Green Tip #54: Extra Liquids

Well, today's Green Tip will be a little unusual. But not to worry, I've long believed that the IGR has been based off of unusuality, so this should be nothing new.

One of the problems that will plague not only the US, but all countries across the world is the problem of shortages of water supplies. In fact, some estimates say that 1 billion people today do not have access to clean drinking water. That's almost one sixth of the population of the world. And if Global Warming kicks in, that number will rise to unmanageable numbers. So anything we can do to reduce the amount of water we use, the better off we'll be in the future.

So here's my proposition: what if we used only recycled water and other liquids for our toilets? I mean, do you really need clean water to pee in? (Ideally you'd be peeing in your shower, but this is just in case you don't) If we could make toilets that are designed to run only on leftover liquids, think of all the water we could save!

Okay, picture this. You're getting ready for bed but you want to indulge in a little guilty pleasure before you go to sleep. So you get your favorite cookies and a nice tall glass of milk. Well, due to the intense pressures you're under having to write a funny, yet informative blog twice a week, you end up passing out before you can finish your glass of milk. First of all, that's just gross. Think how bad your mouth will be in the morning because you didn't brush your teeth before you went to bed! And you'll also have to do something with that extra milk that was out all night. Assuming it's not too gross, just toss it in the john.

Or how about this. You decide to get sushi with your girlfriend to kick off a study party at your place and you decide that you want to try sake. Well, you, being the cheap person you are, get the cheap sake and find out it's just too gross to drink. Instead of pouring it out in the sink or just forcing it down, why not pour it in the toilet?

I think you get the point I'm making. It may sound weird, but it is a great way to cut down on the amount of water that you're just flushing down the toilet, literally.

Oh, and that link from forever ago will finally work now...