Everyone seems to be awakening to the existence of their carbon footprint. But have you thought about your water footprint? Yep, you have one, and the two are closely intertwined. We are all aware that almost everything we use in our daily lives comes with an associated energy cost and carbon release. The energy cost of producing and transporting almost everything we eat, use and wear in our daily lives. But all of these things come with a water cost as well. Fresh water is becoming a scarce and precious commodity in many countries of the world, ours included.

Here are a few examples that really surprised me.

1. Your morning pot of coffee - 37 gallons

2. Bowl of cereal with milk - 22 gallons

3. Two eggs - 36 gallons

4. One apple - 18 gallons

5. One orange - 13 gallons

6. One hamburger - 634 gallons

7. One pound of beef - 1500 gallons

8. One glass of wine - 31 gallons

9. One pint of beer - 20 gallons

As you can see there must be more to the equation than simply how much water it takes to grow a plant or water a cow. There are associated water costs of processing, packaging, fertilizing, transporting and even consuming. At the consumer level producing the electricity you use to cook your meals with is a big water user. Most forms of electrical production require large amounts of water whether it's generated by gas, coal or nuclear. They all use heated water to make steam which drives the turbines which produce our electricity. Hydroelectric production obviously uses lots of water, but it doesn't need to be heated. This makes wind or solar power even more attractive as they require virtually no water. Choosing items that don't require long cooking times may save water and energy.

Simply becoming aware of water use can help you make more informed decisions about the products you buy and use and the foods you choose. When replacing faucets, shower heads, toilets, dish washers and clothes washers, look for the products with lower water usage in mind as well as energy saving models. A shower head that uses less water not only saves water but energy as well, by not using as much hot water, as do the low water dishwashers and clothes washers.

Using less water can also mean using less energy too. So, next time you turn on the tap, remember, water is precious, don't waste it, be Green, need what you use. -MB