Two views of Portland’s Mt Hood and the receding Palmer Glacier
So after rattling on about Toyota Prius drivers gunning their cars past me, [I'm sick of the co-opting of green] and Live Earth the concerts that didn’t appear to help anything let alone Earth, [Live Earth is a win for global yawning..] I now turn my attention to that ubiquitous accessory – the water bottle. I was going to bring up the “why can’t people just drink water from the faucet?” argument a while ago but I let it lie then I read Water, water everywhere, but guilt by the bottleful and it got me going again. Some article excerpts:
The argument centers not on water, but oil. It takes 1.5 million barrels a year just to make the plastic water bottles Americans use, according to the Earth Policy Institute in Washington, plus countless barrels to transport it from as far as Fiji and refrigerate it.
Bottled water has now overtaken coffee and milk in sales nationally, and is catching up with beer.
Most empty bottles end up not in recycling bins but in the garbage.
Over the last 15 years, the bottled water industry has been astonishingly successful in turning a product that once seemed an indulgence into a daily companion. Savvy marketers even managed to recast this mundane product as a talisman of sexiness — Jennifer Aniston is the new face of Glacéau SmartWater. But the fickleness of fashion may be tilting against the industry. In preparation for New York Fashion Week this September, Aveda has an agreement with several design labels, including 3.1 Phillip Lim, Rodarte, Temperley London, Thakoon and Marc Bouwer to use recycled aluminum bottles for the water served to models and stylists backstage.
Word is spreading. An editorial on Aug. 1 in The New York Times, “In Praise of Tap Water,†argued against bottled water on the ground that “this country has some of the best public water supplies in the world.†The piece was high on the list of the most e-mailed articles for several days.
The answer is twofold – buy a flask or similar container and fill it up from the tap…
a good reminder to get a re-usable mug for that latte too.
August 13th, 2007 at 7:07 pmjosh k
Good point Josh. Also while you are at it quit the daily Starbucks habit and save massive amounts of calories from fat, water usage, paper waste and at least $3.50 x 5 = $17.50 a week. You’ll also help stop the homogenization of the world’s coffee houses and stop the global hegemony of the worst tasting coffee I’ve ever tasted. You’ll be guilt free for a long time to come.
August 13th, 2007 at 7:24 pmI switched to a nice POM glass to satisfy my water needs. They say that Portlands tap water is pretty clean and after moving into a house that required us to replace the plumbing, I have been able to experience its freshness sans oxidized metals!!
August 14th, 2007 at 5:49 amwith the great tap water (courtesy of the marvelous bull run watershed) and the great beer (courtesy of just about everyone) in p-town, why would someone need to purchase bottled water here? (bad plumbing and unfortunate residence in the ‘couv, notwithstanding) plus, I already pay a water bill… why pay twice for the same thing?
August 14th, 2007 at 11:06 amSome bottled water doesn’t even meet the standards of tap water…..! And if it’s good enough to go in our beer, well…
August 14th, 2007 at 11:57 am