What I have learned about water:

Many things in our world revolve around water. The Earth and everything in it could not survive without the water on our planet. If we are not careful and we waste the things that we have, the world as we know it could be in huge trouble. If people realize how much the Earth revolves around water, we can make the changes we need to conserve the water we have.

The Earth and the things in it have been using water for thousands of years. The Tohono O’odham people created a calendar that showed seasons based on the times that the native plants were blooming. There were seasons for the saguaro fruit, the Palo Verde beans, and other native plants that needed water at different times. There were also the cold seasons when the crops weren’t being harvested so they spent most of their time doing things like basket weaving and playing games. This calendar is not the only thing that explains to us how much the Earth revolves around water.

Watersheds help us learn about how the Earth revolves around water and how water can connect people in a large area. The Colorado River watershed flows into seven different states. If the people at the beginning of the watershed use more water than they need, then by the time the water gets to the people who are at the end of the watershed, there will not be very much water left for them. This means that we will need to communicate to each other about how we can conserve water. It is really easy to do the simple things that make a huge difference like putting a bucket in your shower while it’s heating up and watering your plants with it. This way we can all become better leaders for a shared planet.

These are only some of the reasons that we need to conserve water so that the Earth can survive longer and we won’t have to leave it as soon. We all need to communicate why our world revolves around water so then we can all start to do something about it. Once that is accomplished, hopefully we can better live in harmony with the natural world.

How I can become a better leader for a shared planet:

If everyone did even just little things to conserve what we have, it would begin to become a huge improvement. One thing that I will do to contribute to this improvement is to stop using plastic grocery bags and start using canvas bags. My grandmother has taught me how to sew, so it would be easy for me to spread the idea of using canvas bags to others. I could make the bags for me and my family and then I could also replace gift bags with canvas bags. That way, every time I give someone a present, I could show them another way to help the environment. Also, if I make the canvas bags myself, I can make them look however I want them instead of buying them just how they are.

There are many reasons that plastic bags are bad for the environment. They clutter landfills, they flap from trees, they clog roadside drains, they drift on the high seas, and they harm many sea creatures. Also, the large amounts of petroleum used to produce these bags are contributing to the pollution in the air, which contributes to the pollution in water. I have learned here at Earth Camp that there are many intolerant species in the water that will eventually go extinct because of this pollution. If we use canvas bags, we can decrease the problems that plastic bags are causing.

During Earth Camp, I have thought about all of the ways that I can help conserve what we have. It has changed the way that I see the world. After knowing what happens to the water we put down the drain, I never turn on water without thinking about where it will end up. Making and using canvas bags in the place of plastic bags is just one way to take what we need and nothing more because I would be using one bag many times instead of many bags just once. There are plenty of ways that we can all make these contributions to become better leaders for a shared planet.