The Red, White, and Green

We first reported on the somewhat stomach-turning but completely sanitary eco tip of saving water by peeing in the shower several months ago, when Glamour magazine ran the results of a poll regarding readers’ “dirty” habits — from not washing hands after using the bathroom to going barefoot at the gym — then had doctors comment on the results. Dr. Billy Goldberg, brave man that he is, revealed his own “shower squirting” habits, encouraging readers to follow suit and save up to seven gallons of water per flush.

Now, Brazilian environmental group SOS Mata Atlantica is encouraging the entire country of Brazil to save the rainforest by doing the same, with its hilarious (yet very effective) new ad campaign, “Xixi No Banho” (”Pee in the Bath”):

Ah, the universal language of cartoons. The group says that households can save up to 4,380 liters (1,157 gallons) of water a year by forgoing just one flush a day.

The concept may seem silly, but coming from a country that has positioned itself as a world leader in ethanol use, it looks like we could learn a lot from forward-thinking Brazil. (I won’t tell if you won’t.)

–Jennifer Grayson

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