In this time of the coronavirus crisis, we’re being asked to regularly wash our hands to curb infection. If people are anything like me, this will increase our water usage just when we’re meant to be preserving it to save the planet.
When you also consider that, in recent years, the UK faced some kind of water shortage most summers, the prospect becomes frightening: Do we choose infection or saving the planet?
So is it right for artists to use water in their art? As vital as I believe art to be, I do not put it on a par with the importance of fighting infection and the survival of life on Earth. That is why I swapped over to rainwater at the beginning of the year.
Yet rainwater doesn’t need to be the preserve of artists. According to The Renewable Energy Hub, things you can use rainwater for include:
- Flushing toilets
- Washing clothes
- Watering the garden
- Cleaning the car
That would relieve some of the demand on our water supply – as would being more sensible about our mains water usage. My local water company, United Utilities, has a host of water saving tips on their website. It includes:
- Turning off the tap whilst brushing your teeth
- Only filling the kettle with as much water as you really need
- Using a bowl to do the washing up
Whatever you do, please be mindful of your water consumption. This pandemic doesn’t want to be made any worse than it is already.
