I found this on Huffington Post and think it’s a great break down of all the reasons to stop buying bottled water. Whoever thought this up points out an interesting vicious cycle that goes a little bit like this: Tap water tastes bad and is sometimes of questionable quality partially because the government lacks funds and power to fix aging municipal water systems–> People drink the tap water and decide it tastes bad so they (the affluent in particular) begin to buy bottled water regularly–>In consuming bottled water, they no longer need to deal with bad-tasting water and do not take action to pass bills which would improve water quality–>water continues to taste bad because no one cares enough to address the problem.
82-year-old Jean Hill is making a stink. People in her home town of Concord, Massachusetts know her for the excellent blueberry jam she makes, but she has also gotten attention for her campaign to ban local merchants from selling bottled water. For a while it seemed that the battle had been won and that Concord would become the first town in America to ban the bottle (see link posted in this bluegranola post). This could still happen, but there are some hurdles to clear before January 1st when the ban would take effect.
Despite overwhelming support from the public, Mrs. Hill’s initiative is being questioned by politicians who aren’t sure if the ban can be effectively enforced. Certain bottling corporations are also putting in their two cents, threatening to sue the city. I recommend reading this New York Times article to learn more about this David vs. Goliath-esque environmental battle. Click here to read the full story.
Here are the latest news stories regarding water or the environment.
Experts Name the Top 19 Solutions to the Global Freshwater Crisis: A new study conducted by the international research firm GlobeScan has collected the responses of a wide range of water experts to find some answers to the pressing issues of the fresh water crisis.
Recycling ‘Tiny Trash’: What should be done about the 4.5 trillion cigarette butts that find their way into ecosystems each year? A new recycling plan might solve this dilemma.
Water Adds New Constraints to Power: California is putting new constraints on industries which generate power that would discourage the use of fresh water for power plant cooling
I just found this amazing video that reveals the truth about bottled water: where it comes from, why we buy into the corporate scheme, bottled water’s environmental impact, and what we can do to reverse the environmental damage that this industry causes. The video is made by the same people who created the Story of Stuff video which I posted on bluegranola a little while ago. I truly recommend watching this- I’ve never found such a concise and thorough description of bottled water’s environmental harm in all my internet researching. Enjoy!
Here’s a website (I know, I know- I’ve posted this before…) that describes the bottled water problem in more detail and provides solutions to kicking this unnecessary, eco-unfriendly, expensive product from the market once and for all: stopcorporateabuse.org
Terrible flooding in Machu Picchu, Peru this week has left thousands of tourists stranded.
American helicopters have been airlifting citizens out of danger, but what will happen to Peruvian locals who are now homeless and vulnerable to the elements?
This video outlines the efforts made by the Chinese government to curb the effects of a drought that is effecting three million people in the southwest region.
Newport, Rhode Island, a popular tourist destination, suffers the same problems as many other old cities– water pollution caused by deteriorating sewage systems and urban storm runoff. Watch the video here.
