We thank you, Almighty God, for the gift of water. Over it the Holy Spirit moved in the beginning of creation. Through it you led the children of Israel out of their bondage in Egypt into the land of promise. In it your Son Jesus received the baptism of John and was anointed by the Holy Spirit as the Messiah, the Christ, to lead us, through his death and resurrection, from the bondage of sin into everlasting life.
--Thanksgiving over the Water, Book of Common Prayer
Nearly every religion in the world incorporates the gift of water into its traditions, rites, scriptures and theology. Water is as essential to religion as it is for the very existence of life on this planet. The climate is changing and climate change will impact water, its availability, its use, its abundance and its scarcity. As Christians and Episcopalians, what is our role and responsibility in our stewardship of water? This week we continue our Lenten series, For the Beauty of the Earth, by exploring the relationship of climate change and water.
What is the connection?
Global warming threatens the availability of fresh water in the United States and globally in significant ways. In a 2006 report, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) found that: "In the USA, large areas are already using substantially more water than can be naturally replenished. This situation will only be further exacerbated by climate change scenarios of lower rainfall, increased evaporation and changed snowmelt patterns.
Research released last year by hydrologists at Ohio State University shows that as sea levels rise salt water will intrude into fresh water aquifers. More than 40 percent of the world’s population lives within 40 miles of coastlines. Sea levels are expected to rise as much 23 inches by the end of the century according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change flooding coastal areas globally.
Around the world today, more than 1 billion people don't have access to clean drinking water and as many as five million – primarily children - die every year due to preventable water-related diseases. The connection is clear, in a world with acute regional fresh water demands, climate change will put greater burdens on developing nations and the international community.
What is our responsibility?
The World Wildlife Fund reported that "per capita use of water in residential areas is estimated at 350 litres in North America and Japan, 200 litres in Europe and 10-20 litres in sub-Saharan Africa" and that Per capita, citizens of the USA are the most profligate water users on the planet." It is easy to say that our responsibility is to conserve water and find ways to be better stewards of the world’s water resources. But how is that connected to our identity as Christians and Episcopalians? In her congressional testimony last June before the Senate Environment and Public Works committee on climate change, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said, "Before my ordination to the priesthood, I was an oceanographer and I learned that no life form can be studied in isolation from its surroundings or from other organisms. All living things are deeply interconnected, and all life depends on the life of others…Each one of us is connected to those who are just now beginning to suffer from the consequences of climate change and to those living generations from now who will either benefit from our efforts to curb carbon emissions or suffer from our failure to address the challenge which climate change presents."
What can I do to be a better steward of water?
Stewardship of water starts by simply becoming aware of our own personal water consumption and learning about water issues in our communities. We then can adopt more sustainable practices—some as simple as turning off the tap water when we brush our teeth—that reduce our consumption of water. Finally we must be witnesses in our homes, parishes, communities and with policy makers in recognizing that we CAN make better choices in the use of the most essential element on the planet: Water.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency:
- If one out of every 100 American homes retrofitted with water-efficient fixtures, we could save about 100 million kWh of electricity per year—avoiding 80,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. That is equivalent to removing nearly 15,000 automobiles from the road for one year!
- If 1 percent of American homes replaced an older toilet with a high-efficiency toilet (HET), the country would save more than 38 million kWh of electricity—enough to supply more than 43,000 households electricity for one month.
Lenten Discipline:Making a Change
This week focus on your water consumption and work to use less water. Learn more about your "water footprint" here.
Look for ways that you can reduce your water footprint. Try turning off the water while brushing your teeth or taking a shorter shower. Remember to only run the dishwasher if it is completely full. For more great water conservation tips and to hear about what other Episcopalians are doing, click here.
