a big drain on water).

Please — save water.  JUST TURN IT OFF (it’s the RH’s registered trademark).  The children of tomorrow – those with no voices today — will thank you. . . . . .