Water Conservation - how we can contribute

1. Designate one glass for your drinking water each day or refill a water bottle. This will cut down on the number of glasses to wash.

2. Shorten your shower by a minute or two and you'll save up to 150 gallons per month.

3. When washing dishes by hand, don't let the water run while rinsing. Fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water.

4. Wash your fruits and vegetables in a pan of water instead of running water from the tap.

5. Collect the water you use for rinsing fruits and vegetables, then reuse it to water houseplants.

6. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway and sidewalk and save water every time.

7. When doing laundry, match the water level to the size of the load.

8. Teach your children to turn off faucets tightly after each use.

9. Water your plants deeply but less frequently to encourage deep root growth and drought tolerance.

10. Wash your car on the lawn, and you'll water your lawn at the same time.

11. Make suggestions to your employer about ways to save water and money at work.

12. Support projects that use reclaimed wastewater for irrigation and industrial uses.

13. Use a hose nozzle or turn off the water while you wash your car. You'll save up to 100 gallons every time.

14. Washing dark clothes in cold water saves both on water and energy while it helps your clothes to keep their colors.

15. Water only when necessary. More plants die from over-watering than from under-watering.

16. One more way to get eight glasses of water a day is to re-use the water left over from cooked or steamed foods to start a scrumptious and nutritious soup.

17. Turn off the water while you wash your hair to save up to 150 gallons a month.

18. Wash your pets outdoors in an area of your lawn that needs water.

19. When you are washing your hands, don't let the water run while you lather.

20. Keep a bucket in the shower to catch water as it warms up or runs. Use this water to flush toilets or water plants.

21. When you have ice left in your cup from a take-out restaurant, don't throw it in the trash, dump it on a plant.

22. Use your washing machine only when it is filled to its total capacity. You can save about 4500 litres per month in this process. Besides saving water, this method is also helpful to save electricity.

23. Avoid using a shower for bathing. Try using a bucket instead. This will help you save about 150-200 litres everyday.

24. Turn off the tap while brushing and save more than 200 litres of water every month.

25. Whenever you waste water, just think about those millions of people who still struggle to save every drop of water for their survival.

26. Lastly, spread awareness regarding water conservation. http://www.wikihow.com/Save-Water

10 SIMPLE WAYS TO HELP ANIMALS

These simple acts practiced at the individual level can go a long way in improving the lives of animals and birds around you. Take the initiative, spread the message and make a difference.

1. Feed stray dogs. And don’t forget to keep bowls with clean water for them in and around your neighbourhood, especially during the summer.

2. Keep water for birds. Keep water in mud bowls on your terrace or in the park in front of your house. You will see both birds as well as squirrels trot over for respite. You can also keep bird feed (bajra, makki etc.) next to the water in a separate bowl or scatter it across one area in the park.

3. Do not dispose left-over food and kitchen waste in polythene bags. Since cows do not have sharp teeth or sharp nails, they are unable to tear the polythene bags;The consumed plastic produces lethal toxins in the stomachs of cows, which ultimately cause the most excruciatingly painful deaths. So dispose off all edible wastes directly or by wrapping them in paper. And make sure not to throw pins, nails or plastic items along with the edible waste.

4. Do not cage birds. no matter how big the cage is; it is outright cruelty to confine a bird and deny it the freedom to be free and to fly.

5. Do not buy dogs. why not adopt a homeless Indian breed dog or an abandoned pet? Indian breed dogs are beautiful, intelligent, friendly, faithful, extremely sturdy and good with children as well. Yet they live miserable lives  .Pets which are abandoned on the streets too are seen dying in misery, as they have not learnt how to fend for their food and security. 

6. Oppose the use of animals for entertainment. snakes do not dance at the sound of the been. Snakes do not have ears. What looks like them dancing to the tune of the snake charmer’s instrument is in fact, a defensive reaction from the snake as it feels threatened by the long stick-like structure of the been. 

7. Use cruelty-free products. Boycott all products that involve animal-testing procedures or use ingredients extracted from animals. Also, reject all goods made from leather, furs or skins of other animals, including silk. Up to 900 silkworms are immersed in scalding hot water, steamed, or electrocuted alive to make one silk shirt. 

7. Plant trees.  Also, make an effort to help save more trees by using recycled paper and by encouraging the use of pencils and paper economically.

9. Keep important phone numbers handy. At seeing any injured, sick or diseased stray animal or bird, make sure to inform the nearest animal hospital, shelter or welfare organization at the earliest. 

10. Spread the word of kindness. Educate your friends, family and neighbours about the various needs of animals and birds and encourage them to do their bit for the wellbeing and welfare of animals and birds around them.  And encourage them to voice against and oppose all acts of cruelty or meanness, be it in the form of stoning or kicking an animal or simply being a heartless and careless pet owner.