Campaign against bottled water

Here we go again! Another gullible journalist sucked into the debate about bottled water, he obviously was stuck for a newsworthy story. See his article below; it’s part fact part fiction and part blatant propaganda.

My stance on the bottled water debate is that all plastic bottle whether for water or any other beverage, along with all non-recyclable plastic should be banned, but of course it won’t be because there is too much money involved and the government have no appetite for taking on the might of the petrochemical industry, they’re much too soft for that. So if you were the government and you wanted to make “noises” about Carbon Footprint and the environment who would you attack? An easier target that’s for sure and that target would be the poor old man in the street, they already know that it will have little effect, but at least they would have been seen to make an effort.
Look at the first paragraph.

“Expert say that not only is it over-priced, but its cost to the environment is astronomical”

What are the experts in? Why do we not get shown the evidence instead of the “woolly” term expert? I bet as you read this you are an expert on whether or not a bottle of water is overpriced or whether or not 10 billion plastic bottles going to land fill is right!
One thing that I do know is that if there are 13 billion plastic bottles of water sold annually there are probably 30.000.000 people who know that they prefer it, and remember we are just talking plastic bottles here and there is a lot of water bottled in glass!
What about Jacqui Lowdon’s woolly comment “But the quantities of calcium or magnesium (cal-mag) are tiny. Depending on where you live, you can often glean more calcium from tap water”

The key words here are depending on where you live (it’s 1.15 am as I write this and I’m laughing) and can often glean so that must mean that some places totally lack cal-mag but we don’t know where and in other areas there is unspecified amounts of cal-mag but we cannot always glean it from the water.
Beware the Red Herring excessive levels of sodium as scare mongering. Let’s suppose that you drank the recommended 2 litres of water a day (do you?) and that water contained 150mg a litre that would be 300mg wouldn’t it? Now compare the following: 1 litre of milk 500mg – canned soup 4500mg – 2 slices of white bread 540mg 1 slice of fried bacon 1800 – 100 grammes corn flakes 1200mg

Myth: It tastes better.
I’m an expert and in most cases it does taste better, but plastic bottles should still be banned.

The Decanter Wine Magazine test.
Blind taste by experts (that word again) but what were they experts in, wine, water, publishing? It doesn’t say, how many were there? Did they choose water from across the range or were they “selective”?
In defence of Ian Halls comment from the Natural Mineral Water Association (a real expert) “Bottled water has also improved the health of the nation by giving a convenient alternative to fizzy, sugary drinks” I think that he is probably right, but a bit exaggerated.

Any way, enough of my “rant” continue reading and see what you think, but take it with a pinch of salt, or perhaps not!

ARTICLE.

Experts argue that not only is it over-priced, but its cost to the environment is astronomical. Yesterday, London Mayor Ken Livingstone launched a campaign to urge people to ask for humble tap water in restaurants, cafes and pubs instead. And given the improved quality of tap water, why do we still spend £2billion a year on the bottled stuff?
Here we explode the most common myths about bottled water.

Myth: Bottled water is higher in nutrients
Truth: Nutritionally, bottled water is no better for you than tap water, according to a study at the University of Geneva. "Yes, some bottled waters contain minerals," says dietician Jacqui Lowdon, from the British Dietetic Association. "But the quantities of calcium or magnesium are tiny. Depending on where you live, you can often glean more calcium from tap water." Not only that but some brands, both still and sparkling, contain excessive levels of sodium - high levels of which are linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure and stroke.

Myth: It tastes better
Truth: In a blind taste test for Decanter wine magazine, experts were asked to rate 20 different bottles of water. Nobody spotted that one was tap water - one taster even picked it as his favourite. Some mineral-rich bottled water can taste salty and heavier than tap water, but in most studies people can't tell the difference. "If tap water does have an aftertaste, it's often from the chlorine that's added by law," explains Lowdon. "Refrigerating water overnight removes this."

Still not convinced? Use a filter jug such as those made by Brita (£18.95 from Boots). But change the filter monthly, as they can be a breeding ground for bacteria. You can also buy filters to fit on to your tap from hardware stores. Filters remove 99 per cent of chlorine, trace heavy metals such as lead, and a bacteria called cryptosporidium, which in rare cases could cause tummy bugs.

Myth: It makes you prettier/ slimmer/sportier
Truth: There are a growing number of "functional" waters, which have had nutrients artificially added in order to make health claims - detox or weight loss for instance. "These expensive waters are unlikely to improve our skin or help us lose weight - all the additions to water are usually just marketing ploys," says Lowdon. "The amount of vitamins added is tiny. You're better off getting them from five daily servings of fruit and veg, and calcium from dairy products." Many of these enhanced waters also contain sugar and artificial flavourings and may have as many calories as conventional soft drinks.

Myth: It is safer
Truth: Both tap and bottled water are rigorously tested - though tap is tested more often. Even Richard Laming, of the Bottled Water Information Office, says: "Tap water is safe and perfectly healthy." Some people fear that fluoride (added to tap water in the West Midlands and North East of England) may cause osteoporosis and cancer, but there's no hard evidence of this. Yet plastic bottles can attract bacteria, especially if reused. Some experts fear that oestrogen-mimicking chemicals linked to breast and bladder cancer, found in some plastic bottles, may get into the water. But if you've got toxic lead pipes, get them changed. See the Drinking Water Inspectorate's free leaflet, Lead In Drinking Water - Have You Got Lead Pipes? (from www.dwi.gov.uk).

Myth: It is more natural
Truth: Unlike tap water, "natural mineral" water can claim to be chlorine and chemical-free, but much bottled water comes from the same sources as local tap water. Lowdon says: "Even if it has been filtered through volcanic rock it doesn't mean it's better for your health - it's still only water!"
IS IT WORTH THE MONEY?

NO Environment minister Phil Woolas says: "It is absurd to use up our resources to manufacture a bottle, fill it with water from somewhere else and use more energy to transport it hundreds of miles - only for the bottle to be sent to landfill or recycled (using yet more energy) - when the alternative is to turn on the tap.
"It's welcome news that some of the bottled water companies are encouraging recycling, but we already have water at the end of a pipe, which doesn't have nearly as big an effect on the environment."

YES Ian Hall, water expert and ex-chairman of the Natural Mineral Water Association, says:
"Tap water is safe but, unlike bottled water, it has chlorine added to it and, in some areas, other chemicals like fluoride, which not everyone wants. Bottled water has also improved the health of the nation by giving a convenient alternative to fizzy, sugary drinks. "And when it comes to the environment, the water utilities' carbon footprint is estimated at 1.9 million tonnes of car bon dioxide equivalent per year. A lot of water is wasted through leaks and burst pipes. Shouldn't the government address that?"

5 GREEN REASONS TO SWITCH TO TAP WATER

1. IT takes seven litres of water to make a single one-litre plastic bottle.
2. THE £2 that would buy you one bottle of water would pay for 10,000 litres of tap water.
3. WE buy 13 billion plastic bottles of water a year and only recycle three billion - 10 billion are thrown away.
4. A LITRE of a leading brand of French mineral water generates up to 600 times more carbon dioxide (CO2) than a litre of Thames tap water, thanks to the packaging, transportation and waste disposal.
5. TRANSPORTING bottled water in the UK produces 33,200 tons of CO2 emissions - equivalent to the energy consumption of 6,000 homes.