Unit 4: Ethical and Environmental Impacts of Bottled Water
Despite there being thousands of people, many of them children in third world countries, dying every year from drinking contaminated water, we still spend millions of dollars on bottled water. So, why do we still spend so much money on bottled water when many of these third world countries can’t afford to build water treatment plants, and when we have clean tap water. According to Tessa Marano from 1 Million Women, people from developed countries still contribute to this crisis because of marketing. It is stated in the article that through marketing, we are brainwashed into thinking that bottled water is cleaner, healthier, crisper and tastier than regular old tap water. ("Why Do We Continue To Buy Bottled Water? | 1 Million Women", 2018) This plays such a big ethical issue on how we abuse our water consumption from not only drinking water but also showering, bathing, brushing our teeth, etc.
A study has estimated that bottling water produces 2.5 million tonnes of CO2 in America alone. The same study found that it took 3 litres of water to produce just 1 litre of water. Not only are we abusing our vast access of water, we are contributing to pollution since so many of these plastic bottles often end up in our oceans and can have a disastrous impact on the health of marine life, birds, and our ocean in general. Although a plastic bottle in its original form is not hugely problematic, once the bottles eventually break down into small fragments is where the issues begin. Marine animals can ingest these fragments causing internal problems which may even kill them. These fragments are usually riddled with toxic chemicals including BPA and PS oligomer and make their way up the food chain, eventually back to humans.
I believe that since we have the resources to make a difference, we should make the right choice and minimize or even eliminate or use of bottled water. It’s not like bottled water is the only way we can access water. Avoiding single use plastic bottles is the first and most important step to ending the bottled water epidemic. The taste of chlorinated tap water may be enough to turn you away from tap water and onto bottled water, but it has been found that installing a filtration device is often more energy efficient and cost effective than buying bottled water. It may even taste better as well!You can make a difference by going reusable by using a reusable metal or glass bottle instead of buying water each day.
Do you guys believe that we’re being brainwashed as the article stated or are we just being lazy to make a positive change on our environment.
Why Do We Continue To Buy Bottled Water? | 1 Million Women. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/science-behind-bottled-water-why-were-still-buying-it
A study has estimated that bottling water produces 2.5 million tonnes of CO2 in America alone. The same study found that it took 3 litres of water to produce just 1 litre of water. Not only are we abusing our vast access of water, we are contributing to pollution since so many of these plastic bottles often end up in our oceans and can have a disastrous impact on the health of marine life, birds, and our ocean in general. Although a plastic bottle in its original form is not hugely problematic, once the bottles eventually break down into small fragments is where the issues begin. Marine animals can ingest these fragments causing internal problems which may even kill them. These fragments are usually riddled with toxic chemicals including BPA and PS oligomer and make their way up the food chain, eventually back to humans.
I believe that since we have the resources to make a difference, we should make the right choice and minimize or even eliminate or use of bottled water. It’s not like bottled water is the only way we can access water. Avoiding single use plastic bottles is the first and most important step to ending the bottled water epidemic. The taste of chlorinated tap water may be enough to turn you away from tap water and onto bottled water, but it has been found that installing a filtration device is often more energy efficient and cost effective than buying bottled water. It may even taste better as well!You can make a difference by going reusable by using a reusable metal or glass bottle instead of buying water each day.
Do you guys believe that we’re being brainwashed as the article stated or are we just being lazy to make a positive change on our environment.
Why Do We Continue To Buy Bottled Water? | 1 Million Women. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/science-behind-bottled-water-why-were-still-buying-it
I agree with your opinion on how we should limit our use of bottled water. I found it interesting that the concept of bottled water "brainwashes" people as stated by the article. Though, I don't believe that is the main reason why we're struggling to make a change. I think that we're not willing to put in enough effort to eliminate the use of bottled water since it's hard to give up something that many people use on a day to day basis.
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