You can hold this conversation in class before the weekend, or print this off as sustainable homework. You could even ask students to count up how much water they think they have saved!
Cut your water usage
This Climate Action Countdown challenge is for students to cut the amount of water they use at home, focusing on fewer baths or shorter showers.
Have you ever thought about how much water you use in a weekend? Think about cooking, washing up, running the dishwasher, doing laundry, bathing, flushing the toilet, and of course, drinking! The average person in the UK uses a staggering 140 litres of water EVERY day. Picture filling up a 1-litre bottle, then imagine 140 of them lined up. Do we really need to use that much?
Did you know?
When you run a bath you typically use 80 litres of water! Swapping to a shower – as long as it’s not super long – can save a huge amount of water.
Think about how often you use water throughout the day, from the minute you wake up to when your head hits the pillow.
Maybe today could be different? Could you skip your bath today or share the bath water with a family member? For showers, find a favourite track from your music playlist and turn off the shower as soon as the song finishes. Did you shower in time? What’s your top recommendation for a short shower song? We’d love to hear! Share it with us on socials using @LetsGoZero #ClimateActionCountdown.
Check out this ‘Sustainable showering playlist’ – on Spotify – compiled with suggestions from other Young Climate Warriors like yourselves. Help us add to it with your recommendations!
Think of other ways to save water. Do you leave the tap running while brushing your teeth? Do you use a plastic bowl to collect water during the washing up, or let the water run? Do you have any dripping taps around the home? You won’t believe it, but they can waste up to 95 litres in a day! And do you leave the tap running to make sure your water is ice cold before you fill a glass? That’s lovely, pure, treated drinking water, going straight back down the drain!
Cutting down how much water we waste can have a big impact on the planet. Pumping, treating, delivering, and disposing of water creates carbon emissions – and that’s just for cold water! Imagine the extra emissions that come from wasting hot water? Much better to save every drop we can.
Want to do more? Spotlight on Young Climate Warriors
Young Climate Warriors aims to inspire a national team of children who are engaged and empowered to help tackle climate change. They provide weekly, term-time and age-appropriate fun climate change related challenges encouraging carbon emissions-busting action, sustainable living choices and an appreciation of nature.
For more climate challenges visit Young Climate Warriors.
