Save the Water,
Reuse the Waste
Water Conservation
Water recycling began around 1920 when sewage water was used for irrigation in places like parks and golf courses. Since then, water recycling has grown due to global warming and population growth. In order to recycle water, we must start by teaching the members of the community the ways in which water can be conserved. Losing all of our water resources does not appear to be a threat because most of our planet is made up of water, but only a small percentage of that water is potable. We do not recycle water enough and we depend too much on it for everything. We have become so used to using it comfortably that, with the emergence of global warming, more droughts and less groundwater in aquifers and reservoirs threaten our daily lives. As a society, we must learn how to save what is so essential to life in general.
We are striving to make the FIU community a lot more educated in terms of water recycling, starting by simply reusing excess water. We often find ourselves leaving our water bottles in the car which turns the water warm and makes it tastes different. Instead of dropping this water in the nearest water fountain and replacing it with fresh water, feed the first thirsty plant you see around campus! In addition, gray water, or water that is not safe to drink but does not contain sewage, should be used create an irrigation system for the plants at the FIU Nature Preserve. Some types of “grey water” include water found in water fountains, water used to wash vegetables and pasta water. Instead of wasting this water by pouring it down a drain, it should be used to maintain the plant life on campus which could save the university money and the community potable water.
In continuation, most of the rain water is absorbed by the soil because we do very little to conserve it. By installing rain gutters and cisterns, we can collect this rain water instead of letting it sit in the ground and then treat it to water plants in a time of drought or to even quench our thirst. Living Machine, a system that uses plants and beneficial organisms to turn wastewater into clean water, could help assist with this process. This could save water and money as FIU would not have to spend so much to supply their students with water since they would be supplying their own, self-treated water to their students instead.
Recycling
Have you ever found yourself with an object in your hand, wondering if it should be recycled? Sometimes labels serve as excellent guides to determine the fate of your garbage, but some do not have labels and since not everyone is educated when it comes to recycling we end up throwing the object in the trash. Recycling bins are all over campus, but when we are doubtful in regards to the material belonging in them we do no use them. A simple description on the bin of what can be thrown in it could increase the recycling material collected and reduce our carbon footprint.
Furthermore, most items can be recycled and sometimes in a nontraditional way. Trash can be transformed into art and our old possessions renewed with a little imagination. If creativity is not your forte then there is always the internet. DIYs (Do It Yourself) videos, are tutorials that can help you transform trash into something useful or eye catching. For example, lamps can be made out of water bottles or cups, and sculptures out of cardboard.
Finally, FIU should consider purchasing a composter machine like “The Muncher”. These machines decompose organic trash into a natural fertilizer that can aid in plant growth. It utilizes bacterium that accelerate the decomposition process through digestion. The nutrient-rich mulch can be collected after just one hour in the machine and, due to the simplicity of this prototype, it can be inexpensively manufactured in one of our FIU laboratories for as little as twenty bucks if you use an old recycle bin. This would not only solve our “waste” problem but would help plants to thrive in their environment.
A Greener FIU
