How many of you are aware of the fact that water shortage is a real problem? According to analysts; it will become quite a threat to the civilization if not attended to properly and timely. Meet Elisabeth Buecher, a London-based artist. She has designed an inflatable shower curtain that basically kicks the user out of shower to avoid excessive water consumption.
We all know how shower time can fluctuate from a quick shower to a long shower. This depends on the person’s mood, time of the day and many other variables. These long showers add to the water shortage. This particular shower curtain design by Elisabeth Buecher ensures that we do think about this shortage.
Scientific discussions are geared towards the issue of global shortages of freshwater. There’s an alarming rise in reports and warnings pertaining to water shortage in the last few years alone. Developing and underdeveloped countries are already facing these shortages and agricultural struggles in these countries is even worse. Developed countries, on the other hand, haven’t faced the shortage on such a level and therefore are negligent when it comes to water related activities.
Green Cross International Founding President Mikhail Gorbachev said, “Continuation of water consumption at 20th Century rates is no longer possible…[as politics and the economy are tied to water consumption,] we, therefore, need to rethink the goals of economic development.”
Elisabeth Buecher and Her Invention
London-based Elisabeth Buecher says, “I looked at the environmental issue of excessive water consumption. I designed a series of water-saving shower curtains which inflate after four minutes spent under the water, taking over the space and discouraging long water-wasting showers.” She is hoping to bring about a change by making use of this fun yet impactful design. She is also using this to provide awareness to public regarding issues of water consumption.
As of now, two models are available; Spiky and Trap. According to Elisabeth Buecher, the discomfort experienced by the shower curtain reflects what people go through for whom water shortage is a daily issue.
Artists and Public Awareness
Elisabeth Buecher is not the only artist who is working to bring about a change. There has been a major shift in the artistic community in the last ten years and nowadays, we can find increasing numbers of artists taking on environmental issues. In fact, this movement even has a name; Ecological Art. The aim of this form of art is to make a conscious impact on environmental activism.