Do You Really Need Fiji Water More Than Fijians Do?

Fiji water seems to have replaced Evian in the status-symbol category, becoming an accessory seen in the arms of the same type of people who constantly carry tiny dogs. You know, the Paris Hilton set. It’s marketed as a super-fresh, great-tasting bottled water that’s far superior to what comes out of your tap.  But, wake-up call: at least you have clean water coming out of your tap.  That’s more than Fijians have.

Yes, that’s right: as a money-hungry corporation (big surprise) drills into the artesian aquifer in this remote South Pacific island, bottles it up (with plastic bottles imported from China) and sends it across the world to areas where people already have clean water to drink, native Fijians have to make do with dirty, polluted water.

From willisays:

In looking for examples of good clean water programs, I came accross the Humanitarian Services division of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Over the last 5 years, they’ve done clean water projects in 34 countries. More about that later.

Here’s where the two stories converge. One of those projects is in Fiji. The village Navunimono gets it’s water from a river polluted by cattle grazing, runoff and other stuff. Humanitarian Services helped the village construct 3 water tanks and now they have clean water.

I’m happy they have clean water now but the story points out problems around the world. What did the military dictator of Fiji do about the water problem? What about the American company taking clean water from another part of the island chain?

This is a great example of how entitled and self-absorbed much of the Western world has become – especially America.  We’re more than happy to consume away at the expense of other people.  Most of us are born into privilege compared to the citizens of third world countries, yet it’s never enough.  We have to tear basic human rights like clean water out of the hands of the less fortunate so that we can enjoy ridiculous excesses like imported water in plastic bottles.

Link [willisays]

‘Truth in Hydration’ Pushing Bottled NYC Tap Water

Bottled water aficionados were upset when we all learned the truth about where the Dasani and Aquafina brands of bottled water actually come from: the tap.  The public had been led to believe that bottled water was cleaner, purer, safer and better-tasting than tap water, so they felt duped.  Maybe that’s why bottled water company Tap’dNY is pushing their product through a blog called ‘Truth in Hydration’.  Tap’dNY is NYC tap water in a bottle, and the company is focusing on the idea of ‘honesty in marketing of water’.

From the Truth in Hydration blog:

Tap’dNY is a bottled water company with a local twist and a knack for honesty. We don’t travel the world from Fiji to France seeking water or offer the usual bottled water gimmicks. We work with NYC’s public water system to source the world’s best tasting tap water, purify it through reverse osmosis and bottle it locally, leaving out ludicrous transportation miles.

We offer an honest and local alternative to thirsty New Yorkers, giving them a smarter choice: to drink their own (award winning) water.

…local tap water? Is this a retreat in the war on bottled water, or a pragmatic solution to a problem that’s not going away (that is- people like the convenience of bottled water and are too lazy to carry around a Sigg)?  It’s difficult to predict whether a bottled-water-obsessed America will ever shift toward carrying reusable containers instead of buying and tossing so much plastic.

For New Yorkers, at least, Tap’dNY water doesn’t seem worth the price: they can get the same thing from any tap in town, for free.  And, many people across the US could benefit similarly by simply fitting their faucet with a filter and getting in the habit of bringing a container everywhere they go.  But, America is entranced with anything labeled ‘more convenient’, so bottled water might not be going anywhere.  In that case, at least Tap’dNY is being honest about where their water comes from, and bottling local water is certainly greener than importing it from across the globe.

Link [Truth in Hydration] via [Neatorama]

MLB Bans Bottled Water, Deems Gatorade the Only Acceptable Beverage

How ridiculous is this: Gatorade has been named the official drink of Major League Baseball, and that decree doesn’t just mean lots of advertising and lame mentions of the drink from sportscasters throughout games. It means that players can’t be seen drinking anything BUT Gatorade while in the dugout – not even a plain ol’ bottle of water.

From NJ.com:

Two signs on the doors leading from the visitors’ clubhouse at U.S. Cellular Field to the first-base dugout read, “NO BOTTLED WATER ON THE BENCH.”

What’s this? Athletes can’t drink water? Even in the humid Chicago summers?

Here’s the explanation I got:

Gatorade is Major League Baseball’s “official sports drink.” So instructions were sent that no player could be seen drinking anything but Gatorade in the dugout. Not even Aquafina, which is the “official water” of MLB. Not even bottles of water with the labels removed.

Furthermore, it was noted that if players did take bottled water into the dugout, all bottled water would be removed from the clubhouse as punishment. Um, wow. Brilliant. So now, not only are athletes forced to drink gross sugary junk instead of what nature intended when they’re dehydrated during a game, young athletes will be getting the message that Gatorade is what you’re supposed to drink when you’re thirsty. What’s next, watering crops with Gatorade? Seems like we’re headed that way.

Gatorade: “It’s got electrolytes!”

Link [NJ.com]

Photo credit: Flickr user scragz

The Secret Culprit of Oil Consumption: Plastic Bags & Bottles

If you’re upset about the price of oil, your first instinct might be to point your finger at the usual suspects: the war, suburban housewives driving Hummers to the grocery store and oil companies that are taking the record profits and laughing all the way to the bank. While they’re definitely culpable, one thing you may not have thought of is your own contribution, even if you don’t own a car. Water bottles and plastic bags are a surprising culprit.

The Business Shrink has it:

The most reliable statistics from the Pacific Institute put America’s love affair with water bottles at 31.2 billion liters of water in 2006. Due to negative press on the possible health effects of the use, most people are aware water bottles are sold in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. In order to manufacture these bottles over 900,000 tons of plastic is needed. The mainstream manufacturing process that produces PET bottles requires a combination of natural gas and petroleum. The petroleum requirement is where the statistics show that America’s obsession could be hurting their wallets at the gas pump.

Bottom line, the production of 31.2 billion liters of water for the U.S. bottled water market took roughly 17.6 million barrels of oil.

America also uses an astounding 100 billion plastic bags per year, and it takes 12 million barrels of oil to produce them. When you add in worldwide consumption, we could save 120 million barrels of oil annually by switching to reusable bags.

Bottled water and all of these mountains of plastic bags are easy addictions to kick. Faucet-mounted filters, reusable bottles and reusable bags make it really easy to avoid consumption of so much petroleum. Honestly, what’s the problem here? Why do people have such a hard time making such a simple switch?

I’ve been carrying a set of cute little reusable bags to the grocery store for years now, and when I first started, the baggers would look at me like I was out of my mind and then acted like filling my bags instead of the plastic ones was some kind of insurmountable chore. Now they’re used to it though, and the more people start doing it, the more expected it will be.

Link [Business Shrink]

Photo credit: Flickr user klynslis