Fresh water shouldn’t be a luxury item, but it is becoming one at an alarming rate. By 2020, between 75 and 250 million people in Africa are likely to face problems finding clean drinking water.

Just think about it: 2020. That’s just 12 years from today. Recent events have shown that it’s not a problem we can put off until then: In August, some Delta villages were cut off from running water. For days newspapers covered protests staged by the villages’ residents as they blocked the Cairo-Alex agricultural road demanding their taps be turned on again.

We have only ourselves to blame. While we are busy building new communities and advancing our living conditions, we do little for the spaces we live in. We pollute rivers with industrial waste and bury nuclear waste in ocean beds. A few decades ago, no one considered the effects of the damage we wreak on the environment. Today, while much of the globe is owning up to its environmental problems and taking a proactive approach toward becoming green, Egypt lags far behind in boosting awareness.

This year, make it a part of your New Year’s resolutions to be friendlier to the environment. Don’t think in terms of general crises decades down the road: That won’t be enough to remind you not to print off a document unnecessarily or leave the tap water running as you scurry to pick up the phone. Think in hard facts and figures. Think that in just 12 years we’ll have limited access to drinking water. Think that in the last four decades the temperatures in Egypt rose at a rate of 0.9 degrees Celsius per decade; that’s four degrees Celsius since 1977 — and it won’t stop there.

In the short term, this simply means a hotter summer. But in the long run, the possible effects are far more horrifying. Think of our major coastal cities sinking into the ocean, Alexandria as Atlantis.

Let’s backtrack for a minute and ask why the temperature rose in the first place. It’s happening because every year we emit millions of tons of greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide and other environmentally hazardous gases are the side effects of our burning fossil fuel to generate energy.

Paul Birnstihl Act now, or soon all our air will be the color of that soot.

Can one person really slow global warming? The answer is, “Yes. Absolutely yes.” You can do a lot for the environment and for yourself. Here are some of the easiest and most effective ways:

Put on a bright smile with less water. Dentists tell us we need to brush our teeth two minutes twice a day to keep a glistening smile, but you don’t need to spill liters of water to do so. Turning the tap off while brushing your teeth can save up to 15 liters of water per minute. That’s 60 liters (40 large-size water bottles) of water every day.

Change your light bulbs. The best way to save on household energy is to use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL). Though they cost three to five times as much as conventional incandescent lighting, they consume one quarter the electricity and last ten times longer. The energy saved will translate into lower carbon emissions produced by electrical-power generators running on fossil fuels. Don’t fancy the white light the CFL emit? Now you can buy them with a “warm light” feature for a softer glow.

Pump up your tires. Under-inflated tires are both dangerous and costly, increasing the difficulty of steering a vehicle at high speed. It’s not just about road safety; under-inflated tires wear out more quickly and tack on up to 20 percent extra on your fuel bill. It’s a lose-lose situation on all counts, with extra money spent on tires, fuel and additional carbon dioxide released into the air — and all because you forget to check the air pressure level. Check the air level every two or three weeks with a pressure gauge; a visual check is not enough.

Close your car windows. When you roll down your car window on a highway, the air drag decreases the fuel efficiency of your car. Although turning on your air conditioning does add to the fuel bill, it is still much better than an open window or sunroof.

Ease into fifth gear. Here comes a simple question: What speed should you drive to get the maximum fuel efficiency and be a green driver? Answer: between 65 kilometers per hour and 95 kilometer per hour. Stick to the legal driving speed limits, but speed up when the road conditions are good and aim to keep your engine speed between 2000rpm and 3000rpm. This will save 10 to 15 percent of the fuel.

Reach for the star. When buying home appliances, always check the labels. Look for the Energy Star, a rating system that defines energy-efficient products. The labeled products (mostly computer parts and accessories) might be pricier, but they can slash your utility bill and, yes, reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Give your old T-shirt a new lease on life. The textile industry is one of the most harmful to the environment when it comes to dyeing fabrics the bright colors we all love. Instead of throwing your clothes away, donate them to charity. You will give warmth to a cold child and a smile to the planet. Need new clothes? Shop at second-hand or thrift stores, or talk to friends about trading old clothing to get a change of wardrobe.

Plant a tree. Nothing could be simpler. Start with your balcony or the roof of your house. Everyone knows that trees soak up carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. But with the absurd rate of consumption, there aren’t enough trees around to handle all greenhouse gases released into the air. One tree will absorb about one ton of carbon dioxide a year. So start now.

Support your local farmers. Forget about bananas from Brazil and apples from the United States. It’s your local farmer who will stand by you in the environmental fight against global warming. Think about it: If you want to reduce fuel consumption, do you really want your fruit salad to come from abroad on a ship that burns oceans of oil? Of course not. Shop locally for your food and give your local farmers a helping hand.

Loosen your collar. Japan cut an estimated 79,000 tons of carbon dioxide in summer 2005 by loosening up the collars of Japanese employees. Leaving ties at home and wearing light and bright colors means less of a need for air conditioning and the energy used to power it. So, isn’t it the right time to make your company a casual one?

Power down your home. Seventy-five percent of the energy consumed at home is standby power. Don’t leave your home PC on screen saver mode — it doesn’t save any energy. Buy a surge protector and plug your TV, computer and stereo into it. When you leave home press the On/Off button on the surge protector and you could save three-quarters of your energy bill. Spend the extra cash on something else useful to you and to the environment.

Buy in bulk. Packaging gives the environment a really hard time. Why? Because it’s always paper or plastic, and that means energy spent manufacturing, delivering and recycling. Buying in bulk means less carbon emission and hence less global warming. And again, you’ll be saving money.

Hitch a ride. Nearly 80 percent of us drive to work alone. If you have a few friends who live near you, start a carpool for work or vacations. Think smart and ride together, that way you’ll all still get to work and save the environment at the same time.

Load up, clean up and insulate. Always use your dishwasher on a full load. If you’re not, then you’re wasting a lot of water. When you buy or move to a new house, make sure that the windows are well insulated; this will lower the energy needed to heat and cool the place. Go for the double-glazed windows — they’ll keep your house warm in winter and breezy in summer. Cleaning your air conditioner filters helps too, reducing energy consumption by five percent.

Spread the word. The most important thing you can do to save the environment is read more about it. Make it a priority to learn about the latest trends in sustainable products and tips. Then talk. Tell your family and friends, because the more people you can involve, the more everyone can help save the planet. et