(1888PressRelease)
April 03, 2007 - There has been much recent press (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/21/FDGU1OMMT61.DTL) about the ban on bottled water by some Bay Area restaurants in the name of conservation and environmental protection. A small but growing number of businesses have recently expelled bottled water from their establishments, and in lieu of it, filtered and carbonated tap water is to take the place fine H2o. The very idea gives me the chills, but not because I have an interest in bottled water, but because this new concept doesn’t really address the issues about real conservation and environmental protection.
Additionally, I cringe at the fact that the public no longer have a choice and tap water isn’t always so safe for you to drink given the recent outbreaks of E-coli and contaminated municipal water across the nation. Hot spots like Chez Panisse, Incanto and Nopa in San Francisco are all starting the trend, but is this a valid and worthwhile trend or a scare tactic that has been escalated by officials and corporations with special interests and environmental agendas? Is this going to become the next political pastime while the true issues drown in what is surely to be the most talk about thing for 2007…WATER!
“World Water Day” started by one of the biggest polluters…Starbucks Coffee with their partner Ethos Water, who have been in my eyesight, less than magnanimous in their recent business dealings. But you don’t see any huge outrage over the shipment of coffee or other beverage products like soda. Also coming soon to a charity near you…www.dot! “Save The Poor People and Give Them Clean Water” dot! org. I don’t mean to make light of what is yet another serious and growing issue which brings me to tears, but shipping millions of bottles of plastic water bottles to regions that are underdeveloped and are not yet capable of properly disposing of these empty water bottles is probably not the best idea for the environment either. We are trading one “source” or vice and simply switching to another instead of tackling the real issue…conservation. The truth of the matter is, tap or bottled, water cost money! If the public wants safe, clean drinking water, then they have to pay for it. It doesn’t matter if your prefer tap or if you’re a bottled water snob. In fact, tap water costs more per gallon than bottled water due to the fact it costs money to build an infrastructure of millions of miles of piping, transport, management, safety, filtration systems and all the other numerous things that comes along with the management of a clean water supply. Just because it comes out of the facet doesn’t make it free.
You want to drink clean water, start getting used to shoveling out some dollars at the store, to your nearest municipality or even worse, water barons (privatized water utilities). Wait until these conglomerates start buying up the rest of the water utilities and sources in North America and around the world…they already own the majority of these sources. These conglomerates (http://www.cbc.ca/news/features/water/business.html) have been identified in a recent multinational collaborative journalistic investigation as the blame for poor people in Africa and elsewhere dying due to lack of clean and safe drinking water. Water is the new liquid gold and things are looking somewhat bleak unless we take serious action to conserve our natural resources and provide water to the public through systems that are managed and own by the public, fight pollution and the privatization of resources that should be a God given right. Bottled water doesn’t harm anyone or trigger a global panic. Most ‘fine” H2o is bottled at the source, and some are from protected sources within park systems and are limited in the quantity they can produce. Fine bottled water is packaged, marketed and sold to those who can afford it and presents no major environmental or economic threat greater than any other product that we purchase at stores or restaurants. In fact, the shipment of bottled water contributes very little to the overall impact on the environment. The large containers and trucks that water is shipped in contains more than water rest assured. If not water, something else would take up the empty space.
People should come to grasp with the true power and influence water has over us all. Education, awareness and conservation are the weapons we should be arming ourselves with to combat against these problems. This, I believe, is one of the primary issues when it comes to conservation and environmental protection. Using more of any natural resource like water, filtered or not, does not contribute to it’s conservation or the protection of the environment. It simply is transferring one source to another and people will consume just as much, if not more, since they already think “tap” water is free. The focus shouldn’t be directed at what is only a small portion of the water industry, but on the entire problem that is at hand.
If people truly want to make an impact and conserve water and help protect the environment then here are some helpful tips:
1. Drinking and storing bottled water (instead of running the tap) can save as much as 300 gallons of water a month.
2. When rinsing vegetables and other food items, use a filled clean pan instead of running water and you’ll save more than 200 gallons a month. You can save another 100 gallons by not running water to defrost frozen food.
3. Using low-flow shower heads or flow restrictors in regular shower heads can save between 500 and 800 gallons of water a month. Also, how about cutting back on shower time from the average shower of 30 minutes to only 10 minutes. You’ll save up to 1000 or more gallons of water per shower.
4. Yes, bottled water comes in a bottle (plastic or glass), but so does every other consumable and non-consumable “packaged” product. They all go on trucks, planes, trains, and boats to the nearest store or mall, which is in everyone of our neighborhoods or community. Buy products that have minimum packaging or that are recyclable, like glass and plastic bottles. Also, supporting local business isn’t a bad idea. Local business mean that the product is closer and it helps your community out too through taxes.
5. If you let water run waiting for hot water to come down the pipes, try catching the flow in a watering can to use later for plants or gardens and save 100 to 300 gallons of water a month!
6. Save 300 gallons of water a month by watering your lawn in the early morning or early evening when there is less evaporation! Save another 300 gallons by adjusting the sprinkler to only water the grass-- not the sidewalk, driveway and street! Ooh, also perhaps (if you can afford to) add sensors too!
7. If you do not already have a recycling program in your area, then contact your local official and request they start one or start on your own.
About AquaBar, Inc:
AquaBar is a luxury water service based in Beverly Hills that supplies fine establishments and discerning beverage drinkers with premium H2o. We search the globe to bring you the latest in body hydration from all corners of the world. Established in 2005 as a premium bottled water service, our deluxe elixirs are the favorite of gourmands, executive chefs, fine dining establishments, hotels, spas, bars and catering companies all over. Each brand we select is based on purity, taste, quality, value and aesthetics—not dissimilar from their wine counterpart. Our unique business offers luxury water home delivery, distribution for fine establishments, and brand marketing for companies interested in developing their profile within the lifestyle and luxury markets. Unmatched by any other, the AquaBar portfolio consists of unique waters that can only be acquired on-premise and at select venues and locations. Our brands add value to any beverage center and inspire a level of sophistication that can be appreciated by aficionados and novice alike.
To learn more about the company, please contact 310-601-3083 or visit www.aquabar.ws
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