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Virtual Water for iPhone:
http://itunes.apple.com/app/virtual-water/id369876250?mt=8
The Virtual Water app for iPhone is based on the 2007 poster by German designer Timm Kekeritz, which depicts the results from Hoeckstra et al in their study, Water Footprint of Nations, published in 2006. In this project, the virtual water footprint of a person, company or nation is defined as the total volume of freshwater that is used to produce the commodities, goods and services consumed by the person, company or nation. The adjective ‘virtual’ refers to the fact that most of the water used to produce a product is not contained in the product. The real-water content of products is generally negligible if compared to the virtual-water content.
The Virtual Water application can be carried anywhere in order to quickly calculate food and beverage choices at the point of decision. Since the app is interactive, the user can estimate the virtual water footprint of an item by choosing the best representation (for example, a cow for a beef patty) and then using the slider to adjust the amount of each product (for example, 8oz of beef ). The view called up for each product also offers quick facts and a comparison function, and it will make calculations in both the metric system and US measurements.
Personal Water Footprint Calculator on Facebook:
http://apps.facebook.com/watercalculator/
The Siemens Personal Water Footprint Calculator for Facebook focuses on outreach. The calculator utilizes a footprint scheme based on simple tasks, such as how many times people wash their cars or if they leave the water running when they brush their teeth. It then shows the person’s estimated water usage compared to the averages for different countries and other users (based on data gathered from various popular studies posted online regarding water usage for household tasks). Finally, it suggests additional ways that water can be saved, such as installing faucet aerators and only running full loads of laundry, and encourages users to make commitments to do these things. Because this application is a part of Facebook, it not only allows individuals to become more aware of their personal water usage, but also to see how much their friends are using and to make their commitments public in order to conserve water as a community.
The Siemens Personal Water Footprint Calculator by Friend2- Friend was unveiled last year in honor of World Water Day on March 22, 2010. In less than one year it has users committing to collectively save over 92,369,818 gallons of water per year in the future.
So, will this fun and easy water quiz actually create tangible changes in water habits? Roger Katz, CEO of Friend2Friend, says “Of course, what people say and what they do isn’t always the same. But the average time spent on this application is 3 minutes, about six times the length of a television commercial. During that time users are thinking about their own water-wise habits and seeing conservation tips that specifically address their own areas of water consumption. They also make a commitment publicly, in front of their friends. Those are exactly the kinds of interactions that get people to start making changes in their lives.”