Recently in Interesting People (Q&A) Category

On July 28th, the UN General Assembly voted in favor of recognizing clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right.

122 of 192 member nations voted in favor of the non-binding resolution, no nation voted against it. However, 44 member nations did abstained from voting. The US was in that 44.

Over 900 million people do not have access to clean water. More than 1.5 million children under the age of 5 die every year from lack of clean water and sanitation. The vote was a gesture by many nations that they were committed to bringing clean water to as many people as possible.

In light of the huge trend in water privatization and monetization around the world, this vote expressed the widespread feeling that water cannot be treated as just another commodity.
If humans need clean drinking water to live, like they need air, than water cannot be put on the market to the highest bidder.

The US, the UK, Canada, Australia and Botswana were among the countries which did not vote. The US expressed concerns that the resolution was not consistent with international law regarding water and might undermine future international law regarding water.

Peter Gleick is an internationally recognized water expert, MacArthur Fellow, and the president of the Pacific Institute, an environmental think tank based in Oakland, CA.

He released a great new book last month about the bottled water problem called "Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind our Obsession With Bottled Water" (purchase a copy here).

I was happy to be able to get some of Peter's thoughts about our bottled water problem:



William Schwartz: What did you find was the most alarming statistic about bottled water when you were researching for your book 'Bottled and Sold'?

Peter Gleick: There are many remarkable numbers and statistics about bottled water. Pick you own favorite from the book.

Among them: There have been over 100 bottled water recalls in the United States, and perhaps many more. Very few of them receive any public notice, and most occur long after the bottled water has been shipped to market and sold.

Americans buy, drink, and throw away 1000 plastic bottles of water every second of every hour of every day.

It takes the equivalent of 17 million barrels of oil to produce the plastic bottles used for bottled water in the U.S. each year

WS: Where do you see the momentum right now with the bottled water vs. tap water debate? Have bottled water sales been slumping because of growing consumer awareness or the poor economy?

PG: I believe that both the economic slump and the growing revolt against bottled water have contributed to the first decline in bottled water consumption in three decades. The bottled water industry would like to place the drop in sales on the economy, and hope that it picks up as the economy recovers, but I believe growing public awareness of the problems with bottled water may have turned the tide.

WS: We have seen towns such as Concord, MA in the US and Bundanoon, Australia ban bottled water sales. Do you think this is an effective or realistic method to solve the bottled water problem nationally?

PG: I do not propose a ban on bottled water in the book. I do not think such an approach is appropriate -- bottled water is a commodity, like many others. But I do believe strongly that there are things that should be done to reduce the demand for bottled water. In particular, we must restore national and local confidence in tap water, put water fountains back in public places, and forbid misleading and false advertising about bottled water. If we did these things, bottled water would once again become a luxury, not a necessity, in people's eyes.

WS: In certain areas of the country, tap water has taken on a lot of controversy. Whether it is boil warnings or the revelation that there has been elevated lead levels in the water that went unreported, it is easy to be doubtful of its safety. What would be your message to the public to help them regain trust in the public system?

PG: A key message in my book is that we must work to restore confidence in our tap water system. We must expand and upgrade municipal water systems to remove new contaminants and to ensure that the taste of tap water is good. We should be proud of our tap water system and do whatever is necessary to ensure that it provides the highest quality water.

WS: What do you think the single most effective thing someone can do on an individual level to help solve this problem?

PG: As individuals,  buying bottled water is a choice. We can instead choose to carry refillable bottles and to use tap water whenever possible. In the end, the bottled water industry needs consumers, and if consumers goes elsewhere (i.e., back to the tap), sales will dry up and the environmental consequences of bottled water will be lessened.
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Make sure to check out Peters blog at the SF Chronicle. Also, don't forget to buy the book! You can find it at Island Press or at Amazon.com.

Musician Jackson Browne, best known for 1970's classics such as "Running On Empty" and a career of political activity, came out against bottled water last week.

In a recent interview with Beth Terry, author of the blog fakeplasticfish.com, Jackson Browne explains how bottled water companies are ripping us off, how he avoids bottled water in the airport and ways to reject bottled water available in hotel rooms.

Check out the interview below:





Photo Credit: Alan Light via Flickr

Betsy Hnath: You wrote your book, Bottlemania in 2008. Have you seen any changes in the bottled water industry since then?

Elizabeth Royte: Yes. In response to environmental (and economic and public-relations) concerns, the major bottling companies are "lightweighting" their plastic bottles and claiming to support curbside recycling programs. Coca-Cola has partnered with the World Wildlife Fund to improve water efficiency, and it opened a giant new recycling plant in South Carolina; it remains to be seen how much recycled content they will use in their water or other beverage bottles. As the weak economy has hurt bottled water sales, Nestle is refocusing on its less-expensive Pure Life brand, which is sourced from tap (not spring) water. Other brands are buying carbon offsets in an attempt to mitigate their energy use.

BH: What is the most surprising fact you gleaned from your research for Bottlemania?

ER: I was most surprised by the threats to our municipal water systems - from agricultural and industrial pollution as well as from deteriorating pipes and treatment plants.

BH: You mention in your book that only 15% of bottles make it to be recycled. How can we as consumers address that staggeringly low percentage?

ER: The percentage of water bottles that are recycled is now closer to twenty percent. The single best thing we could do to improve this rate is pass a national bottle bill, or container deposit law.

BH: How do you feel the current economy might impact environmental issues, particularly that of the bottled water industry?

ER: The poor economy gives the environment a break: we're consuming less, which means there's less fossil fuel burned and less air and water pollution generated by raw-materials extraction, manufacturing, transporting, and disposing of consumer goods. But there's a flip side to this downturn: individuals and businesses are putting off investment in energy-saving technologies. Regarding bottled water, I think that people who drink it out of convenience or for status reasons are returning to tap water - bottled water's rate of growth (in the U.S.) has declined about six percent in the last year.

BH: With states declaring bankruptcy, and municipal funding at an all time low, how can communities ensure the purity of their water supply?

ER: Citizens must let their elected leaders know that clean water and watershed protection - from development, industry, and agriculture - are important to them; it will give those leaders "cover" to insist on more clean-water funding. Citizen groups can monitor watersheds and organize to halt polluters and enforce "polluter pays" laws. Decent water is a measure of civilization; if we can't drink our water, our communities can't survive. Switching to privately bottled water isn't a great solution - not in the long run. It's too expensive, and its environmental price is too high.

BH: Is there anything that a basic consumer can do to clean up his or her personal drinking water?

ER: Everyone should read his or her annual water-quality report (it's usually available online, through your utility), then test your water at the tap. If you find contaminants of concern, find out which is the best filter for you. There are links to filter comparisons at bottlemania.net.

BH: What is the easiest and cheapest way to test your own water supply?

ER: To find a state-certified lab to test your water, look at the EPA's website or call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline, 800-426-4791. If you live in New York City you can get a free lead-testing kit by calling 311. Other cities may have free lead testing programs as well; call your utility or department of public works.

BH: What subject do you plan to tackle next?

ER: I'm not working on a new book right now, though I seem to remain interested in both waste and water...But you never know when or where inspiration will strike.

 

Betsy Hnath holds a Bachelor's Degree in Communications from Old Dominion. She writes articles for various local papers in Virginia and works in childcare and as a swim coach. She lives in Portsmouth, Virginia with her husband George and three children, Emily, Liam and Jackson.