Opinion: Every bit helps in conserving resources

I could more properly be called a conserver, if there is such a word (my computer’s spell check says no). I believe in conserving natural resources – hence a conserver. Conservationist sounds too much like a political party.

Water is a prime resource and should be conserved. Imitation water can’t be conjured up in a laboratory. The Ozarks and beyond are in the midst of a long dry spell. Last month was Springfield’s driest February since rainfall records have been kept.

Ironically, floods and snowstorms have besieged the western and eastern parts of the country while our spigot has barely had a drip. Since water is a finite commodity, conserving it ought to be a concern, especially now.

The enormity of the situation came to me while looking up a phone number.

Visualize the Springfield telephone book. Page after page, there are thousands of names in print so small some may need a magnifying glass to read them. Cities and towns everywhere have similar phone books; however, for now, concentrate on the local one. Virtually all listings represent a house or business with running water and indoor plumbing.

The water usage is indeed staggering; however, the savings from a small conservation effort also is staggering.

Stick with me on visualizing the phone book. What if every listing in the book were to save one gallon a day? A gallon of water a day per person or business wouldn’t be much of a sacrifice, but try to imagine the amount saved per day, week and year.

The amount conserved can be described scientifically as “a whole bunch of water” – probably enough to float an ocean liner all the way down Glenstone Avenue.

Ponder for a moment every water user in America saving a gallon a day. Wow!

In order to save your allotted gallon, sing shorter songs in the shower.

Oops, I need to be serious here: Take shorter showers and turn the water off while lathering up before rinsing off. And use less water in the bathtub. Turn the water off while brushing your teeth, and turn it on again to rinse. A good rule of thumb: Limit to near zero the amount of fresh water that runs directly from tap to drain. Being conservers of water lowers water bills and helps save the water supply.

Back to the phone book. If households and businesses are listed in the book, they must have telephones, hence electricity. Conserving electricity lowers your utility bills. An added bonus is that it saves the natural resources necessary to produce electricity.

There are more ways to save electricity than my space allows. But just think of the savings if everyone in the phone book turned off every light not being used. Here’s a cliche to remind you: ‘’If I’m here, why are the lights on in there?’’ It’s corny, but it can get the job done.

One more time, consider the phone book. Virtually all of the listings generate trash – collectively more trash than many of us could envision without a trip to a landfill, which is where trash goes and remains for a long time. If all the homes and businesses were to recycle, the mounds of trash in the landfills would be smaller.

To recycle is to reuse, right? An added recycling perk is that it conserves natural resources. There are many uses for such things as glass bottles, plastic, tin and aluminum cans, and paper products.

Many of us don’t hanker to be preached to by conservationists. That’s why I am a conserver who offers only gentle conserving hints.

Oh yeah, listen up all of you – recycle those telephone books or else!

Joe McAdoo is former chairman of the communication department at Drury University.[[In-content Ad]]