2-2 Final Project Milestone One Topic Selection and Outline 1
2-2 Final Project Milestone One: Topic Selection and Outline
Brynne Nicholas
Southern New Hampshire University
SCI 218: Natural Resources
Professor Asma Wasim
March 12, 2023
2-2 Final Project Milestone One Topic Selection and Outline 2
Introduction
For my final project, I have chosen to research how to reduce water usage by 50% as well
as the advantages/disadvantages of doing so. A steady water supply involves pumping, treating,
and delivering as well as the treating of the resulting sewage making a steady water supply a
tremendously resource intensive process that generates significant carbon emissions. Every cubic
meter of water consumed results in an average of twenty-three pounds (10.6Kg) of carbon
emissions is a significant carbon impact resulting from the energy requirement in combination
with the emissions from resulting sewage (Dycian, Y., 2023). In the U.S., "three percent of the
nation's energy is used to pump and treat water, so conserving water conserves energy that
reduces greenhouse gas pollution" (Environmental Protection Agency, 2016). With a 50%
reduction of water use in my home, the strain on this vitally important resource would also be
relieved as my carbon footprint would also be reduced (WINT Water Intelligence, 2023).
Section 1: History and Contemporary Viewpoint
Ancient Middle Eastern, African, and Chinese cultures were the first to practice water
conservation while also recognizing that clean water was a valuable resource that could be
wasted if mistreated. These civilizations needed reliable freshwater resources for their vast
agricultural lands as well as large cities with populations so dependent on these water sources
(IWA Publications, 2023). In the past, people were nomadic by nature, constantly residing near a
suitable source of fresh water and moving on when that source became scarce or tainted with
