The 2012 film “The Lorax” (based on the book by Dr. Seuss) features an antagonist who makes a fortune selling bottled air after removing all of the trees from the community, thereby forcing the citizens to rely on his product. At one point a marketer smiles into the camera and says, “Our research shows that people will buy ANYTHING if it is placed in a plastic bottle.” It’s a clear shot at the bottled water industry, but, sadly it’s 100% accurate.
We all want clean and fresh drinking water. So much so that annual global bottled water sales equal $50 billion. $50 billion on water that–in most cases–is taken straight from the tap, filtered via a reverse osmosis system which renders the water unhealthy and acidic, placed in a chemical-leeching bottle, shipped thousands of miles (unnecessarily wasting fossil fuels), and sits on store shelves dead for weeks on end before you actually crack open the bottle to consume it. And then, because 90% of bottles are not recycled, they are left to pile up in landfills where they will take approximately 450 years to decompose, contaminating the soil and groundwater around them in the process.
Does this make sense to you? Does anyone benefit from this madness besides the greedy bottled water companies? Are you one of the 54% of Americans who regularly consume bottled water because you believe it is safer than tap or simply because you enjoy the convenience of it?
“A tree falls the way it leans. Be careful which way you lean.”
–Dr. Seuss
Unlike tap water, most bottled waters are either not regulated whatsoever or are under-regulated, which means that despite the hefty price tag, your bottled water may still contain traces of chemicals, contaminants, and pharmaceutical drugs, as evidenced by two separate National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) studies.
The water, energy and barrels of oil used to make, label, seal, pack and ship bottled water is staggering. For a visual estimation, for every bottle of water you consume, picture 1/4 of that bottle being filled with oil.
Without water, we would cease to exist. Researchers predict a looming water crisis, with shortages effecting much of the earth by 2025 due to increased population and our own carelessness. They’re calling water “blue gold” and some are looking to privatize the distribution of water. In many states it is already illegal to collect rainwater on your own property. Natural News reports that there is a man actually being jailed over this nonsense.
“Unless someone like you cares an awful whole lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
–Dr. Seuss
You can make a difference. Start saying no to bottled water. Install a high-quality water filter in your home. Fill a reusable BPA-free water bottle with your filtered tap water before leaving the house. Not only will you save money, but you will be drinking healthier water and preserving our most natural resource. Your wallet, your body, and our earth will thank you.
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