In light of Earth Day being a short six months away, I have decided it is time we begin thinking a bit deeper about the climate change crisis. I don’t know about you, but if I wake up to another perfectly blue-skied, 70-degree day tomorrow, I might just lose my mind. As California continues to be burdened with perfect sunshine, we must have a little conversation about what you, a so-called socially aware and educated being, can do to help halt this repugnancy.
Would you like to contribute to sustainability on Stanford’s campus but don’t have time in your oversubscribed days of daydreaming about your TAs and drinking dining hall coffee? Are you sick and tired of showering all by your lonesome? Is lathering yourself in soap just way too much effort?
As a Generation Z visionary, I propose the new, the revolutionary, the clearly-inspired-by-the-idea-of-UberPOOL-and-lacking-much-pizzazz: the ShowerPOOL. To completely sever the infamous ties between cleanliness and godliness, shower with your significant other or maybe even some insignificant others.
Some experts say that showering two or a few at a time merely uses the same amount of water due to the extended time spent alternating who enjoys the head. (And by head, I am referring to the shower head — get your mind out of the drain). However, I hypothesize that students will spend less time allowing the hot water to run whilst meditating about being perpetually behind the curve and trying to replicate Ariana Grande’s riffs with the incredible bathroom acoustics. If they attempted a similar ritual during my shower 2.0 method, their SO or IO would become quite frigid and frisky out of the hot water, and that’s clearly just poor co-showering etiquette. Reciprocation is key.
In my humble opinion, there’s simply no better way to get the fresh thoughts percolating about climate change than going with the flow of this initiative. Whether it be the possibility of making sustainability sexy again or if things get really steamy, someone offering to scrub your sweaty back after you’ve tirelessly displayed your buffness at the gym, the whole experience allows you to think quite critically about your individual water use.
As you’re no longer soaking in solidarity, gaze up at the little tags on the shower heads and read the gentle reminder to make this shower a quickie. Also, do not forget that the cardinal rules still apply: Be safe and wear your shower shoes.
So, what are you waiting for? Decelerating global climate change is as easy peasy as riding safely through the Circle of Death. Start now by finessing and undressing.
Contact Alanna Flores at alanna13 ‘at’ stanford.edu.