Interview with A ( 5 year resident in Victoria, currently grad student in UVIC)
YJ: A, can you give me uh some background information about yourself please?
A: Ok, umm I'm a first year psychology student in the department of psychology at the University of Victoria. Umm I was from Singapore, so I grew up there for 18 years of my life before I came to Canada. And I've been in Canada for about 5 years, maybe 6?
YJ: Ok, so uh yah it's quite a long time you've been a resident here.
A: Yes, I have.
YJ: Umm, so ok, you like it here?
A: Yah, this is a very interesting place!
YJ: Oh, ok. It's pleasant to live in?
A: It's very very pleasant!
YJ: Oh that's good, that's good. Well um, I'm interested in issues about the use and conservation of water in Victoria...
A: Ahuh
YJ: And I would like to have some views on some of their, some of these things. Hence, the purpose of this interview.
A: Ahuh
YJ: A, since you've been in Victoria for some time, um do you remember uh some years back there was a severe water rationing here...
A: Ahuh
YJ: in town? You do? Ok, um what are some of your impressions of how people coped with the water shortage at that time?
A: Everybody seems to be very concerned that we're not going to have enough water in Victoria...
YJ: Ahuh
A: and so, people would, people appear to me to be really working hard at saving water? And even though people in Victoria love their lawn and love their gardens a lot but they were willing to sacrifice their lawn and garden just to conserve water. So instead of watering their lawn everyday, they just stuck to the times allocated to them and it was very, heartwarming to see that in a community.
YJ: Ok. So uh where you were living, um you saw people actually doing that?
A: Yes
YJ: Cutting down on their lawns...
A: Ahuh
YJ: Even your own uh, let's say landlord?
A: Yah.
YJ: Ok, great. So uh, well people were of course inconvenienced, and some aspects of their daily life were disrupted. Umm do you think some of these people had a reason to be angry?
A: What do you mean? Angry at themselves, or angry at...?
YJ: Angry that their use of water has been umm curtailed..
A: Ah ok. Um I don't think angry is the word to describe. People were frustrated that their lives were disrupted but I don't think they were angry.
YJ: Ok, so perhaps they were frustrated that they couldn't water their lawns as much as they wanted to?
A: Probably...ahuh.
YJ: Hmm. What are some of the things people did beside um cutting down on watering lawns?
A: I don't know about anybody else but personally for me is umm I cut down on my shower time.
YJ: Oh you cut down on your shower time? Ok...
A: Ahuh.
YJ: So uh that was, was that uh something by CRD, um an advice by CRD, or is that something you did on your own?
A: I did on my own. Yeah.
YJ: Oh, ok. That's interesting. Um did you like um, influence other people to do the same or did, did you see other people doing the same?
A: No I never tried influence other people to do the same. Um, and with regards to shower time I don't think I can see!
YJ: Oh yeah! That's true! (laughter). Ok so, well of course you don't own a lawn so that's one thing which you could do at a personal level.
A: Ahuh.
YJ: Ok, what other things you think you could have done at a personal level?
A: Maybe I should try adopting a more Canadian way of washing dishes, by not rinsing through after soaping.
YJ: Oh, ok! Yeah!
A: (laughs) That would probably save a lot of water!
YJ: There was a report in uh Nature I think two days back that dishwaters actually save a lot more water than handwashing.
A: Oh yeah!.... Huh?
YJ: Yah, that's true! Dishwashers actually save more energy and, or resources. Umm maybe I'll pass that article to you, it's in Nature.
A: Umm. Ok
YJ Surprising.
A: I guess it depends on how you do your dishes by hand.
YJ: yah yah, I guess so. Ok so, you had uh quite vivid memories of that time?
A: Yah.
YJ: Yah...
A: Because it's kind of like, once, the first time in my life that it happened?
YJ: First time in your life?
A: Ahuh.
YJ: Ok. Well for me it wasn't. Because back home we had water rationing in the past, in Singapore. (laughter). So, um ok well do you think that particular incident impressed people about the importance or scarcity of water? Do you think people in general are now more conscious?
A: No. I don't think so
YJ: No...
A: because it's only one isolated incident and, it wasn't for a very long time
YJ: Oh ok, how how long was it, do you think?
A: I think it was for, for the whole summer.
YJ: Just the summer right?
A: Yeah!
YJ: So, you think that people uh um didn't take it to heart, and it was just one-off...
A: Yah, I don't think so because people could still continue pretty much with their life.
YJ: Ahuh. And if you don't have a lawn it doesn't affect much of your life...
A: Ahuh. Exactly unless you wish to take it on a more personal level.
YJ: Ok. So, how come, why do you think people took it on a more personal level and others did not?
A: Umm I guess, say for example if a person has not enough resources to think about extra things..
YJ: Ahuh
A: they probably wouldn't be bothered about things like that.
YJ: Oh, ok. I see I see, ok... uh, so who do you think are people who have very few resources?
A: Um, ok. One example would be people who are stricken with poverty?
YJ: Ok, so do you think that um perhaps only the people who, who have a certain standard of living would be more concerned?
A: That's what I think personally.
YJ: Ok. How about the, so the people who have less resources they just use, and just take what they need, and stuff like that?
A: Ahuh.
YJ: What about people who have really abundant resources?
A: They are more likely to be able to have the extra energy to think about themselves...
YJ: Ok, hmm that's interesting...
A: And think about the world!
YJ: Ok! Well, of course everything needs to be verified and there are exceptions everywhere!
A: Oh yah for sure!
YJ: Ok, well ah, ok so you think that people generally have forgotten, have a short memory and they are not very conscious of water issues in Victoria? Have you seen people like uh really using water wastefully?
A: Ok, to me watering, watering your lawn twice a day appears to be wasting water but mm I don't know very much about gardening and stuff so I don't know if that's really important?
YJ: Ok. Hmm, ok do you see um, how about washing of cars, your landlord?
A: I, I've never seen people was cars here!
YJ: Really?
A: Yah!
YJ: Ok, hmm, I used to wash my car about once a week, back home.
A: That's what I notice about here, that I don't ever see people wash their car at home.
YJ: Oh maybe they send it to the carwash?
A: Likely, yah! Or they do it when I'm in school, or something?
YJ: Ok. Yah of course,(laughter) yeah ok. Well, if there is a very severe, water, shortage of water right now, which activity do you think um homeowners would give up first?
A: I, do you mean...
YJ: I'm I'm just wondering about what do you think, which activity do you think homeowners will give up first?
A: Will give up first? Or should give up first?
YJ: Well, let's take, what do you think is, they would willingly give up first?
A: Oh ok, um I guess the first thing is probably cut down on watering their lawn or washing their car...
YJ: Ahuh
A: And then, I think that's about it.
YJ: Ok. Well, people here use washing machines, so that, unless they go for a shorter, shorter cycle, that could save some water?
A: Ahuh, but with, when it comes to washing clothes, it's really hard to gauge um whether a shorter cycle is going to be enough to wash your clothes?
YJ: Oh ok. Do you see people here like reusing the water from the washing machines?
A: No.
YJ: No?
A: Never seen it before.
YJ: Ok then because the, I guess the washroom is uh far away from the uh bathroom...
A: Ahuh
YJ: Because in Singapore we can do that...
A: Yah
YJ: We actually can hook it up which is what my family did, we recycled the final wash which is quite clean.
A: Ahuh. But I don't know I thought, I don't even know where does the water pipe lead to?
YJ: Oh it just leads to waste.
A: Ok, I just started using the washing machine here (laughs)
YJ: Well that's ok. Uhh ok so fine. Umm, A, this is a more theoretical thing, if you had the choice of supplying water for people and water for salmon, which would you decide on?
A: That's a very tough question. Supplying water for salmon?
YJ: Yeah, there was talk that um we need to um cut back on water use that the salmon would have enough water?
A: (laughs) I would definitely go for human. Unfortunately I'm a very human centric person.
YJ: Oh that's ok. That's fine, that's fine. Umm well, why do you say that, I mean uh what are some of your reasons?
A: Reason is everybody wants to survive,
YJ: Ok. What happens if let's say faced with a very bad situation where um the salmon really have to, there's not enough salmon for spawning, if you don't let them have any water this year you won't get any in the following years.
A: Are you talking about, specifically salmon?
YJ: Well, salmon need...
A: Or fish?
YJ: Fish or salmon? Salmon are the only ones that come up the rivers.
A: Hmm.
YJ: Do you think people would be willing to make a sacrifice just for that one year?
A: I don't think so.
YJ: You don't think so?
A: No.
YJ: Ok.
A: Well, in Victoria maybe people would be willing to but for the rest of the world, I am not so sure about that.
YJ: Oh well, my interest is just in Victoria.
A: Ok
YJ: Ok, so you think the Victorians would be willing to make a little sacrifice?
A: Victorians, my impression of Victorians are that they tend to be more civic minded, they are more concerned about the environment and the world.
YJ: Ok, right, so there could be some hope.
A: Ahuh.
YJ: Hmm interesting. Well, sometimes uh farmers use water from wells and aquifers, the underground water resources, some of these, in some of these regions the water levels are very low but these farmers have no other choice of irrigation. Well, do you think water use should be limited in such situations? This is a very tough question.
A: I don't quite understand what do you mean.
YJ: Well, sometimes farmers, they take underground water...
A: Ahuh
YJ: and this is their only source, unfortunately the water levels are getting very low..
A: Ahuh
YJ: and they can't be replenished enough.
A: Ahuh.
YJ: Do you think farmers should stop using these sources of water?
A: Ok, so you mean, they, do I think they should stop using...hmm. This is a very complex issue because if they don't use the water they are not going to be able to irrigate their farms, they are not going to be able to irrigate their farms so they will not to be able to produce anything. Without producing anything, they are not going to get income, if they are not going to get income we also won't get any food.
YJ: Right. Well...
A: But without, but if they use up all the water, we are not going to use, we're not going to have water to use for ourselves? And it's also doom day for us because we need water to survive too...
YJ: Ok.
A: So it's a food and water thing.
YJ: Well, ok. So um, do you see any easy answers here?
A: There is definitely no easy answer (laugh) hmm but, I wonder what can be done about that?
YJ: Felt... we do buy a lot of vegetables and fruit from California...(laugh)
A: So you are umm talking about increasing another country's wealth by importing from that country?
YJ: No, I'm just uh saying, stating a fact that we do buy quite a lot of food from California.
A: Ahuh.
YJ: I, I don't see any easy answers myself
A: Yah.
YJ: but I just wanted to find out your opinion on it. Ok, hmm you know A, if you're asked to be in charge of a um water awareness program, what are some things you want to tell people about?
A: Yah, don't be like me, I waste a lot of water. (laughs)
YJ: You do?
A: Well at least I don't take baths, I take showers so that's not too bad. Ok, so back to the question, what would I tell people? Hmm I don't know I havn't really thought about that.
YJ: Hmm ok, well, if you are in charge of that water awareness program again who, which population do you think would be um receptive to the message? Younger people, teenagers, middle aged people, older people?
A: I, oh ok, the most, people who would be most receptive are probably people in the early 20s to early 30s...
YJ: Ahuh
A: And people who are more educated. However I think such education should start from young.
YJ: Ok, so well, uh did you like undergo any water awareness, conservation programs in your life?
A: Hmm we had a lot of save water campaigns in Singapore but I don't think you would want to call that programs?
YJ: No, in a in a broad sense I guess they could. So you, you lived through some of these programs?
A: Ahuh. When I was very very young.
YJ: And you remember them?
A: Briefly.
YJ: Did you like change your habits? Did your family do anything different?
A: I don't think so.
YJ: Don't think so?
A: No.
YJ: So life went on as per normal?
A: Life went on as per normal. Things are like that in Singapore, they don't change.
YJ: Ok, right. You know A, it's very interesting, uhm, now that you come to a place where there are abundant natural resources, do you behave differently from back home where water use is so limited?
A: I don't think I changed my habits very much. No, if anything I probably cut down on my shower time.
YJ: It's funny because back home.. uh we uh that's one thing we are supposed to do and right here we have so much water?
A: The interesting thing is I pay for water back home but I don't pay for water here, this is included in my rent but, I feel horrible that I'm using a lot more water not because I'm paying for it or not paying for it. But it's just, I've grown up and start to think about the world.
YJ: Oh, when did that happen?
A: Umm I think happened only after I moved here. Probably when I was 20, or 21.
YJ: Ahuh, what, what incident triggered this off?
A: No special incident.
YJ: Really?
A: Nothing, it's just all of a sudden I realised you know what I'm using too much water!
YJ: Oh, that's a sudden nirvana experience! Ok that's interesting. So, you know um when you think of water, what image appears in your mind? What do you associate it with?
A: I associate with a very nice and cool feeling of water flowing down my throat when I was really really thirsty!
YJ: When was that?
A: Um very often, almost every day because I don't drink water on a regular basis so when I start to drink water it's such a cool feeling, it's very nice. (laughs)
YJ: Ok, that's interesting!
A: And ok, what other image? Oh rivers, not so much ocean, mainly rivers and waterfall.
YJ: Ok, rather positive images come to your mind.
END