Day Four: Why Can't We Just Stop Drinking Bottled Water?

Book Excerpt p. 176

"Human beings are basically a watertight envelope filled with fluid and a few bony bits. We need water. Plus, it's great for your skin. But the main reason the bottled water industry has exploded over the last decade isn't because tap water is unsafe. It's because, with the market for soft drinks basically flat, beverage manufacturers needed a new growth industry. They piggy-backed the chic of bottled water sold in restaurants in places like Europe (where the quality of tap water can sometimes be iffy) onto health worries of all kinds and mounted large advertising campaigns, complete with pictures of snow-capped mountains, pristine streams, and healing mineral springs.

And we bought it. Big time. According to the International Council of Bottled Water Associations, in 2003, Americans spent nearly $8 billion buying 24.5 million liters of bottled water. That's roughly 90 liters, or almost 24 gallons per person. The Earth Policy Institute says that figure has risen to more than 30 gallons in 2007 at a cost of $9 billion."

So we are spending fortunes on bottled water that may not even be any better than tap water. Just last week the Environmental Working Group found that 10 popular brands of bottled water contained an average of 8 chemical pollutants in each and more than one-third of the chemicals found are not even regulated in bottled water. And here's the crazy thing: in some cases bottled water comes from the same place as tap water--a public water supply!!!!!

Now let's talk planet. Nearly a quarter of water bottles are shipped across borders--in planes, in trucks, in boats--emitting greenhouse gasses along the way. In addition to all the oil that is required for shipping, the plastic that holds the water is derived from crude oil. That's a lot of oil. In fact, Americans' demand for bottled water requires more than 17 million barrels of oil per year!

So what's wrong with us? It's not as safe, it's bad for our planet and it's clearly more expensive. It's just become a nation wide nasty habit. So let's all start today and SAY NO to bottled water. Done. Finished. Never again. The alternatives? Go buy a water filter pitcher or install a water filter in your house. Break down and buy one of those metal water bottles--I think that you'll find it's stylish these days to carry one around.

Comments

[carrieanna]

I had planned to buy my friends those cool metal water bottles from Whole Foods for Christmas gifts this year. In the past I have given reusable coffee thermoses or cool mugs.

[Semaj51]

All this talk reminded me of when I lived in Naples, Italy. The local water system is in such poor condition that we had "water days" - we had scheduled water pressure for three or four days a week. On other days the only water available came from tanks located on the roof. And if you really like to chew your water, this is the place to go. There bottle water was a necessity. I remember buying crates of gallon water cartons eery week.

There are many reasons why people buy bottled water, but the greatest reason is for simple ease. In the health-craze going around, if you are thirst and not at home, than its either water or some sugar enriched soda or drink.

[feelu4ia]

I live in Wilkes Barre, Pa. I could turn on the water in the shower on the 2nd floor and smell the chemicals in the water at the back door to my house. It smelled like the local YMCA pool, and this is supposed to be safe to drink? Before I spent $6k on a whole-house water treatment system for my home. It was probably the best investment I have made in the past ten years. I still sometimes drink Aquafina, which seems to be the best. I have bought water that I have had to throw away because I could taste the chemicals in it. The worst had to be Fox Ledge.

[lollo3]

I have been using a Brita filter for over ten years and it works reat...plus I love NYC tap water

[lollo3]

Brita filter definitly the way to go!! have been using it for ten years..taste is great..love NYC tap water!

[totalliberal]

Do we know what is in those bottles of water. In fact we know what is in our tap water, because it is tested throughout the day. A lot of bottled water comes straight from the tap.

(And New York water tastes the best.)

[JustMom]

Anyone have a link for one of those reusable water bottles?

[lizrothman]

Why we cannot all just stop drinking bottled water.

http://elizabethrothman.blogspot.com/

[Durango]

Proof positive that in America you can market anything.

There was a cartoon a while back in the newspaper.

Says one character to the other "Well, this answers the question on just how stupid they think we are . . "

Referring to a sign on a building that says: "Incumbent Party Headquarters" and "You Want Change-Vote For Us!"

Bottled water is the other example of just how stupid they know we are.

[gabbinjane]

For the same reason that Democrats keep drinking the same socialist/Marxist Kool Aid - and believe in the fraud of man made global warming. They're suckers for foolishness!!

[sedum]

I drink mineral water from Germany because I'm wildly addicted to it and wouldn't stop if I could. It has the drawback of turning my nails into talons. Great for the ladies I imagine.

It used to come in returnable glass bottles but shipping weight convinced the makers to go plastic. Bummer. I imagine though that the glass bottles presented another eco challenge (shipping) but I'm just too wired to gerolsteiner to change at my advanced age.

[nyscof]

We pay to have fluoride chemicals (silicofluorides - impure phosphate fertilizer waste) put into public water supplies. Then we are forced to buy bottled water to avoid those chemicals in our tap water. But we can't avoid the fluoride in the foods made, processed, cooked, baked, and/or reconstituted with that fluoridated tap water.

Opposition to fluoridation is growing in numbers, severity and in respectability

Take action to end fluoridation here:

http://congress.FluorideAction.net

[IThinkThereforeNotGOP]

Obviously, many people are hooked on bottled water (with similar rationalizations of our nation's addiction to oil). Until we all collectively come to our senses, here's a place to start:

http://www.bottlebill.org/

[RightWingMarine]

bottled water is convient, that is why I drink it. I don't always care for a coke or juice and water is a good alternative. When I am at home I drink tap water from a glass because I can put the cup in the dishwasher but I don't have a dishwasher at work. I'm way too forgetful to take a cup to work and bring it home even once a week and clean it and I don't feel like washing dishes at work. Bottled water is the way to go for me.

I don't care for drinking water straight from the bottle so I use a syrofoam cup at work but that is another matter. Styrofoam is a recycleable commodity, it just isn't profiable to do the recycling. I contend that I am being green by using a recycleable item but that my employer isn't meeting me half way and having a bin for used styrofoam.

[rationalindependent]

It is unfair on your part to categorize all bottled water drinkers as ignorant or uncaring of the environment. I live in NYC and the water in my building is GREEN, tastes nasty and has higher copper, lead content. NY city water, at source, is fine but the pipes in the building, city pipes during transportation can affect the quality of the city water. After extensive discussions with various agencies and having explored other options, I reluctantly gave in to bottled water. I try to follow most "green" solutions including using energy saving lights, 7th generation products,using recycled products etc. In this particular instance I found no economical or functionally viable options. Being a renter, it is not economically feasible to install expensive reverse osmosis system (which would be ideal), or to get permission from the landlord for the same. I tried Pur and Brita water tap filters and found them to be poor in quality, both leaked and the high turbidity in the water required replacement filter every 2 weeks which made it economically expensive relative to bottled water. Filter pitchers are extremely inconvenient requiring frequent filling. If companies came up with higher performance products, I would be happy to switch. Given what is currently available in the marketplace, the best choice was bottled water. That does not make me ignorant or uncaring about the environment. I would appreciate if you refrain from labeling people and perhaps spend your energy communicating to companies to come up with better products.

[Durango]

Take your used bottles and fill them up someplace you know the water is good.

NYC spends billions providing you with safe clean drinking water. Good tasting I hear as well. There is no reason to let that investment go to waste and blow money on bottled water.

Surely there is somewhere you can fill your bottles.

[TRYKER]

A reverse osmosis system is not expensive for the home. I put one in by myself, just followed the instructio­ns...easy.­..fun...be­st tasting water ever. As a renter, why would it be a problem? Just do it. Easy enough to disconnect and take with you to your next rental.
My system was less than $200.