Captain Planet (part I)

There are many things a person can do to help save the environment. Whether you are the selfish kind of person that only cares about their own time here on the planet or the type of person that looks ahead to other generations, there are action steps that can be taken today that impact you and the environment immediately. I would like to take a moment of your time to share with you one such way of lowering your own living cost and helping others at the same time. You can feed that selfish streak while at the same time being charitable.

This goes beyond unplugging your cell phone chargers when not using them or driving a hybrid. Although the atmosphere is warming and the ice caps are melting causing all that once locked up water to be re-introduced to our water systems, there is still a shortage of freshwater, one of the most taken for granted yet vital resources that every living organism needs. Twist a handle or lift the toilet seat and there it is, water.

Most toilets today have a standard three gallons per flush. That means that every time you flush your toilet, you are sending three gallons of water to be mixed with dirtier water and then processed through a treatment plant. Three gallons per flush. In milk terms, that is about $7.50. Flushing three gallons of gasoline every time you pull the handle will set you back around $9.00. But there is a way to severely cut down your flushing. Peeing in the shower. And I don’t mean just when showering. I mean whenever nature calls, or texts, if you prefer.

I know what you are thinking, but relax. After many exhaustive Q&A sessions with my roommate, who happens to be a plumber, I have been assured that both your toilet and shower pipes end up making their way to the same place. Whew. No worries then. No more do we have to flush toilets after every visit to the bathroom. In fact, now the only need for the toilet is after a man finishes his business. Everyone knows girls don’t go poopie. They just fart potpourri aroma.