Draft

   "Water is the driving force in nature," Leonardo da Vinci once said. It's true because without it, we're cut off from one of the most important resources we have on earth. It's similar to the blood in our veins that pump life into us. Seeing the picture of the bird's carcass, I couldn't help but think that we're slowly killing ourselves. Piling on the trash and infesting our waters. Pumping loads of gas into our cars and consuming tons of unnecessary products. It's slowly leading us down a scary path and I wouldn't be surprised to see us leading a similar fate as the one the bird did. It is clear that our poor choices in not recycling and polluting has slowly caused negative effects to our water supply and nature in general. If we do not take initiative, we could quickly spiral into an irreversible future where we may not have any clean water at all. It only takes one person to make a difference and there are many ways to help. Recycling and identifying the importance of conserving water are perfect examples of simple yet effective ways we can help the earth. We can sit back and watch the world slowly perish, or we can take responsibility and try to make a difference.

   Recycling is probably one of the most easiest ways we can help. We can recycle so many things like newspapers, cans, glass, plastics, cardboard, and even water. Instead, we choose to throw out so many reusable products. It can seem overwhelming at first to try to make it a habit to recycle, but it's so simple! There are tons of websites that help explain the importance of recycling and give many examples on how to recycle pretty much anything. Recycling shouldn't be a chore. Instead it should give us hope that we can reverse many of the wrongs our polluting has done to the earth by just living a greener life.

   Water is one of the most important elements in our lives and it's sad to think many of us take it for granted. Conserving water is probably one of the most important things to do and should be on the top of our lists when it comes to recycling. Recycled water is useful and beneficial in agriculture, landscape, toilet flushing, and also in artificial lakes, When we're brushing our teeth, we can choose to waste gallons of unused water by leaving the faucet on or we can simply turn it off and use it sparingly. Water recycling not only "decreases the diversion of water from sensitive ecosystems", as explained in the US Environmental Protection Agency website; it also reduces and prevents further pollution by being used for irrigation because the reusable water is rich in nutrients and safer than using synthetic fertilizers. It's amazing how one little drop of water can help in a big way.

   A lot of us today may not know or even care about the importance of water. It's scary and sad to think that many take water for granted when we should all try to do our best to conserve this important element. I can't stress enough on how simple and effective recycling and conserving water is. Maybe seeing the picture of the decaying bird didn't affect you at all. But imagine that one day, all living creatures including ourselves go down a polluted path and lead a similar fate. Recycling may not be on the top of our lists, but it should at least be included and we should try to make a difference. But perhaps it might be how Benjamin Franklin once said, "When the well's dry, we know the worth of water." And we should not be surprised to see that realization soon.