HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/31/2007, - NEWSPAPER CLIPPING BOTTLED WATER'S BIG ENGERY FOOTPRINT i 1,+4 G
ENVIRO'41 NME ��NT
SU Nn A I', Artt I 22 , 2007 THE TRIBUNE B5
The Earth Policy Institute estimates that nearly 1.5 million barrels of oil are used yearly
to make plastic bottles for water, and nearly 90 percent of the bottles are not recycled
TER' " BIG ENERGY FOOTPRINTBOTTUM
By Tom PAULSON ready the world's largest mar- recalls are unusual. and Nestle (Perrier, Poland ly a big issue but I don't see it
Scuttle Post[ntclligenmr ket for bottled water.There are The FDA does allow trace Spring and a host of other as connected to bottled water."
America's infatuation with a variety of explanations for levels of contaminants in bot- brands) are the major players As for the claim that bottled
drinking high-priced"natural" this put forward by the purvey- tied water based on the same in the United States. water causes global warming,
water from a bottle rather than ors of bottled water,including criteria set by the Environmen- Wall Street and investment Read said the sante argument
from the tap is contributing to the contention that it is cleaner tai Protection Agency for tap managers are predicting the could be made against any bev-
global warming and could even than tap water. water. But on the FDA's Web- bottled water market (or, as erage packaged in a plastic bot-
qualify as an immoral act. The water used byAquafina, site,the agency also says."Bot- one enthusiast called it, the de,transported and sold.
That,at least,is the position Dasani and other brands starts "blue gold" market) to just "I think it's a little bit odd
of a number of environmental, as plain tap water.It al- keep growing.Water,say some that bottled water is being sin-
social justice and religious or- ready has been financial investment managers, gled out in this way,"he said.
ganizations. through a purification is the next best thing to oil or Ethos Water says its goal is to
"People need to think about process.But the water kr diamonds.That's where the use profit to assist poor commu-
all the unnecessary energy that will be put in bot- .,syr moral issues of bottled water nities hard hit by the world wa-
costs that go into making bot- tles is further"puri- '�' ' comes in. ter crisis.Ethos is a water boP
tle of water,"said Peter Gleick, fled"by a number of ���a+� The United Church of der that was acquired in 2005 by
an expert on water policy and processes.such as 1,`' __ '+�9� Christ,United Church of Cana- Starbucks.Its founders say they
director of a think tank in Oak- filtration or re- ;s._ da, National Council of launched the company'a few
land called the Pacific Institute. verse osmosis i -" Churches,National Coalition years prior to that,in California,
More than 8 billion gallons- (which removes . of American Nuns and Pres- to raise money for water proj-
of bottled water is U.S.—ane- minerals that are s,--�
<r ., byterians for Restoring Cre- ects in Lite developing world.
ounce
egl in the . p an y then sometimes mes �.,k' `) ation are among the reli- Today, as a subsidiary of
—representass ing
g$11person per day added back,most- f gious organizations that Starbucks. Ethos donates live
sa rs.The
Sll billionIn in ly for taste rea- have raised questions about cents for every bottle sold to-
sales.The Earth Policy insti- sons). the"privatization"of water. ward the goal of raising$10
Lute estimated diYt n make the '"the bottled n They regard the industrial million for nater projects in
plastic for the bohles bums up water industry is t 1 n purchase of and repackaging poor countries.
somethinz Gke I oh bar- selling a vision of a 1 at a much higher resale price '7 wanted to create a brand
rels of oil-enough to power purity and people Y of this basic resource
100,000atrs ra t p (bottled that wculd raise awareness
�_ y�r.Nearly are buying it with �, watercosts about 1,000 times about the world water crisis,"
no percent . the-bottles are the best of intentions."m more than tap water)as an un- said Peter Thum,founder of
not recycled. said Gina Solomon,a ethical trend. Ethos Water and now a vice
U you add up all the energy senior scientist with _mo i t Pf+ ys "The moral call is for us to president at Starbucks.
used to make the plastic,to the Natural Resources !.4k not privatize water."said Cas- Thum snvs he respects Gle-
process and 611 the bottle,to Defense Council.'9M1ha[ ; sandra Carmichael,director of ick and understands his com-
transport bottled water to mar- they don't realize is that F; eco-justice programs for the Na- plaint about the energy costs
ket and then deal with the bottled water is actually much tional Council of Churches.Bot- that go into bottled water.He
waste,Gleick offered a simple less regulated than tap water. tied water plants generally are tied water is the rip of the ice. said he didn't know the eco-
way to visualize the average en- There are a number of studies assigned a low priority for in- berg,Carmichael believes,of a nornics of the situation well
ergy cost: in which we find arsenic,disun- spection." push by industry to take owner- enough to respond to concerns
It would be Eke filling up a fection byproducts and bacte- The FDA is required to in- ship of this basic resource. about water privatization.
quarter of every bottle with ria in bottled water." spect water-bottling plants 'Ve're scratching our heads Ethos has already funded a
oil." The Food and Drug Admin- twice a year. on that one," said Preston number of water improvement
One of the simplest things istration,which is responsible But if someone makes bot- Read,spokesman for the Amer- projects in places like
folks can do to reduce their-en- for regulating bottled water, tled water in one state ar d sells ican Beverage Association. Bangladesh, Indonesia,Ethi-
ergy footprint,"he said,is to last month recalled lermuk it only in that state,it is not reg- '94'ater privatization is certain- opia.Honduras and India.
drink tap water rather than buy bottled water sold in California ulated by the FDA
bottled water.If you don't like under five brand names after The bottled water market to-
the taste,he said,buy a filter. finding levels of arsenic high day is big business.Coca-Cola
"There's really no valid.rea_ enough to cause nausea.Such (Dasani),PepsiCo (Aquafina)
son to think bottled water is ! �j �•
any healthier than tap water: r �E it�lI I k
Gleick said.
Despite the fact that the �;;°,r�r;Irl ;SPECIAL CITYCOUNCIL
United States generally has .L. MEETING- .
S high-quality tap water,it is al-
- ,,TUESDAY;.IIPRI L 34; 2007