The Australian Bottled Water Ban Who's Right?
Posted: Tuesday, July 28, 2009
by Connor Davidson
You may have heard in the news recently that the town of Bundanoon in Australia voted to ban the sale of bottled water. I say well, good on them. While in Australia I found that they have water shortages and thus you are only permitted to water the garden on certain days. However, the water companies still drain water while your flowers wither and die. Some people say we should stop them doing this and then the water shortage is going to be reduced. Or is it?
However, the think which annoys me most is the fact that they are taking the Australians water off them and then selling it back about 300 times more expensive. It is not fair, how would they like it if we marched in and took over they're plant and rented it back to them for billion pounds a minute. They would be pretty ticked off too.
Yet, the thing I don't understand is why you would buy something that is effectively free and in many ways actually belongs to you as citizens of whatever country you live in. It is absolutely illogical. While researching this article I read the comment of one resident which pretty much sums it all up:
""It's also a moral thing, in that it has just been such a wonderful marketing job by the beverage industry, selling people something they can have for free," Huw Kingston
But that is not all environmentalists have joined the fight to ban bottled water. The companies combined are reported to produce 60,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas. Bear in mind how much gasses weigh then you get an impression of how much we're talking. If we're the ones reasonable or partly responsible for global warming I hope you can see why.
Though the thing we must bear in mind also is that the companies are operating in a capitalist economy so it is all our fault. Who buys it? Who sells something no one buys?
See it is all our fault, the company has orchestrated it but we let them and we gave them reason to. But it still does not make it right. Far from it. There is a market for professional assassins but does that mean they are right?
Well, I would be happy if bottled water was banned. Well, I have nothing to object to as I won't buy it. But, though both sides have a fair argument I sway more to the town than to the companies.
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More commentsI agree with a bottled water ban. One of the more popular brands here in Corpus Christi tell you straight out on the label "Bottled from local sources." There are no natural springs along the coast!It's "trendy" and "hip" to pay a ridiculous amount of cash for water. I know someone who claims to drink only "Fiji" water. Where a regular bottle of water will cost $1, Fiji is about $4.Properly filtered tap water is as pure as bottled.Good job here.What does your freind do to earn enough money to aford to spend $4 on water?Anyway, thanks for the comment.She is a nurse. Some make around $50-60/hour.I know!
Connor, good take on the bottled water debate. For my family, we drink bottled water because our tap water is very poor quality (as evidenced by the metal stains in our bathroom and kitchen). I would prefer some sort of filter, but it's much easier to drop a couple of dollars (or pounds, in your case) at a time on a case of water than a lot of money on a good quality water filter.Now, yes.But in twenty years would you not be better off?Anyway, thanks for the comment.
It went back and forth a bit, considering it should flow smoothly when trying to influence peoples' opinions. (For example, it made me think of, "And besides...." )Hmm...Thanks for the comment.
Connor,I have one container of bottled water which I keep in the car. When it is empty, I fill it up from tap. Tastes great to me! Besides, it irks me as well to pay money for something that I can get from my faucet.NancyThat's a great idea - why didn't I think of that?Anyway, thanks for the comment.
Great article Connor. I never really understood why people were so eager to buy bottled water in the first place. It's many times more expensive than gasoline, and who knows where it actually came from and what kind of bacteria has been growing in the bottle while it sat on the warehouse docks.That's it exactly.Thanks for the comment.Here. Here, Bruce!
Connor, you make some good points. Here in the U.S. they have even proved that some of our bottled water is not a pure as the water that comes from the tap. Some companies who advertise their water coming from a spring, only comes from the tap. It is just an advertising racket to make money from naive individuals.That is quite true. I always wonder why they advertise it... Do you stay loyal to one brand of water?Anyway, thanks for the comment.
Interesting article. I don't think they should ban the selling of water but the bottled water should be legit.Thanks for the comment.
I agree Connor, not fair. Great article, and thanks for sharing it with us!Thanks for the comment.
In many cases it would be healthier to install a water filter to your tap water than to buy bottled water. But I'm sure by now the trap has been set and it will take a whole lot of convincing for people to stop buying bottled water.I agree.Thanks for the comment.
Hi Connor,Great article and great discussion in the comments section. Generally, I think bottled water is basically a great hoax! The one exception to that is in disaster situations. I live on the Texas Gulf coast and I do keep several days' supply of bottled water in my home during hurricane season. When that is over, I use in my kids' lunches until it's gone and do it all over again the next year at the beginning of the next season.Well, I can live with that.Thanks for the comment.
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