A Think Outside the Bottle campaign kicked off today, urging municipal governments to cut off bottled-water contracts and to press for greater disclosure of the source of bottled H2O. The campaign is spearheaded by Corporate Accountability International and joined by cities including Boston, Minneapolis, Sacramento, and Portland, Ore., many of which held taste tests today to see if consumers can tell the difference between bottled and tap water. Chicago's mayor urged a 10-cent tax on bottled water, while Salt Lake City Mayor (and official Grist crush) Rocky Anderson told it like it is: "When I see people ... waste their money buying bottled water at the vending [machine] when it's standing right next to a water faucet, you really have to wonder at the utter stupidity and the responsibility sometimes of American consumers." Not to be outdone, the International Bottled Water Association issued a press release stating that the campaign is "based on factual errors and subjective viewpoints."
Bottled Rage
Anti-bottled-water campaign kicks off in cities across U.S. 4
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hanaarifaey Posted 4:41 am
11 Oct 2007
Center for a New American Dream's Carbon Conscious Consumer campaign encourages people to take one small step each month that will lead to a big green change. In October, New American Dream challenges people to Break the Bottled Water Habit.
Check out the Carbon Conscious Consumer website at c3.newdream.org to learn more about the campaign, for more reasons why breaking the bottled water habit is a good thing, and to learn helpful alternatives to buying disposable bottles!
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BigRed Posted 4:53 pm
11 Oct 2007
Try drinking water from fountains at schools and public areas in LA. It tastes VERY BAD - chemicals and some sort of sewage-ey / moldy yuck taste...no thanks. Sure, I will use a brita filter for tap water at home. But on the road, I gotta go with bottled water for now!
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jlomif Posted 12:51 pm
12 Oct 2007
You can still avoid bottled water while on the road. BYOB - before leaving, fill up a glass bottle that will hold your supply for the day and bring your water with you.
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hondavx Posted 3:01 am
26 Jun 2008
I heard that only 13% of plastic water bottles are recycled. If it's true the rest are in landfills to pollute the groundwater aquifiers.
I NH where I live a huge multi national water bottling company if muscleing it's way into the small town of Nottingham, NH. The bottling company wants to pump millions of gallons of ground water from the limited aquifier under the town that has taken thousands of years to accumulate. When they suck it dry they will leave. Some people in the town and surrounding towns have organized to stop the company from setting up a bottling plant.
Go to your local health food store and purchase a stainless water bottle to use and your tap water is probably better than most bottled water.
Bill perry from NH
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