5 Gallons of Water

When we talk about environmental issues, climate change gets a lot of air time (ha!). And it's not without reason - the changing composition of our atmosphere is a highly damaging situation. But climate change is only one facet of the environmental impact that our modern standard of living inflicts on the world.

Another challenge is resource constraint and depletion. Predictors indicate that our global population will reach almost 10 billion by 2050. This massive population, coupled with longer life expectancy, means that Earth's finite natural resources will be stretched over many more people. So when environmental activists urge us toward resource conservation and reduction of waste, they're not just advising us to be better stewards of the world we currently have. They're preparing us for life in the future.

Some people, of course, are already living with this reality. Whether from drought and scarcity, or from lack of infrastructure, millions of people worldwide live without access to potable water or sanitation. As a result, these populations (mostly from poor and rural communities) are heavily affected by hygiene and sanitation-related diseases.

In the developed world, it can be hard for us to wrap our heads around what it really means to live with resource depletion. We have access to almost anything we want, whenever we want it. So I wanted to share the following video with you, in which YouTuber Michelle Khare took on the challenge of living for 24 hours off only 5 gallons of water - a feat that many people all over the world pull off every day.

In taking on this challenge, Khare experiences the logistical and health trade-offs that have to be made when using a scarce (but vital) resource. Her challenge also highlights the many ways that we overuse water in the developed world, without even thinking about it. By watching, I hope you'll come away with more awareness of your own water and resource consumption, and perhaps start thinking about ways you can be more conservative in your use.

Cover image courtesy of Benjamin Lee / EyeEm