sustainability: water conservation and adaptation

WATER CONSERVATIONADAPTATION TO WATER

SUSTAINABILITY UNITPRESENTATION 2

WATER CONSERVATIONWater is our most precious resource but what is the most water used for in our house?In most households, about 30% of household water is used in the shower or bath, 30% for the toilet, 20% on washing clothes and 20% on other activities, like washing dishes.

FLUSHING TOILET, SHOWER, BATHFlushing toilet:½ flush = 6 litresFull flush = 12 litresShower:10 minutes = 200 litresBath:¼ full = 50 litres½ full = 100 litres

WASHING MACHINE, HANDS, DISHESWashing machine:152 litresWashing hands:4 litresWashing dishes:By hand = 9 litres (full sink)

BRUSHING TEETH, COOKING, DRINKINGBrushing teeth:4 litres = with tap running1 litre = with tap turned offCooking:0.25 litre = mug/cup of waterDrinking:1-2 litres daily

ELEPHANTS, IGUANAS, SEAGULLS, RATSAn elephant can smell water up to 5 kilometres away.An iguana can stay underwater for 28 minutes.A seagull can drink saltwater as it has special glands to filter out the salt.A rat is the animal that can last the longest without water.

FACTS ABOUT WATERThere is as much water in the world today as there was when the Earth was formed. Earth will not get any more water!Water moves in a never ending cycle; nature recycles it over and over again.The sun evaporates a trillion tonnes of water each day, which is 1,000,000,000,000!A single tree can give off 256 litres of water per day in evaporation.Water is colourless, tasteless and odourless.A person can survive without food for more than 30 days but less than a week without water.

FACTS ABOUT WATERThe longest non-stop swim was made by Susie Maroney from Australia in 1998. She swam from Mexico to Cuba (197 km) in 38 hours and 33 minutes.Succulent plants are juicy full of water. This allows them to survive in times of drought.The heaviest hailstones to fall weighed 1 kilogram each and killed 92 people in Bangladesh in 1986.All foods contain water.We are using our fresh water faster than we are recharging our ground water.Water controls the Earth’s and our bodies temperatures.

AMAZING WATER FACTS ACTIVITY

ADAPTATION IN DESERTS Animals and plants living in desert regions must adapt to the extreme temperatures and lack of water.The dromedary camel had been used by desert people for transport for thousands of years.The camel adapts to the dry environment by drinking up to 240 litres of water at one time.It can survive without drinking for up to a week as long as grass is available.Cacti look different from other plants because of their spines. These sharp needles help to protect the cactus from predators who want to eat the most leaves. Roots stretch a long way to find any water.

ADAPTATION IN RAINFORESTSAnimals and plants living in the wet and humid rainforest adapt to the plentiful supply of food and water but they must compete for it and for sunlight.The coral snake of the Amazon forest has brilliant colours of red, yellow and black to attract its prey. It is also armed with a dangerous poison.The Poison Arrow frog has beautiful colours on its skin that carries the strongest natural poison in the world.Plants that live here have their own unique adaptations. Many have waxy leaves that repel water and are designed with “drip-tips” to drain excess water.

ADAPTATION IN ALPINE REGIONSAnimals and plants living in extremely cold environments must struggle to keep their body temperature above freezing.Plant and animal cells contain water. In cold climates, this water can freeze and expand just like water in an ice-cube tray. This expansion can destroy the cells and the animals.Fish and insects that live in freezing conditions have a special “antifreeze” chemical in their bloodstream which prevents them from freezing.Moss Campion is found growing on the Alps in Switzerland. Small leaves and tiny pink flowers allow for less of the plant being exposed to the harsh winds. Moss Campion only grows to a maximum of 15cm.

ADAPTATION TO WATER ACTIVITY