Water for Thought

Next time you reach for bottled water, think about this (courtesy of EatingWell, Dec. 2007):

-In the US, more than 10 million barrels of oil are used to bottle water annually - and that's just the production. Consider the oil consumption (and emissions) required to bring water to the U.S., from Fiji, for example.

-Americans throw away 22 billion water bottles each year, over 60 million each day. It can take as long as 1,000 years for the average plastic bottle to biodegrade.

-Numerous studies show that bottled water is generally no safer or healthier than tap water, despite costing up to 10,000 times more. And, 40% of bottled water - including top brands Aquafina and Dasani - is simply filtered tap water, not water from natural springs or other "pure" sources.

Aware of the impact that bottling has on the earth's ecosystem, I have, for the past few years, only grabbed for the bottle of water when there are no other alternatives (i.e. when I'm out and about and couldn't lug around my re-fillable bottle). It's amazing the impact we could all make if we use our tap water, with filter systems if we don't like the taste (I have a simple pitcher one), and re-fillable bottles. Also, beware of refilling the bottles that bottled water comes in. They actually start to disintegrate after a short time, and you are likely drinking in the chemicals used in making the plastic! Instead, make the small investment into a bottle that's made for this purpose.