by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
On the morning of May 5, 2009, New York Governor David Paterson issued an executive order phasing out state spending on bottled water in response to our grassroots efforts. It is the most comprehensive action taken by a governor to date, and it sets the standard for the 49 other governors we are urging to follow suit.
Even as water scarcity becomes an increasingly critical problem around the world, bottled water corporations would have us believe that the only place to get clean, safe water is from a bottle. But the fact is, our tap water is more highly regulated than bottled water -- and, as New York and countless other cities have demonstrated, going back to the tap is good for our communities and good for our pocketbooks.
There are even many that are as scrupulous as to talk of ethical bottled water because some of their profits help to bring clean water to the Third World. Talk of greenwashing or what.
I get sometimes completely misunderstood, on purpose, I believe, and those companies attacked will counter with the “fact” that they are using compostable water bottles. It is, however, not the bottles so much that I am complaining about – though they are included in the equation – but the fact that spring water (and municipal sourced water) is needlessly put into plastic bottles, the material of which also might not be good for health, and then sold at a horrendous price over the price of tap.
In most places in the Developed World there is nothing wrong with tap or even well water. If you do not like the taste, be this due to chlorine or lime scale, or whatever, get a jug filter or even better. That eliminates that problem and then get a nice reusable bottle of non BPA containing plastic, such as the “We Want Tap” one, or stainless steel one. There are enough choices about. Get away though from the bottled water, whether or not there is a percentage of the price that goes to this or that charity.
My concern, as said, is not so much the plastic bottles, though that is bad enough; it is the needless use of water.
© 2009
<>
Think Outside the Bottle success
