I hope the world doesn’t get dumb enough to get rid of bottled water altogether. As an international traveler, I sometimes have to rely on bottled water, either for lack of availability or for health reasons. Clearly people who bash bottled water don’t think about *all* its uses and applications.
Disclaimer: I am in no way diminishing the dialogue that can and should occur about bottled water.
But when the people initiating the dialogue use figures like 1.5 million barrels of oil PER YEAR to make plastic water bottles without explaining the percentage of that impact on the amount of oil consumed in the US in a year is tilting the discussion leeward a bit.
The US consumes 20.7 million barrels of oil PER DAY. For a total of 7.55 BILLION barrels PER YEAR. 1.5 million barrels per year amounts to 0.02% of total consumption.
I am not arguing whether bottled water is right or wrong. I have an issue with articles like this that rarely give any complete perspective. But, if oil is the center of the argument. It is a small one at best.
I rarely drink bottled water myself. But, I guess I could start making my own Diet Lipton Citrus Green Tea, huh?
- Bone
Growing up here in Woburn, MA where the film / book A Civil Action takes place we’ve grown up to be afraid of our tap water. I think the bottle water far out weighs the usage of oil, why don’t they go campaign against something like gas guzzling cars for example.
About The Author
I'm a graphic designer and sometimes writer living in Anderson, South Carolina. I serve as the Design Director for NewSpring Church. I love Jesus, my wife, Levi's Jeans, good Tex-Mex, and 8oz glass bottle Coca-Cola Classic. On good days I love them roughly in that order. Email me.
Bottled Water Ecological Woes
Mon 08/13/07
Quote, “It takes 1.5 million barrels a year just to make the plastic water bottles Americans use…plus countless barrels to transport it from as far as Fiji and refrigerate it.” Yeah, bottled water is a grrreat idea. (I say, sitting at the office, drinking bottled water.)