With southwest China hit by a drought, there have been renewed public appeals for water conservation in Beijing.

Novelist Zheng Yuanjie recently called on Beijingers to wash their cars by themselves. In his blog he wrote that if water-rich Yunnan can be hit by a drought, Beijing, one of the Chinese cities most plagued by water shortages, may expect that one day its water will be as expensive as oil. What happens in Yunnan today could happen in Beijing tomorrow.

On average, Beijingers each have at their disposal less than 180 cubic meters of water. However, how many of us, whether government offices, companies, family or individuals, take saving water seriously?