Water on Earth

Credit: Howard Perlman, USGS; globe illustration by Jack Cook, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (©); Adam Nieman

This drawing shows various blue spheres representing relative amounts of Earth's water in comparison to the size of the Earth. Are you surprised that these water spheres look so small? They are only small in relation to the size of the Earth.

The smaller sphere over Kentucky represents Earth's liquid fresh water in groundwater, swamp water, rivers, and lakes.

Do you notice that "tiny" bubble over Atlanta, Georgia? That one represents fresh water in all the lakes and rivers on the planet, and most of the water people and life of earth need every day comes from these surface-water sources. 

U.S. Geological Survey

Numbers: Water and blue jeans

3,500
The number of liters of water a pair of jeans uses over its lifetime

180
The number of office coolers it takes to hold 3,500 liters of water

42
The number of liters of water an average pair of jeans uses for finishing

Source: Your pants are an eco-abomination—here’s how to lessen their impact
Related Entry: Jeans made with less water

Jeans made with less water

Looking for a new pair of jeans? Want to save water?  In January 2011, Levi Strauss will introduce a line of Levi's® brand jeans that requires much less water to manufacture. According to the company's website:

The Levi's® brand today announced its new Water<Less jeans – made using significantly less water. The average pair of jeans uses 42 litres of water in the finishing process. The Water<Less collection reduces the water consumption by an average of 28% and up to 96% for some new products in the line.

Not interested in saving water? Then try this on from Sustaining Life:

Despite the fact that rivers, lakes, and wetlands cover less than 1 percent of the Earth’s surface and hold only about 0.01 percent of its water, they harbor extraordinary concentrations of biodiversity.

… as much as one-third of all vertebrate species are confined to freshwater habitats.

Freshwater habitats are among the most endangered in the world, and decline of freshwater biodiversity outpaces that in both terrestrial and marine systems.

Or, maybe you are one of the “30 million people in seven US states and Mexico” dependent on the dwindling Colorado River. Or, you live in one of the top ten U.S. cities running out of water.

If you are in the market for a pair of jeans next year, buy used. If you are buying new, these may just work for you.