While climate activists across the US struggle to close down fossil fuel projects and hold elected officials accountable, it’s important to remember that many people in our movement are working equally hard to transform their own campuses and communities into models of sustainability. One of the best examples I can think of where young people have come together to reclaim our power from large corporations and take back the commons is the nation-wide movement to abolish bottled water and end privatization of this precious resource.
This week in the Northwest the Cascade Climate Network formally called for an end to bottled water in our communities, underscoring the importance of Take Back the Tap and Ban the Bottle campaigns already underway at many of our schools. Read the press release below:
Cascade Climate Network supports bottle-free communities
Eugene, OR- The Cascade Climate Network (CCN), an organization of Northwest campuses and communities collaborating to address climate change, formally took a stand to promote tap water over bottled water on January 4, 2011. The CCN will help campuses and communities with their efforts to discontinue the sale, purchase and distribution of bottled water.
Zachary Stark-MacMillan, co-facilitator of the CCN, says, “The support of the CCN will help spread this campaign to new communities and help campuses share the resources they need to run effective campaigns and have a larger impact.” Many national nonprofits are also working to promote tap water, such as Food and Water Watch and Corporate Accountability.
Bottled water has become a nation-wide issue and many cities and universities are taking steps to minimize their bottled water usage. San Francisco and other cities and counties such as Multnomah County do not spend any public funds on bottled water. Seattle University, University of Portland, Belmont University, Washington University, Brown University and other universities have already discontinued the use of all bottled water on campus.
“Bottled water awareness is increasing every day and many people are making the simple habit change to start using reusable containers to drink tap water, which is actually much healthier for us and the planet” says Terra Smith, previous Take Back the Tap Coordinator at the University of Oregon.
Every Bottle is 1/3 Oil
Bottled water production uses as much as 2,000 times more energy than it takes to produce tap water. A 20oz bottle of water requires 1/3 its volume in oil and 3 times its volume in water for manufacture, transportation, and disposal. When looking at the whole process it is much easier to see the quantities of oil that must go into the bottled water industry, which is a $11.5 billion a year industry.
Each year in the U.S., 17.6 million barrels of oil go into producing 29.8 billion plastic waterbottles. Of all these bottles, only 2 in every 10 are actually recycled. The rest either go into the landfill or contribute to the North Pacific Garbage Patch, which is a floating mass of plastic in the Pacific Ocean that is twice the size of Texas and has up to 40 times more plastic than plankton.
Health is also a concern with bottled water because the EPA regulates tap water, which is tested 100 to 400 times a month depending on the population being supplied. However, bottled water manufacturers do testing on their own products and sources, but are not required to submit their reports to the FDA. Tests of bottled water straight off the shelf have found toluene, styrene, and bisphenol A (BPA).
Economics is another concern because bottled water costs up to 10,000 times more than tap water. Bottled water can costs consumers anywhere from $0.89 to $8.26 per gallon, while tap water costs $.002 per gallon. In Eugene the price of tap water is $.0018 per gallon.
“I personally think that once people learn the facts about bottled water they will realize how ridiculous it truly is,” says Smith.
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The Cascade Climate Network is an organization on a mission to build a sustainable, just, and prosperous future for all.
Its very easy to drink tap water while in your home or at your workplace, but the most discouraging aspect to the bottled water v. tap water debate is the invisible barrier to access that people perceive when trying to stay hydrated while out and about. Asking a stranger to refill your reusable bottle in a shop or restaurant can be awkward and unnerving for many people, especially when a simple alternative is readily available in the form of a disposable bottle of spring water. Social discomfort swiftly trumps individual enviro-impact. We’ve actually been developing and delivering a community-based initiative to help rectify this issue. Using our website (bluew.org) and smart phone application, we work in partnership with municipalities, local businesses and conservation groups to provide online mapped details on where to find clean, free sources across the nation to refill your reusable bottle without feeling compelled to make any additional purchases. We’re working hard to give people barrier-free access to clean, healthy tap water while out of their homes.