Now that you have read all of our previous posts on the water footprint, now that you are fully informed about the usefulness of this calculation system, you are officially ready to calculate your own footprint. This simple calculation is a good starting point to social network initiatives like the one adopted by Siemens in order to raise consumer awareness and diminish the reckless waste of water.

Your individual water footprint is equal to the water required to produce the goods and services you consume on a daily basis. It will take you no time to use the extended water footprint calculator in order to assess your own water footprint. The calculations are based on the water requirements per unit of product as determined by your country of residence.

Note: put decimals behind a point, not a comma (e.g. write 1.5 and not 1,5).

Calculate your water footprint on

http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=cal/WaterFootprintCalculator)

Personal water footprint calculator

http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=102033079832981

Through the use of social networks, Siemens wanted to find out if Facebook users could save around 30 million gallons of water. The Siemens Water Technologies Division wanted to reach consumers in order to raise awareness about water conservation as part of their World Water Day celebration, March 22, 2010. In a world where internet and media systems have become interactive and a two way system of communication, Siemens made the right choice by reaching out to consumers when it  turned to Friend2Friend to help create the adequate Facebook application that could help spread the message.

“The Water Footprint Calculator, designed and developed by Friend2Friend, takes fans through a simple and easy-to-use quiz with engaging visual cues — like trees appearing when you indicate that you water your garden. The questionnaire assesses the user’s water footprint, provides tips for saving water, and asks the participant to commit to making changes that will save a specified amount of water. Quiz participation and water savings commitments are shared on the participant’s newsfeed with rich visuals and a call to action that evokes the environmentalist in every fan. This cool and water-wise app is intended to spread a wave of water-consciousness across Facebook” ( source: Siemens Water Footprint Calculator)

How many times have you logged into Facebook since this morning? Yeah, exactly what I thought, you don’t even remember,  right? Well, what are you waiting for, log back on and go get yourself the newest hip app! Support this refreshing initiative with just one click and remember to be self conscious about the choices you make when it comes to consumer goods or services because water sources are not endless wells.