Rain Barrels and the Environment
by Allison G. S. Knox
Interest in the climate crisis has peaked during an economic recession plagued by a massive amount of foreclosures and risky behaviors on behalf of many financial institutions. In recent decades, many people did not believe in “global warming” or the notion that our planet’s atmosphere has seen an incredible increase in the amount of carbon dioxide – a situation that is warming the oceans and melting the polar ice caps. Perhaps because in light of the economic recession, people are finding creative ways to save money, many are beginning to believe in the climate crisis. Many are becoming increasingly interested in the ways that addressing the climate crisis can help save billions of dollars in the long run.
With that said, it is amazing how much money is wasted on water, the very resource that all living things need to survive. Millions of Americans waste money on bottled water even though they access to perfectly clean city or well water. Adding to this, Americans, working hard to “keep up with the Joneses” spend unbelievable amounts of money on water they use to water their grass.
Water is a resource so many of us take for granted. We easily turn the facet on to wash our dishes, or turn on the washing machine to wash our clothes. We even use sprinklers in the summer to water the plants in our yard. What if we could all save money on our water usage – and what if those savings meant that in the end we’d all do our small part to help the environment?
The use of rain barrels has proven to be a very effective means of saving water and money. Instead of rain water running off the sides of your house and creating a possible drainage problem in your yard, installing a rain barrel changes the flow of water taking it from your gutter system and eventually into your yard and into a barrel for storage until you need to water your plants. One will find that installing such a water collection system will save hundreds of dollars over the summer when the cost of water is at its highest.
Rain barrels are a wonderful way to help the environment and will save you thousands of dollars in the long run. Why spend money on water usage when you can collect your own rain water, (that will not have any contaminates), to water your plants? Such a change will make a lasting difference and will serve as a small step toward helping the environment and your wallet in the wake of the economic recession.
Tags: rain barrels, water resources
