A Canadian woman has revealed the lengths she goes through for fresh water in her off-grid home.
Energy-generating technology has come a long way, but getting the water we need for daily life is still a challenge for those of us aiming to disconnect from the grid. Living a self-sustaining life comes with a world of unique challenges, but through a little bit of extra effort, it can be a real possibility.
What measures would you take to get fresh water when living off-grid?
The well is running dry: Where our greatest resource is going
While the energy sector has made significant progress, water is still a major issue for millions.
The depletion of our natural water resources has become a serious concern around the world. Roughly 70% of the world’s major aquifers have shown long-term declines as the world needs more and more water for everyday activities.
Evaporation is also a concern as higher temperatures melt glaciers and cause moisture in the soil to evaporate much faster than we expected.
Climate change has effectively reversed the water supply in some regions. Wet parts of the world now see more flooding, while the drier regions of the planet get even drier with every passing year.
Climate change: An issue that affects both the rich and the poor
It would be easy for us to blame a single reason for the climate issues we now face, but the reality is that we are all responsible to some extent.
Since 1990, the wealthiest people in the world have caused approximately two-thirds of the heat that warms our globe. In fact, the top 1% have contributed 26 times the international average in harmful greenhouse gases.
Some of the most iconic and emblematic lakes in the nation are vanishing right before our eyes as global warming intensifies.
Rising sea levels have raised alarm bells as data sets reveal that an estimated $2 trillion to $5 trillion of coastal assets are at risk of being submerged by the sea. Climate change also caused supply chain interruptions as intense weather makes transporting goods nearly impossible.
NOAA has warned that exceptionally high temperatures are starting earlier than in previous years as the climate changes.
In a world that has become exceedingly expensive to live in, one TikTok user in the Yukon wilderness has proven that a life disconnected from the grid is possible, but at what cost, you ask?
Ice is not water when you’re thirsty in the wilderness
TikTok user @erynupnorth is a young Canadian woman who has been living in a small yet comfortable home in the Yukon wilderness.
She uses solar panels as her main energy resource, as many around the world do. But what makes her different is that even her water system is disconnected from the national supply. Families living off-grid are not a new trend by any measure.
The panels charge up a battery bank that she uses when the sun is not shining. The inverter she had installed converts the DC power into AC to run her regular household appliances.
A wood-burning stove helps her keep the iconic cold weather at bay, and propane powers her cooking and refrigerator.
I don’t want to go back to civilization 😅 #offgridliving #yukonterritory #northerncanada #offgridlife #offgridlife #offgridcabin #erynupnorth
Diving into the deep for a basic necessity of life
She also utilizes a composting toilet that handles all her waste without a traditional septic or sewer system. But the water she uses takes a little more effort.
She uses a small boat to head out into the middle of the lake near her house. The deepwater is collected, treated, and filtered to make it safe to drink and use for everyday activities.
She has proven that by relying on extremely efficient solar panels, and by collecting water from the lake, she can easily live a simple life completely devoid of any reliance on the national grid or water system.
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