8/7/2019 Fresh water is the lifeblood - Sisters of Saint Joseph

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In response to the call of our Chapter, the Sisters of St Joseph and

Associates have joined hands with people around the world to live

 justly in Right Relationship with Plant Earth.

Our Josephite Justice focus for this month:

- W A T E R -

PRAYERCreator God

I lift my heart to you as I seek the ability to evaluate honestly my relationship with Planet Earth and my

level of consumption of Earth’s precious resource of water……

I know that the earth cannot sustain itself and yet I find it hard to maintain an attitude of respect with

regards to the amount of water I use.

Let your grace fill me with willingness to change my attitude of ambivalence towards the resources Earth

provides.

Grant me the gift of a satisfied heart.

Guide me as I make a conscious effort to change my lifestyle and reduce my use of water.I offer thanks for all You have given me and I commit myself to living in Right Relationship with Planet

Earth.

AMEN

REMEMBER

Fresh water is the lifeblood of nature.

Global consumption of water is doubling

every 20years, more than twice the rate of 

human population growth.

The subordination of water to human usecomes at the health of those natural systems

that support life in other ways e.g. cleaning

our air, moderating our environment or the

provision of food.

Fresh water is embedded in most of the things

we consume

e.g.

41,500 litres to produce a kilo of beef 

20 litres to produce one aluminium can

The consequence of our lack of respect in our

use of this precious, life-giving resource is

having a disastrous impact on Planet Earth.

RECOGNIZE

Water is a vital gift – one we each need to nourish.

Up to 2% on the water delivered to our home is

used for drinking or cooking – the rest gets flushed

into the waste water system.

Whilst the water we use in our home may seem

trivial, its conservation is a step toward increasingour awareness and respect for this precious life-

giving resource

Points to consider:

a leaky tap or toilet cistern that drips

every second can waste 13 litres of 

water a day

a full load of washing uses less water

and energy per kilogram than a

partially filled one

a rain barrel can reduce demand for

town supply water by up to 20 %

a water efficient showerhead is not

expensive and can save a household

around 1,000 litres of water a week 

.

8/7/2019 Fresh water is the lifeblood - Sisters of Saint Joseph

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RECTIFY  Decide on the actions you’ll establish in your commitment to live justly

in Right Relationship with Planet Earth’s resource of Water.

Set up reminders notes in the bathroom, laundry, kitchen.

 Encourage others to hold you accountable

☺  Fill the kettle with only as much water as you need; only boil the kettle when you are ready to

use the water (& don’t forget to switch off at the wall when not in use)

☺  Scrape & rinse plates & dishes in a bucket and recycle the water onto the garden

☺  Instead of running the tap, use a glass of water for wetting your toothbrush and rinsing your

mouth. A running tap can waste 16 litres of water each minute.

☺  Consciously limit the amount of time you spend under the shower. Even a low-flow showerhead

can use about 35 litres of water per 5 minute shower

☺  Pay heed to the toilet flushing mantra “if it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down” 

☺  Wash your ‘smalls’ in a bucket and recycle the ‘grey water’ onto the garden☺  Only use the washing machine and dish washer on full load

☺  Capture rainwater in a rain barrel for use in the garden and for washing the car

☺  Wash the car on the grass instead of in the driveway using a bucket & sponge instead of a hose

☺  Make your garden more water efficient by using mulch around your plants

☺  Sign the Earth Repair Charter www.earthcharter.org & help create a culture of lasting peace on

earth

Information on this Footprint Flyer has been gleaned from the following websites:

www.ecosteps.com.au 

www.sustainableinsight.com.au 

www.energywise.org.nz (develop your own energy saving plan)www.sustainability.govt.nz (create your ‘next step plan’ here)

www.naturalstrategies.com.au 

Prepared on your behalf by the Josephite Justice Network, Aotearoa/New Zealand