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Decorate with Raleigh
Downtown Raleigh, North Carolina 
State Capitol, Raleigh, North Carolina 
Fayetteville Street, Raleigh, North C... 
Greetings from Raleigh, North Carolina
Oct
22
Is the drought getting through to the people of Raleigh? Do they understand the situation and what they can do to help? From conversations I’ve had and observations I’ve made, I’ve gathered that to people who are “into” Raleigh, the same type of people who visit this website and others similar, have probably made contentious strides to conserve their water, while others, making up the large majority, go about with their daily schedules completely oblivious to the situation we all find ourselves in.
There is certainly no shortage of news coverage. It’s rare to scan the headlines and not find at least mention of a drought-related story. But is this really penetrating the lifestyle of the average Raleigh resident? My completely unscientific approximation of the situation would be that something like 5% of the population has made serious strides to curb their water usage. These are the people that actually deprive themselves of common water-related comforts. Then there is probably another 15% who are aware of the situation, make efforts to manage their water supply, but don’t really go as far as to drastically alter their lifestyle. And then there is the final group, 80% strong, who are either completely oblivious to the drought and the possible implications, and/or either don’t care, don’t know, or aren’t willing to sacrifice - after all, what can just one person do in the scope of things.
One place noticeably lacking in the efforts are local businesses and restaurants. Has anyone actually not been brought water while dining at a reasonably high-dollar establishment. And why hasn’t a local restaurant taken the “freedom fries” route and offered a creative drink special to offset water consumption? They aren’t making any money from water anyway. I’m not a tough sale, but I’d gladly take a drink-special to a water any day of the week. Especially when I can feel like I’m doing something good for “the cause.”
Am I wrong? If not, what can be done to educate the masses and pull together? I don’t think the answer are press releases and statements from the Governor. Local issues are best served by grassroots movements and citizen responsibility. Share your ideas, and let’s get something started…
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3 Responses to “80/20 - Has the Drought Made its Way into Your Raleigh Lifestyle?”
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I gave up on the lawn months and months ago. Fine by me…less mowing to do. And sadly there was no way to save the vegetable garden even with a hose…the heat and dryness was just too much. At most, I’d manually pour a small pitcher of water on a few key plants once in a while to keep them alive. I even water the house plants with old water from the cats’ dishes.
I’ve also noticed most restaurants still giving out water. A few have, though, either waited until we asked or asked us as we sat down. One waitress (I can’t remember where) even did it formally: “I’m required to ask you if you’d like water.” I thought it was kinda funny.
I’m doing my part…NOTHING BUT BEER FOR ME!!!!
Plants require water to survive – just like us, and without plants we will not survive. Inanimate objects such as vehicles, streets and homes, on the other hand, do not require water to survive. Artificial turfs on sports playing fields do not require water to survive. Pools, hot tubs, ice rinks, etc. do not require water to survive. At this time, do we need to be building new homes and businesses when there is barely enough water to go around? Every time somebody new moves in to the area, I think, “there goes another glass of water.” Am I truly a criminal if I simply water my yarden, when folks can continue watering their cars and houses? People, let’s get our priorities straight. Let’s use our brains concerning this drought we are experiencing. Water what needs it to survive. For the time being, let all else fall by the wayside – that is if we are serious about water conservation.