December 6, 2007

Bottled vs. Tap: Deja Vu

Newsweek has an article up in today's online edition:

Is Bottled Water Better Than Tap?
It may be trendy to sip brand-name water, but experts say it's no healthier than drinking from the faucet.

Hmm. Something vaguely familiar....didn't I read something about...

[d'oh!]

Of course. It was ME.
"People who purchase water are basically paying money for a product
inferior to one that their tax dollars have already delivered to their
homes in huge quantities."
But Newsweek found some new information;
"While clean water in any form is good for you, tap water is better for the environment. Bottled water is usually packaged in single-use bottles made from fossil fuels, says Janet Larsen, director of research for the Earth Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. And bottled water often travels long distances, which can burn a lot more fuel. This week, the EPI released new data that shows that manufacturing the 29 billion plastic bottles used for water in the United States requires the equivalent of more than 17 million barrels of crude oil."
And in a conclusion that warms this maniac's cockles:
The EPA's (Head of Water Programs) (Benjamin) Grumbles drinks bottled water only when he's on airplanes or traveling. "We're a mobile society, so there will always be a need for bottled water," he says. "[But] tap water is a tremendous bargain."
You bet it is. As I concluded back in August:

And you can smugly watch the stupid people fill their carts up with cases of bottled water while tucking their lottery tickets into their pockets.
Bottoms Up!

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2 comments:

  1. I have to agree with you. I'm a huge water drinker, and I've tried the various bottled waters and have now gone back to tap. Sometimes I use a facet filter to improve the taste.

    And it sure is better for the environment.

    SCG

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  2. I just have to shake my head everytime a hurricane warning is posted and people start filling grocery carts with water.

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