The US Department of Housing and Urban Development Essay Example for Free

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development Essay The US Department of Housing and Urban Development maintains a website with a section dedicated to the Public Housing Environmental Conservation Clearinghouse. The website defines water conservation as a term that â€Å"refers to reducing use of fresh water, through technological or social methods. † In order to encourage water conservation, the site provides a spreadsheet that allows people to benchmark their water consumption. Based on the spreadsheet, a score of 0 means that water consumption is probably excessive, whereas a score of 100 probably means water is being effectively consumed. The spreadsheet was designed as a method for Public Housing Authorities to determine each project’s water consumption in order to encourage more efficient water consumption and reduce water related utility costs. The site also provides an area for related links to other sites that provide water conservation tips. Unfortunately, the only working link leads to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (sponsored by the US Department of Agriculture). This site describes ways in which people can conserve water use in their backyards. The other links appear to be outdated. There is also an area on the website entitled residents corner, which aims to provide research materials in order for residents and the general public to utilize and become more involved with environmental conservation. Unfortunately, only one of these links seems to work. The link leads the browser to a site sponsored by the US Environmental Protection Agency, which provides water conservation tips for residents. Finally, the website provides links that allow the browser to research and review more details about what Department of Housing and Urban Development and other federal government agencies are doing to further energy awareness. Although the site provides a useful spreadsheet that enables Public Housing Authorities to determine the effectiveness of water consumption in projects, the site does little to encourage browsers to conserve water. Most of the links are outdated, and there is barely any discussion as to the benefits of water conservation.