There’s been a lot of new lately about the global food shortage, with one of the main causes of the shortage cited as the severe drought that is many regions of the globe are undergoing.  Here are a few articles discussing the subject: http://www.alternet.org/water/83796/, http://www.theledger.com/article/20080430/NEWS/804300403/1023, and http://current.com/items/88825320_feeling_the_squeeze.

This issue has really alarmed me, so I’ve been doing everything I can to reduce my water and energy usage.  Besides from taking shorter showers and using lower water pressure while washing dishes (and also washing dishes myself!), I’ve also invested in a low flow showerhead.  The average shower lasts about 7.5 minutes, and with most showerheads having a slow rate of 4 gallons per minute or greater, that’s over 30 gallons of water per shower.  By buying a low flow showerhead, (like this one I bought from GAIAM.com ) you can cut your water usage per shower by 50-75%.  Besides being great for the environment, these showerheads can save you some serious $$$.  My apartments water bills have been significantly reduced since we installed one in each of our showers, and since both showerheads together cost $32 with shipping, we expect to make back our investment within 2-3 months.