The Water Resources Agency (WRA) of Taiwan has called on people to save water as a way to reduce carbon emissions. The WRA pointed out that the low price of tap water in Taiwan, which has not increased in 14 years, has led people to waste the valuable resource. The scarcity of water has become a source of global tension ecologically, economically and politically. Feasible solutions to the problem—WRA suggests a water price hike and the Economist proposed a water cap system—might not appeal to the public amid the current economic slump. Before such policy is made, people can save water through many simple ways in addition to vigilantly turning off the tap after every use. According to a study by environmental organization "Friends of earth," if every household in the UK used a dishwasher instead of hand-washing, more than a quarter-billion liters of water would be saved every day. Another typical waste of water that can be prevented: Tons of bathing water run down the drain unused every day as people wait for it to be heated. Some people are already saving the cold water by storing it for later use. A more comprehensive way to change the situation is to improve the design of water heaters.

scarcity:缺乏;不足;稀少

tension:紧张，紧绷

feasible：可行的;可用的

slump：衰退，不景气

tap：水龙头

dishwasher：洗碗机

price hike：涨价

down the drain：前功尽弃，付诸东流