Photo: Alpine stream. Taken during our hike across the Routeburn Track. NZ Jan 07I thought I'd touch on water today. We all need it, but we need to be aware of certain negative impacts we put on ourselves and the environment through different practices that are common today.
Earth is made of 70-80% water, the human body is made of 70-80% water. And just like us, fresh organic produce is made of up 70-80% water. The best way to hydrate ourselves is through a diet high in fresh water rich produce, where living water comes directly from the leaves, plants & fruits. Living organic plants naturally distill & filter mineral-rich water directly from the earth. It's easy for our bodies to absorb and utilise. This high quality water is very different to the variety found in plastic bottles.
As hard as I searched I could not find any statistics regarding the amount of water bottles New Zealanders send to our landfills however I did find out that more than 3.4 million tones of solid waste is delivered to landfills each year, and I'm sure a decent portion of that is plastic bottles. Especially considering that these NZ Bottled water plants produce the following amount of bottles each month.
Coca Cola Amatil (Pump, Deep Springs - up to 2 million bottles per month), Pepsi, Kiwi Blue,
H2 GO, New Zealand Quality Waters, Living Water Enterprises (formerly Eternal Springs, up to 4 million bottles per month). - Ozone Technologies NZ
Bottled water is a multi-million dollar scam that is threatening the environment and sucking money out of people’s pockets, it costs more than petrol per litre, and it takes 1000 years for the plastic bottles to biodegrade.
In New Zealand we’re blessed with some of the purest, easily available aquifer water in the world (at least until it hits a few of the encroaching dairy farms). For those not so happy to drink water from the tap can invest in a good quality water filter system.
H2 GO, New Zealand Quality Waters, Living Water Enterprises (formerly Eternal Springs, up to 4 million bottles per month). - Ozone Technologies NZ
Bottled water is a multi-million dollar scam that is threatening the environment and sucking money out of people’s pockets, it costs more than petrol per litre, and it takes 1000 years for the plastic bottles to biodegrade.
In New Zealand we’re blessed with some of the purest, easily available aquifer water in the world (at least until it hits a few of the encroaching dairy farms). For those not so happy to drink water from the tap can invest in a good quality water filter system.
We are taking water for granted, we have always had an abundance but its time we take action. Grey water systems and collecting rain water for example.
Today I came across this great ad campaign by Brita. Brita is a German company specializing in water filtration products. (I think they are available worldwide, they stock them here in Japan).
Today I came across this great ad campaign by Brita. Brita is a German company specializing in water filtration products. (I think they are available worldwide, they stock them here in Japan).
Brita states in its ad slogan that “last year 16 million gallons of oil were consumed to make plastic water bottles.”the advertising campaign highlights one of the most pointless waste products in our society today.
Americans send about 38 billion water bottles a year to landfills. Considering the 1.5 million barrels of oil needed to make those bottles, the environmental impact of plastic bottle waste is truly staggering.
Environment and costs aside, bottled water also has a detrimental effect on our health. I encourage you to read the following article http://www.naturalpath.com/environment/toxins_in_water_toxins_in_bottle_water
Excerpt taken from the Environmental Working Group website - Click the link below to read the entire article
Consumers are advised NOT to reuse store-bought bottled water, or even plastic bottles supposedly made for refilling, due to dangers of leaching chemicals. Research shows that clear bottles made of polycarbonate plastic (such as the original 32-ounce Nalgene) can leach bisphenol-A (BPA), an endocrine disrupting chemical that acts like estrogen in the body.
Since BPA has been linked to low sperm counts and an increased risk of breast and prostate cancer, scientists suggest avoiding reusable bottles made from plastic. They also raise serious concerns about the potential for other plastic chemicals to leach out of typical PET bottled water bottles — especially if they sit in the hot sun. http://www.ewg.org/node/26622
Since BPA has been linked to low sperm counts and an increased risk of breast and prostate cancer, scientists suggest avoiding reusable bottles made from plastic. They also raise serious concerns about the potential for other plastic chemicals to leach out of typical PET bottled water bottles — especially if they sit in the hot sun. http://www.ewg.org/node/26622
We bought a water filter for our tap & when out and about we use our trusty Sigg bottle, we've had it over a year and it's still going strong. Sigg bottles are reusable, lightweight, recyclable & have a leach free lining so no chemicals leach into your drinking water (Be careful of imitations as they are most likely just cheap aluminium and will leach chemicals into the water).
Even the dog loves it!
Bottled water is trendy and portably convenient. But its burgeoning increase is disconcerting. In times of serious concerns about peak oil, climate change and damage by civilisation to the environment, plastic bottled water should be a last option for quenching thirst and nourishing the body.
