I got a letter from the government the other day, I opened and read it, it said they were suckers

[raybear]

Aquafina is tap water, and now they have to label it as such.

I buy bottled water on occasions -- during road trips, when I'm out on my bike and I forgot a water bottle, summer outdoor activities when dehydrated -- but for the most part, I drink public water. It is the most ethical choice for me, personally, to make sure the majority of the water I consume comes out of a tap. Because bottled water: 1) produces large amounts of unnecessary plastic waste; 2) furthers the gaps between those with privilege¹; and, 3) as the study above shows, is paying extra money to big corporations to drink out of the tap anyway.

I'm not anti-filtration systems, either on spouts or in pitcher forms. I am slightly less bothered by water coolers. I am anti-hundreds of disposable plastic bottles of fake fancy water. And actually, I know lots of people who buy cases of individual bottle water and these are people I know and love and I never say anything because everyone has the right to make their own choices. Plus, it would be annoying to hear me prattle on pretentiously about politics whenever someone generously offers me a beverage while I'm visiting their home. But these are the things that go through my mind on a consistent basis and inform my own daily life.

I don't think this is just my fascination with Peak Oil Survival talking here.....water rights is a big unaddressed issue and connects lots of ideas, like public access to utilities, private ownership, renewable resources, economies in developing countries, capitalist consumption, truth-in-advertising, etc. Ok, ok, I guess water is my 'crackpot issue' -- the one Issue to Unite Them All. I should start writing my weekly letters to the editor now.


¹: Is the water "bad" in your area? Then I believe its better to do something about it in a way that helps everyone -- pay attention to who's on the water commission, write letters, join watchdog groups, call the EPA, whatever. Because maybe some of us can afford to spend extra money on buying drinking water on top of paying the water bill, but not everyone in your community can afford that, so if everyone with money starts buying outside and no one does anything about the public supply, guess who gets left behind? The people who already have fewer resources anyway, including kids.

Comments

picture me giving a damn, I said never.

[unscrambled.livejournal.com]

Of course you know I'm your brother in ranting on this one. Let me also just say that for a lot of people who have "bad" water, the water is not actually bad at all, it just tastes like something. Dangerous water in the tap is directly correlated with living in a place where most people don't have enough money to buy bottled water. Not that mainstream environmentalists give a shit about environmental racism, but, you know. Anyway, the tap. Yes. I like it as your issue, it fits well.

Re: picture me giving a damn, I said never.

[raybear.livejournal.com]

its one of the few things in my life i can connect to my bachelor's degree! even though, everything i learned about it was not during those classes.

and also yes, i forgot to mention bad taste doesn't mean bad water. there's dysentery, then there's a touch of chlorine. i'm going to make a PSA: just throw a slice of lemon into your pitcher and you're good to go with your bourgie tap-water drinking self!

Re: picture me giving a damn, I said never.

[unscrambled.livejournal.com]

Let me suggest to you that there's money to be made in the "just because it has a taste" enterprise. Our water cooler got eliminated at work a few years ago, and my coworkers sniffed and complained about drinking from the taps. I bet them $20 a piece that the water, when tested, would show no contamination (let me say that I made this bet in an old building in Bronzeville, so I was out on a limb, but convinced)--I made $140. Sweet ride.

[loosethread.livejournal.com]

what do you think about bottled water if it was bottled in glass? i remember when i was a kid getting those 8 packs of soda in the glass bottles and then you could return them for money off of the next 8 pack. it seems like that could potentially be environmentally conscious and potentially affordable (if i guess, the water wasn't crazy marked up).

[raybear.livejournal.com]

sure, that would mean less plastic waste, but it also seems like a whole lot of effort and money to avoid tap water, when my point is there's nothing WRONG with tap water. the only thing is the taste, not any actual dangerous content of the tap water (assuming you are drinking from the tap in 98% of the united states). for taste, you can use pitcher filters or throw a slice of citrus into your pitcher and its great. (or you can just keep drinking it and you get used to it.)

if you get a chance to read the article, they talk about how bottled water is this huge billion-dollar industry, and yet, its not highly profitable. so even from a capitalistic standpoint, what's the point? what are we tricking ourselves into thinking? and why not stop the cycle and save ourselves some money as individuals in the process?

and just for the record, i think Evian tastes nasty.

[nineinchlovely.livejournal.com]

Coming from where I live, I tend to be an oddball about water. Bad taste does not always equal bad water, nor does no taste/good taste equal good water. I tend to view "city water" (and bottled water) as both a novelty and privilege. We had our own well growing up, and in rare times of drought, we bought water by the jug. But when there's minimal treatment between the ground and my mouth (i.e. not in Chicago), I still tend to be cautious about its smells (and to a lesser degree tastes) just the same.

[nineinchlovely.livejournal.com]

"where I live" should be "used to live" ;)

[loosethread.livejournal.com]

oh, i totally understand and agree with what you are saying. the whole, what's the point of going to the trouble of bottling water at all. and i understand that you're talking about changing the way people think about their water consumption as a whole. i think i was just feeling nostalgic for those 8 packs. and actually, i just bought a way too expensive bottle of water the other day that came in a glass bottle. but i allowed myself to buy it thinking i would keep it here at work and refill it from our water thing. i was think that it would clean easier than plastic. also, i think everything tastes better out of glass than plastic or aluminum. and, just saying, i don't have a problem with tap water.

[raybear.livejournal.com]

hahah, now i understand. you are just pro-glass bottles and trying to unite our causes!

the orgo produce delivery people we order from offers milk in glass bottles and i'm tempted to do that, because i don't like the taste of cartons and plastic, but i worry i'm not responsible enough and will end up with spoilt milk (because i need to leave adequate coolers on delivery nights, etc.). i love soda from glass bottles too. i like the deposit method. it all takes a tad more effort, but what's wrong with effort when the payoff is worth it? less garbage and better tasting beverages.

yes, loose, i will join your cause.

[nineinchlovely.livejournal.com]

But what brand is the glass bottled milk? If it is Oberweis, I'd personally avoid it, because the dude is a bastard for real.

hysterically unrelated.

[unscrambled.livejournal.com]

I would have sent you this via email, but my account is all messed up and you need to see this picture of Don Cheadle and his cowboy hat rightnow.

http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/dynamic/imgs/020925/165043__cheadle_l.jpg

Re: hysterically unrelated.

[raybear.livejournal.com]

i busted out laughing and got a hard-on at the same time. in other words, strangely perfect.