Water scarcity is a hot topic. Although seventy percent of the Earth’s surface is water, only two percent is fresh. We rely on underground aquifers to supply human demand. In California, drought has been severe the past few years and aquifers are currently being tapped for sixty percent of its water use. But drought-stricken California is not the only region strained for water; there are thousands of local water issues around the world. Twenty-one of the world’s thirty-seven largest aquifers, that is one-third of the water reservoirs we rely on, are depleting rapidly.
"Water Re-imagined"
For Symantec’s quarterly Green Talk series, the Mountain View Green Team invited Charles Fishman, celebrated journalist and best-selling author, to speak about the history and future of water. His fascinating speech delivers informative statistics and stimulating stories that take listeners around the world from Las Vegas to New Delhi to uncover how the world of water is changing. The key takeaways of his talk cover three themes:
- Appreciate that water problems are solvable– the problem is the people.
- Water problems are local– there is no global water crisis; there are thousands of local water problems.
- And to leave listeners with a fresh sense of urgency of the water problems we face – the problems of water cannot wait.
“Huge progress is possible…Innovation is possible. We’ve made a start… but we haven’t dug in at the home front as much as we could.”
Symantec Takes Steps to Conserve
Symantec recognizes that water scarcity poses a great risk to our local and global community. We take our environmental impact seriously, and with our headquarters in drought-affected California, we are taking various steps to address water challenges and water conservation. We joined Ceres Connect the Drops campaign, a multi-stakeholder initiative in California that promotes collaboration among businesses and policymakers around sustainable water use solutions.
Conscious of our own business impact, we have implemented several water conservation initiatives around our campuses. We are reworking our landscapes and water use practices to be more efficient.
- Frequency of irrigation has been reduced significantly and we have also installed water efficient fixtures.
- We have removed lawn and replanted the areas with drought-tolerant plants.
- On one campus we are using creative design and have plans to remove turf and use the space as an expanded outside dining area.
- Pruning the trees has decreased their need for water, and we’ve added heavy mulching around the trees to prevent evaporation of water since we have significantly decreased irrigation.
- We have stopped window cleaning with pressure washing and instead wash windows when needed using a bucket and minimal water or dry brushing the exterior.
- Fountains have been turned off and filled with decomposed granite.
As a result of our efforts, we are making great strides in improving our use and efficiency of water.
What You Can Do
There are many ways we can each play a part in water conservation at home and at work by taking simple actions. At home we can shorten our showers, purchase water efficient appliances, and wait until the laundry is full to wash a load. At work, we can report leaks to maintenance and make sure we keep faucet running to a minimum.
California Passes Landmark Climate Legislation
California is leading the way with bold action to tackle climate change. SB 350 was signed into law early October and requires the state of California to generate half of its electricity from renewable energy sources and double energy efficiency in all buildings by 2030. It also entails building infrastructure for electric transportation. Symantec has been a public supporter of SB350 and we’re pleased to see this pass! As Governor Brown said, “California has taken groundbreaking steps to increase the efficiency of our cars, buildings, and appliances and provide ever more renewable energy. With SB 350, we deepen our commitment.” Symantec will continue to address its environmental impacts including how best to target energy and greenhouse gas emissions reductions for our business.
Symantec’s Green Teams
Symantec’s Green Teams are employee-run, local teams that champion environmental responsibility at Symantec and in the local communities where they operate. They help identify ways that Symantec can minimize its environmental footprint and are involved in a range of activities from volunteering in the community to spearheading campus-wide sustainability efforts. Each quarter, the Green Team hosts the Green Talk lecture series in an effort to educate employees and guests about varying sustainability issues.
Contact Environmental_Responsibility@Symantec.com for more information!