Key Concepts
•
The amount of water and power used by society depends on both individual
and collective choices.
•
Consumers “drive” the marketplace with their demands for goods and services.
•
All products—including food, clothing, and consumer goods—require energy
and water in their manufacture or distribution. These “embedded” resources
contribute to the monetary and environmental cost of a product, but are often
hidden to consumers.
•
Environmentally literate persons know how much energy and water they use,
and for what purpose, and where their energy and water comes from.
Standards Connections
Next Generation Science Standards
SCIENCE AND
ENGINEERING PRACTICES
SAMPLE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, GRADES 9–12
Analyzing and
Compare the embedded water in different products you use, or try out
a water footprint calculator to determine which of your activities use
the most water resources. For example, see National Geographic’s
“The Hidden Water We Use” at environment.nationalgeographic.com/
environment/freshwater/embedded-water/ and National Geographic’s
water footprint calculator at environment.nationalgeographic.com/
environment/freshwater/change-the-course/water-footprint-calculator/.
Interpreting Data
BIG IDEAS
|
Grades 9–12
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SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
87