by Jacob Lasilas

Created on: March 22, 2009

Why teach our children anything? The reasons to teach our children about water conservation are the same reasons to teach our children about anything. The world is what we make it. If we show our children that it is okay to squander precious resources then they will squander precious resources and there will be nothing left when their children arrive. If instead we show them that they need to respect the earth and the world around them, they will.

The human body is made up of roughly 60% water. Water is essential to not only maintain the health of existing life but also to create new life. As water is polluted and used up there is not enough to replace it. There is already not enough usable water in some areas and it's possible that situation could spread throughout the world. It is taking a lot of effort and resources to keep the water clean and safe for use. The more we pollute and squander the more resources it will take to prepare enough water to maintain the world. As safe, clean water becomes rare it will also become more valuable. In a few areas people have claimed ownership over the water which has caused wars and rioting, death and destruction. People have basic needs and when something that will fill a need is threatened people will do whatever is necessary to protect it.

We need to think ahead and take steps now so that the lack of usable water does not become so dire that it causes death either by lack of water or fighting over what's left of the water. Too often there is a reactive response to these situations and not a proactive one. Teaching our children how to conserve natural resources would be a great stride in taking responsibility for what has already happened and creating a proactive response to what could happen. The best way to lead is by example. If your children see you taking steps to conserve water then they will as well. There needs to be education about the role of water in our lives, and the problems occurring due to a lack of water both at school and at home. Making children aware of what is going on around them will help them to grow up to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem. As they grow up the problems previous generations have caused will become their responsibility to solve. The sooner they begin learning the more informed they will be about the situation and the better prepared they will be to come up with solutions that work.

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