The Chainlink

The Story of Bottled Water

I've noticed that bikers use a lot of bottled water. I stopped using bottled water when I learned that every Figi bottle goes to supporting the Iloilo Military Junta. (source: Treehugger / Mother Jones)


The Story of Bottled Water, released on March 22, 2010 (World Water Day) employs the Story of Stuff style to tell the story of manufactured demand—how you get Americans to buy more than half a billion bottles of water every week when it already flows from the tap. Over five minutes, the film explores the bottled water industrys attacks on tap water and its use of seductive, environmental-themed advertising to cover up the mountains of plastic waste it produces. The film concludes with a call to take back the tap, not only by making a personal commitment to avoid bottled water, but by supporting investments in clean, available tap water for all.

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Permalink Reply by heather s on March 23, 2010 at 6:39pm
I am also very conscientious about not buying bottled water, but I can see why a lot of cyclists do-- there are hardly any working water fountains to refill your own bottles.
Permalink Reply by Daniel Villarreal on March 23, 2010 at 6:40pm
Bottled water is an unnecessary waste of recourses and plastic in my opinion. I always try to discourage people from buying it and buy a reusable container. Tap water isn't that bad people and if you think it is buy a britta.
Permalink Reply by mike w. on March 23, 2010 at 7:25pm
Went down to Starved Rock SP a couple of winters ago to do some photography, but was appalled by the amount of TRASH scattered amidst the beauty -mostly-MOSTLY- water bottles. The park sells that stuff like mad and people just toss the empties into the ravines and the river. WHY DO THEY THINK THAT'S OKAY TO DO???
Next time i go there, i'm just going to photograph the trash and send it along to the Parks Dept. and ask why they continue to sell bottled H2O... i'll encourage anyone and everyone else to do the same at Starved Rock and every other state park they encounter such vileness.

Sorry about the shouting text, but i just get really pissed by trash and the people who spread it.
End of rant. Peace. Out.
Permalink Reply by Glenn on March 23, 2010 at 7:34pm
I think its horrible that people would pay money (at insane prices) for (usually) public water bottled in plastic. But hey, the illusion of safe and quality is what its all about right?

I know I might come off a bit harsh but I think water/environmental related issues are important.
Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on March 23, 2010 at 8:39pm
So sad to hear about nature being defiled. Speaking of which, my mothers godfather from Mexico lauged when he saw people in America buying bottled water, for where he came from was out there in the ranch where puddles of mud would sometimes be the only thing from keeping one from dehydration. ""Tontos!" he exclaimed. The water from the tap is ten times cleaner.

mike w. said:
Went down to Starved Rock SP a couple of winters ago to do some photography, but was appalled by the amount of TRASH scattered amidst the beauty -mostly-MOSTLY- water bottles. The park sells that stuff like mad and people just toss the empties into the ravines and the river. WHY DO THEY THINK THAT'S OKAY TO DO???
Next time i go there, i'm just going to photograph the trash and send it along to the Parks Dept. and ask why they continue to sell bottled H2O... i'll encourage anyone and everyone else to do the same at Starved Rock and every other state park they encounter such vileness.

Sorry about the shouting text, but i just get really pissed by trash and the people who spread it.
End of rant. Peace. Out.
Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on March 23, 2010 at 9:28pm
What? Are we talking lakefront path here, or where?

heather said:
I am also very conscientious about not buying bottled water, but I can see why a lot of cyclists do-- there are hardly any working water fountains to refill your own bottles.
Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on March 23, 2010 at 9:32pm
I don't think it's horrible. I think it's just plain stupid. But then, it's not my money.

FatTireFool said:
I think its horrible that people would pay money (at insane prices) for (usually) public water bottled in plastic. But hey, the illusion of safe and quality is what its all about right?

I know I might come off a bit harsh but I think water/environmental related issues are important.
Permalink Reply by dan brown on March 24, 2010 at 10:18am
there is an incredibly powerful (and silent too) TeeVee commercial that shows a guy on an exercise bike
with a bottle of water and there are just two captions :


"30 minutes on the LifeCycle"
"300 years on the landfill"


I like that a lot. and the sad thing is people will watch that commercial and agree...as they sip bottled water (and maybe not even recycle it)

can we talk about evil Styrofoam tomorrow perhaps ???
Permalink Reply by Spencer "Thunderball" Thayer! on March 24, 2010 at 10:53am

Interesting you should mention that. It's hard to believe that we still use styrofoam products for dining material. It's sensible for some industrial applications but for personal use it's unhealthy and terribly wasteful. An interesting solution I have heard mentioned by environmental lobbyists is to heavily tax the producers of items that are designed to be disposed of immediately after use. However in the real world something like that would attacked as "socialist" or something else equally inane. So we are stuck with tiny solutions like 14th Ward Alderman Edward M. Burke's proposed ordinance that would ban all use of styrofoam in the city. If it is passed through the City Council many businesses could face fines ranging from $300-500 essentially phasing out it's use in our city!


The ban is facing opposition from the Illinois Retail Merchants Association so if you think this is something worthwhile then give the IRMA President David Vite an email dvite@irma.org, call (312) 726-4600 or Fax (312) 726-9570 and let him know how you feel. Also contact your Alderman and tell them how you want their vote to reflect your interests.

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on March 24, 2010 at 12:01pm
Um . . . I think water is the one thing we all recycle, no?

daniel brown said:
..as they sip bottled water (and maybe not even recycle it)

Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on March 24, 2010 at 1:17pm
Spencer "Thunderball" Thayer! said:

An interesting solution I have heard mentioned by environmental lobbyists is to heavily tax the producers of items that are designed to be disposed of immediately after use.



I might have a rant ready for this idea, but I need more specifics. Spencer, can you get me details on this idea?
Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on March 24, 2010 at 1:33pm
Spencer "Thunderball" Thayer! said:

Interesting you should mention that. It's hard to believe that we still use styrofoam products for dining material. It's sensible for some industrial applications but for personal use it's unhealthy and terribly wasteful. An interesting solution I have heard mentioned by environmental lobbyists is to heavily tax the producers of items that are designed to be disposed of immediately after use. However in the real world something like that would attacked as "socialist" or something else equally inane. So we are stuck with tiny solutions like 14th Ward Alderman Edward M. Burke's proposed ordinance that would ban all use of styrofoam in the city. If it is passed through the City Council many businesses could face fines ranging from $300-500 essentially phasing out it's use in our city!


The ban is facing opposition from the Illinois Retail Merchants Association so if you think this is something worthwhile then give the IRMA President David Vite an email dvite@irma.org, call (312) 726-4600 or Fax (312) 726-9570 and let him know how you feel. Also contact your Alderman and tell them how you want their vote to reflect your interests.


Thanks for posting this stuff Spencer! My alderman James Balcer, 11th ward, does not appear to be accepting email at the moment - at least at the address provided on that list:

Final-Recipient: rfc822;jbalcer@cityofchicago.org
Action: failed
Status: 5.0.0
Diagnostic-Code: smtp;550 No such recipient
Remote-MTA: dns;dc07edl1.cityofchicago.org

I hates the styro so much that I'm gonna resort to picking up the accursed telephone and calling the ward office.

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