Water as whole is an important resource that should not be wasted considering that, we all living organisms depend on it and not many of today’s population are educated in terms of how we could limit the use of water and possible consequences that could arise when water does run out. The less water wastage we produce then the more water source we have in the long run. The overall shortage of water would also
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damage the environmental side, which includes droughts to unusual places and even more floods due to misuse of water, which is alarming.
Water consumption is defined as tasking freshwater from the ground and is distributed in place. The processes involved in obtaining freshwater such as; filtering, pumping and adding chemicals from WHO (Anon, 2017), “Thus, pressure on water sources is lowered and the development of larger water supply systems and facilities…”, which uses up energy along the process. This ensures that water is safe and that can then be supplied to homes for purposes such as drinking.
What might be causing it within both student accommodation?
Based on the UWE Website (Frenchay – Student Village) (Anon, 2017), it states that more students are currently living within the student village with 1,851students compared to Carroll Court with 252 students. Size and population are key factors for why water consumption could be high and this means that more water consumption is used up within the student village compared to Carroll Court.
In order to obtain ideas for what is causing water consumption, we prepared a questionnaire for those living within the student accommodations. To ensure that it would be roughly balanced sample, we asked them where they are currently living between the accommodations mentioned.
Photos comparing the different facilities between Student Village and Carroll Court from the UWE website (Frenchay – Student Village) (Anon, 2017):
Figure 4 – Bathroom/Shower of Student Village
On the UWE’s website (Carroll Court) (Anon, 2017), it states that within Carroll Court, six people share the bathroom and shower between them. This statement supports the theory of student village using up more water as each student has their own shower, whereas in the other student accommodation, the time it takes for them is limited as it is shared as well as for them to consider other people, which might mean
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that they will not take long to use it.
Figure 5 – Laundry in the Student Village
For laundry (Figure 5), there are three in the Student Village and none in Carroll’s Court. Considering that the main student accommodation is the Student Village with more students making it the main communal area between the accommodations within the campus.
Looking at the results obtained from 20 random students, who were asked to fill in the questionnaire, a number said that they throw waste in toilets that are better off thrown in bins. This means that more water is being used up to get rid of the waste, which uses roughly 13-14 litres as an average flush.
Figure 6:
According to the results we have obtained, the common causes or possible causes of water consumption within both student accommodations could be: taps open when not in use, leaking taps, long period of showering etc. (High Water Consumption Causes, No date).
This was not part of our questionnaire but based on the UWE website (Frenchay – Student Village) (Anon, 2017) regarding the features of student village, it states that “kitchens are equipped with two cookers, microwave, kettle, two fridge/freezers, bins, storage cupboards and ironing board.” This means that dishwashing is done by hand, which can also be another factor for why it is causing water wastage when the taps are running when washing the dishes for a period of time. Cooking could also be another factor such as washing and cleaning e.g. vegetables and meat used; then again, they could use more water than needed such as turning on the taps full on.
Another factor that contributes to this issue is showering in general with either; water wasted when waiting for hot water and the process itself to obtain hot water as this uses up more energy and water along the way. If we look at it in more detail, a potential reason for why more is used up could be because of the showerheads (Water Wise, 2017); how much water it gives. Based on the results from Figure 7, 100% from all the students in Student Village showers rather than bath considering that this is the only option available and as for Carroll Court, 80% showers whilst 20% said they normally bath; this could be because some may find it more relaxing a night before an early lecture which obviously saves them time the following day.
Figure 7:
Another common issue that fits within is turning off taps while washing hands/brush teeth. From the results from Figure 8 as a whole, 65% of students from both accommodations said that they do not turn off the taps whilst the remaining 35% said that they do.
Figure 8:
Figure 8.1:
Figure 8.2:
The results we obtained from our first-hand research shows roughly what part within both student accommodation is causing more water wastage. To wrap up our questionnaire, we asked whether they actually think about how much water they use daily to give us an indication on which accommodation is more aware:
Figure 9:
Based on the result from Figure 9, more students in the Student Village said that 60% of them do think about their daily use of water and 70% of those living in Carroll Court do not; a possible reason for this is the lack of awareness within that accommodation. Having said, if we look back at the results, they are some similarities between accommodations such as the number of flushes though the Student Village uses up more water overall and this is visible throughout.
As for these causes whether or not people are living within the student accommodations, these are also causes at home that are the same within both accommodation meaning that it does not make much difference whether which student accommodation has higher water wastage but how we could save water as a whole by educating the students; through possible events and activities within Frenchay Campus, which would raise more awareness to everyone not just the students living in both accommodation.
Reginald Aquino – 16012343
Topic 1:
A change of mind: Towards Cities for People – January 31st 2017 – Allison Dutoit – 2R024
Issues of the topic:
Firstly, the majority of spaces we live in are dominated by transport and are prioritised more than people such as the lack crossings and traffic lights where rather than reducing the amount of emissions we produce, it invites more people with e.g. with cars to just keep using them. This leads to the emissions of CO2 to increase as more cars are being used. Another issue is making people feel more comfortable during transitions from one place and another as some train stations (for example) are not inviting like Cam and Dursley. Similarly, it does not just focus on vehicles and the cities but on the people as well regarding their needs such as benches to accommodate commuters (enclosed considering that it gets cold in winter).
Potential solutions:
A possible solution to limit the amount of CO2 produced is by using public transport or car-share instead of using personal transport especially if it is within 20-40 minutes in distance unless needed. Though it is obvious that vehicles take up more space than we do, but it is also a case of ensuring that pedestrians would feel more welcome through having clearer footpaths without having to cross roads often nor wait from time to time just to give-way for vehicles on the road. As for transitions, shops and other facilities such as toilets are ideal: as this will give them more interaction within the area rather than stand there and wait.
Reflection:
Firstly, I personally think that it is arguable whether to use public transport or not to maximise the use of space and at the same time, to prioritise and balance those who uses their own transport and commuters, though it is more logical that using personal transport can sometimes be inconvenient in terms of getting from one place to another as it causes delay and traffic. If the place is within 20-40 minutes range, I find that public transport e.g. train are much more convenient for me as it is direct in its own right. On the other hand, it is not a direct service to my destination, which is UWE for example as it still involves walking for another 20 minutes or so, which for some people, they think it is just too much that is why travelling by car is easier,
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though based in commuting, there are a small number of people who cycles as an alternative to walking; (Wescott, R., 2013) states that about 4% only cycles.
As for road layouts from Bristol Parkway to UWE via train, there are not clear footpaths at specific areas, which then support the idea of transport being prioritized more especially cars more, and not the safety of pedestrians due to the lack of signalized crossings especially when vehicles are travelling at higher speeds. Having said this, the road itself is not as wide for pedestrians and vehicles to use the space given at the same time.
From (Salay, K., 2006) she states that this issue needs to be improved such as traffic lights. I agree as this lacks after the tunnel from the train station heading towards UWE on the left. Having said that, quality of life can be linked with this type of issue such as; on unmarked crossings, you do not get the feel of comfort of being safe to cross roads.
Similarly, today, especially in cities, you sometimes do not get a connection between the buildings and the public spaces to people regarding their needs such as; adding more benches in parks, which would give them other options rather than just sit on the grass. Based on a feature about Cam and Dursley station (Rust, S., 2014), it states that are more demands for car park spaces since more people are commuting. Rather than focusing on a specific issue on how it can accommodate more cars, a solution that could be considered is by having more facilities at the same time within the station so that commuters can feel more comfortable while waiting.
Overall, after addressing several issues within transport (car use), it is something that cannot be reduced as this is the easiest option to get from one place to another. As for improving “quality of life”, I think that limiting the use of road spaces especially in communal areas if possible (e.g. so that more people who likes cycling could enjoy it more as well as those who like walking), would make the whole atmosphere much lighter with less noise, less traffic, less pollution and a greener city.
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References: (Topic 1):
Westcott, R., (2013). “Cars ‘still dominate commute to work’” – BBC News. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25175752 [Accessed 01 Feb. 2017].
Salay, K. (2006). “Improving Pedestrian Safety at Unsignalized Crossings” – Context Sensitive Solutions.org. Available at: http://contextsensitivesolutions.org/content/reading/nchrp_562/? [Accessed 10 Feb. 2017].
Rust, S., (2014). “New parking spaces for Cam and Dursley train station” – Gazette. Available at: http://www.gazetteseries.co.uk/news/11495187.New_parking_spaces_for_Cam_and_Dursley_train_station/ [Accessed 18 Feb. 2017].
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Reginald Aquino – 16012343
Topic 2:
Resource Management – 21st February 2017 – 2R024
Issues of the topic:
The issues that we are currently facing regarding waste is the amount of space it is taking in landfill sites, some are dumped while some are burnt. Also, the environmental impact of waste such as how it is affecting species like sea creatures being trapped in plastic. Another issue that can also be considered is to raise more awareness and emphasis how waste as a whole is damaging the environment.
Potential solutions:
The most sensible solutions are re-using and recycling making it sustainable in the long run. As a whole, in local communities, more recycling points could be added. Regarding the issue of awareness, campaigning and other events could possibly get more people involved. Lastly, using less packaging would also decrease the amount of waste produced.
Reflection:
In terms of my personal use of plastic bottles, I tend to buy bottled water once every two months or so. Mainly because I do not see much point in throwing it when I can just use it again. Based in my personal audit, an average of 5 packaging is thrown away per day; we were challenged to decrease it as close as to 100% but it did not decrease, it roughly stayed the same. Meaning that waste as a whole cannot be reduced but it can be put to better use.
Before coming to the lecture, I personally do not recycle nor have separate bins for food waste, plastics, glass etc., it is a case of just having everything in a bin together which is obviously not good. After the presentation, I realised that I need to be more aware with what I do with packaging and waste; rather than just throwing in within the general waste bin, discarding it by its group would make it easier to sort out.
Plastics specifically produces toxic when burnt as stated on (Anon, 2017), which contributes to greenhouse gases. Visual pollution can also be linked to this considering that approximately 8.3 million tonnes per year are discarded in landfill sites.
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On the other hand, it can be seen as an advantage since it can produce electricity as stated in (Nickolas, J. T., 2015). I think in general, more countries should invest on this type of process of reducing waste to generate electricity, which is ideal in the long run.
Clothes are also considered as waste. Within the UWE campus, I like the idea of the “Swap-Shop” where students are given the opportunity to donate their unwanted items and swap it for something else. I think to get more people involved, more posters and announcements through social media would help considering that a lot more people are into it.
As for ways to reduce waste, (Anon, no date) covers sensible and practical actions that would help decrease the amount of waste we discard. Then again, I think raising more awareness such as events within Frenchay campus (for example) would get more students and staff to do their part and would influence them to apply it at home or wherever.
Overall, I think that if more of us are aware about ways that we can reduce waste (by re-using what we have and recycling it so that more raw materials can be produced) in general, then it would decrease dramatically. Having said that, most of it can be put to better use such as using the leftovers to produce electricity, which everyone can benefit from and at the same time, not damaging the environment.
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References: (Topic 2):
Anon, (2017). “Environmental Impacts” – Green Choices. Available at: https://www.greenchoices.org/green-living/waste-recycling/environmental-impacts [Accessed 25 Feb. 2017].
Nickolas, J. T., (2015). “Does Burning Garbage for Electricity Make Sense?” – The Wall Street Journal. Available at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/does-burning-garbage-for-electricity-make-sense-1447643515 [Accessed 04 Mar. 2017].
Anon, (No date). “Top 10 Ways to Reduce Waste” – Rethink Recycling. Available at: http://www.rethinkrecycling.com/residents/reduce/top-10-ways-reduce-waste [Accessed 13 Mar. 2017].
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Reginald Aquino – 16012343
Topic 3:
Thirsty for Cities –14th March – Professor Chad Staddon – 2R024
Issues of the topic:
Water as a whole are being more used up that we need to and it is increasing problems such as: floods and droughts. Cities and population are also critical, which contributes hugely to this issue. This obviously leads to us, individuals with how we use water in our everyday lives; with food, clothes, energy etc.
Potential solutions:
Firstly, a possible solution to reduce water wastage is to conserve rainwater and putting them to better use such as flushing toilets. Wastewater re-use is another potential solution, which goes through a similar process to how water in general is purified. A more efficient and sustainable solution to conserve rainwater is green-roof; where rainwater is absorbed, which can then be used.
Reflection:
What I learnt after the lecture about “Thirsty for Cities” is that high water usage can cause floods and droughts as well as understanding the overall process of how water is processed and cleaned, which are then distributed. I also agree that cities do use up more water due to the population but it also depends on the people as we all use different amounts of water in our everyday lives similarly to what (Mohsenin, A., 2016) stated: “Therefore, wasting water in a country where it may appear water just magically comes out of the tap (i.e. Canada, the U.S., most developed countries), is wasting a precious, vital resource…”.
Based in my experience every day, just showering roughly about 10-15 minutes per day uses up 80 or so litres of water considering that a few litres of water are also used so that hot water can be produced. Also, within those I period it is a case of just letting the water run down in between putting shampoo and soaping, which now made me realise that I waste water a lot and this could be put to better use such as putting a bucket or so and watering plants within the house.
Also, when brushing my teeth, I take about 2-3 minutes and within that period, I sometimes just let the tap run; it takes about 16 seconds to fill up a litre (jug). This
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means that I waste about 10-11 litres of water and we roughly use about 133 litres per day according to a source (Anon, 2012). As part of an activity, we were told to reduce our water wastage up to 100% but this was not possible for me. To decrease this, I personally think that filling up a glass is more essential and just turning on the taps when washing my toothbrush will save up more water dramatically.
In terms of toilet use, I roughly flush about 10 per day, which is huge amount of water. Having said this, there are times where I flush the toilet with general waste such as floss and thin paper towels. A negative side of this is that, it uses more water than it should and can also block sewer pipes when they start to tangle as mentioned on (Maker, M., 2014).
Aside from those aspects, water is also used for food, clothes and energy. Though individually, food appeals to us more e.g. preparing; such as ensuring that the meat and vegetables are clean. In terms of drinking, I roughly consume about 2-3 litres per day. This does not mean that 100% of it I drink, a few millilitres are wasted as I empty my glass in the sink when I am finished.
As a whole, I personally feel that more awareness should be raised to educate those who does not know much about this issue like me. Nowadays, the influence of social media (cities for example), could affect; possibly decrease water usage so that more people in general within the country and around the world would not experience water shortages.
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References: (Topic 3):
Mohsenin A., (2016). “Why wasting water is even worse for the environment than you think?” – The Huffington Post. Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/quora/why-wasting-water-is-even_b_11114690.html [Accessed 15 Mar. 2017].
Anon, (2012). “Why do we need to think about water?” – Water – The Facts – Waterwise. [online]. Available at: http://www.waterwise.org.uk/data/resources/25/Water_factsheet_2012.pdf [Accessed 16 Mar. 2017].
Maker, M. (2014). “10 Things You Should NEVER Flush Down The Toilet!” – Clean My Space. [online]. Available at: http://cleanmyspace.com/10-things-you-should-never-flush-down-the-toilet/ [Accessed 17 Mar. 2017].