| Teaching English as a Foreign Language | | | | small ponds where storm drains were clogged with |
| Are you conserving and recycling water? As EFL, | | | | debris. Rain ran in rivers down culverts to nowhere. |
| ESL or foreign language teaching professionals we | | | | What a waste, I thought. Just think, if only half or a third |
| ultimately have a responsibility to our learners, our | | | | of the businesses, schools and institutions and private |
| adopted communities and ourselves as a form of | | | | homes channeled their rain runoff into storage |
| social responsibility. We can quite easily, quickly and | | | | containers, there would hardly be any "water shortage" |
| responsibly incorporate global, regional and local social | | | | in this city. The same is quite likely true of many cities |
| issues into our class sessions to provide our language | | | | worldwide as well. |
| learners with an outlet for their English as a foreign | | | | An Accidental Water Conservation Discovery |
| language or other foreign language communicative | | | | It was sort of by accident we truly discovered the |
| skills. Pollution, crime, the environment, global warming | | | | value of water conservation and recycling. When we |
| and terrorism are all available topics of concern | | | | put a plastic barrel under a downspout to collect the |
| regionally and locally worldwide. Take water | | | | rainwater for watering the plants in the yard, it was |
| conservation for example. | | | | such a help we soon added a second large covered |
| It's Raining But No One's complaining | | | | container in the back. This collected water was used |
| It's raining this morning but no one's complaining. Why? | | | | to wash clothes, flush the toilets and do general house |
| It's because our city, Cali, is running out of water. Oh, | | | | cleaning. At first I was absolutely stunned at the |
| officials aren't really completely up in arms yet, neither | | | | quantity of water used to wash, then rinse (twice) a |
| are the people, however, the signs are all unmistakably | | | | load of clothes. We started collecting the last rinse |
| there. Water outages occur each week. Water | | | | water from the washing machine to use for cleaning, |
| pressure is low and at times what comes out of your | | | | flushing toilets and mopping. As a matter of fact, the |
| tap at home isn't even fit to water the plants with. Not | | | | rinse water even already had a little soap still in it |
| only is the water "unpleasant" overall, it's discolored, | | | | contributing even more to our savings. Two more large |
| smells bad and contains sediment I'm not sure I even | | | | rain water collection containers were added beneath |
| want to have identified. A couple or so years ago, city | | | | downspouts in the back of the house, mostly used as |
| water service was interrupted when not one but two - | | | | "utility" water. Our water and sewer bill plummeted by |
| count 'em - two dead bodies were discovered in the | | | | nearly 70%. Now who in the world is going to complain |
| city's water service reservoir. We won't go into that at | | | | about that? |
| this time though. | | | | The water company, that's who. |
| But back to the rain, folks. Usually the rainy season | | | | Why is Your Water Usage So Low? |
| here is what most people consider to be the Winter, | | | | A water company service truck arrived one afternoon |
| the months of December, January and February. | | | | without notice. |
| During that time we'll have moderate to heavy rainfall | | | | "Why has your water usage suddenly gotten so low?" |
| almost daily, mainly at night. During those months | | | | They wondered, then asked - and not all that politely |
| conventional wisdom causes you to constantly carry a | | | | either. After showing the two men our rain water |
| collapsible umbrella or risk a sudden drenching at | | | | collection, recycling and conservation measures, they |
| virtually any hour of the day or night. December 2009, | | | | nodded in agreement that we weren't doing anything |
| January and February of 2010 though were very | | | | illegal, confirming that the water meter had not been |
| different. We go practically no rain at all for weeks on | | | | "tampered with" and reluctantly congratulated us on |
| end. Gardens withered, ornamental shrubs turned | | | | our efforts. Naturally, I related the whole experience to |
| brown or just plain dried up. The grass was gone for | | | | my English as a foreign language learners who soon |
| all intent and purposes. This is a tropical climate you | | | | spread the word. They continue to comment in class |
| see, and the weather is warm to hot year round. No | | | | on changes that they and their families have made - or |
| rain, no water - a problem for everybody. So when the | | | | not, and what the outcomes have been. Most are |
| rains finally came this month, no one complained. | | | | realizing some substantial savings which often get |
| Thousands of Gallons of Water Being Wasted | | | | funneled into beer and aguardiente consumption. But |
| Walking down the street, I consciously noticed the | | | | then that's another story. |
| thousands of gallons of water being wasted. Rain ran | | | | And speaking of stories, what's yours? Are you |
| in torrents from rooftops. It dribbled in droves from | | | | conserving and recycling water? |
| balconies and porches. It flooded gutters and pooled in | | | | |