Water shortages at your table

Did you know that there are 2,400 liters of water in your hamburger? Sounds like a soggy mess, but those 10,000+ cups are how much H20 it takes to produce the all-beef patty in a Quarter-Pounder.

The grains, pastureland, and drinking water needed to raise a cow for slaughter is hugely water-intensive. Food production overall uses 80% of the fresh water on our planet, so droughts and water pollution have a huge impact on what we eat. And most countries import up to 20% of their food from other places, so water scarcity on the other side of the planet can affect us all.

The United Nations has declared March 22 as World Water Day to raise awareness of water issues like this. Whether it's industrial pollution threatening Thailand's rice exports or negotiations to keep traffic flowing between the 18 countries along the Danube River Basin, water envelops the world's economy and all our lives.

In the U.S., the National Weather Service predicts new or worsening drought conditions in California, Nevada, Kansas, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Georgia, and Florida in 2009. Several of these states are major crop producers, so the price of food staples could rise across the country.

But water is a renewable resource, and we can make choices to conserve and protect it. Conserving water at home is obviously important in drought-prone areas. But wherever you live, it's a good idea to use only what you really need. Remember, someone lives downstream!

Calculate your own water footprint. Answer a few simple question about how much water your household uses, and get detailed tips on how you can conserve.

If you want to do more, here are some ways to help save water through what you eat and buy:

• Carry a bottle and fill it with tap water. Buying bottled water is unnecessary in most of the U.S. and Europe. Plus it's expensive and it produces pollution.


• Eat more chicken instead of beef, or eat more vegetables instead of meat. As noted above, beef production requires a lot of water. Chicken needs less, and vegetables and grains use the least. Start with just one meat-free meal a week -- like pasta with marinara sauce.


• Shop for vintage clothes. You'll find unique styles, and avoid the huge water cost of new cotton. It takes 2,700 liters of water to create one cotton T-shirt, so go retro with a second-hand top. Host a clothing swap with friends, cruise eBay, prowl thrift stores, or look on Freecycle.


• When picking out veggies, look for ones that grow with the least water. Lettuce, beans, and onions all require plenty of water, while vine crops like cucumbers, squashes, and melons need less water. Tomatoes actually don't need a lot of water (home gardeners tend to over-water, which lowers their yield).


• Wash your car without water. Use a nontoxic, waterless cleaner instead of spraying all that water down the gutter.


• Try drinking beer instead of wine. A big, frothy glass of beer (250 ml) needs less water to produce than a smaller glass of wine (125 ml).