Points of View: Bottled Water

You would be creating a Article Analysis Study Guide. The instructions are in the attached file.This is the article:Counterpoint: Bottled Water is a Wasteful Use of Limited Resources.Authors:Sexton, JenniferMorley, David C.Source:Points of View: Bottled Water. 6/30/2019, p3-3. 1p.Document Type:ArticleSubjects:BOTTLED water & the environmentDRINKING waterWATER consumptionBEVERAGESGeographic Terms:UNITED StatesReport AvailableAbstract:The article argues against the promotion of bottled water in the U.S. It claims that bottled water consumption is associated with high environmental costs. It further argues that bottled water consumption results to large quantities of garbage and fuel usage. The article suggests drinking filtered tap water using reusable containers as an alternative to bottled water.Lexile:1420ISBN:9781429822930Accession Number:28675188Counterpoint: Bottled Water is a Wasteful Use of Limited Resources Full TextListenRelated ItemsBottled Water: An Overview.Point: Bottled Water is the Healthy Alternative.Bottled Water: Guide to Critical Analysis.Bottled WaterTWO NUMBERS: THINGS WENT BETTER WITH BOTTLED WATER.Choose a Topic.Evaluate a Website.Write a Topic Sentence.How To Understand the Bias of a PublicationCURRICULUM STANDARDS–U.S.Thesis: The consumption of bottled water is a rising trend with a very high environmental cost. Instead of drinking bottled water, people should choose a more environmentally friendly option, such as drinking filtered tap water from reusable containers.Summary: There is not one compelling reason to choose bottled water over tap water, and several excellent reasons not to. Bottled water consumption is taking a large toll on the environment by producing vast quantities of garbage, wasting a tremendous amount of fuel in transport, and using excessive amounts of energy in the recycling process. Making the choice to drink tap water from reusable containers is a healthy alternative, and simple step that everyone can make toward preserving the environment.IntroductionAmerican citizens are fortunate in that they enjoy access to some of the cleanest, freshest drinking water available on the planet. The Safe Drinking Water Act ensures that any municipal water source serving twenty-five people or more must pass regular, stringent testing for harmful substances. Nevertheless, the ubiquitous single-serving bottle of drinking water has become an accessory that many people cannot seem to live without.Since health and nutrition experts began advising Americans to reduce their consumption of soda and other sugary drinks, sales of bottled water have surpassed both those of coffee and milk for the first time in history. The United States, with the healthiest tap water on Earth, has become the largest global consumer of bottled water. In fact, US annual consumption of bottled water reached nearly 9 billion gallons in 2007, out of 55 billion gallons (206 billion liters) consumed worldwide, at a cost of up to $10 a gallon; significantly higher than the cost of gasoline. This translates into nearly 30 gallons per person. Bottled water has become a $15 billion-a-year business (in the US alone), but at a terrible cost.The Environmental CostThe environment has paid a high price for the increased consumption of bottled water. Although the majority of bottles are recyclable, a shocking 86 percent end up in landfills or floating in the ocean, where it takes from 400 to 1000 years for them to biodegrade. Many marine mammals and sea turtles that feed on jellyfish and other invertebrates often cannot distinguish between these creatures and the floating translucent plastic bottles, and mistakenly swallow the bottles, which can cause serious injury or death. The Center for Marine Conservation (CMC), an organization which has worked to clean up America’s coastlines, counts plastic beverage bottles among its “dirty dozen” most commonly found objects littering our beaches and endangering wildlife.Over 2.7 million tons of plastic are used in the manufacturing of bottled water each year, most of which is derived from crude oil. The production of plastic bottles for the American bottled water market alone uses over 1.5 million barrels of oil each year; enough to fuel 100,000 cars for one year.Also related to the consumption of fossil fuels, the act of transporting bottled water around the world consumes enormous amounts of energy, particularly considering the fact that approximately 25 percent of all bottled water is exported. In one of the most egregious examples of environmental harm, a recent study found that in order to produce and transport 1 liter of a popular-selling brand of water that is bottled in Fiji (in Chinese-made plastic bottles) and exported to the US, the process uses nearly 7 times that amount in total water consumption, burns approximately an additional liter of fossil fuel, and emits 1.2 pounds of greenhouse gas.To add insult to injury, the very water that is being bottled and shipped at such an enormous cost most often originates from a municipal water source, otherwise known as tap water. Two of the best-selling brands, PepsiCo’s Aquafina and Coca-Cola’s Dasani, come directly from public water sources. This is, for all practical purposes, the same water that pours out of America’s kitchen and bathroom taps at the turn of a knob. Nevertheless, even confronted with the facts, many consumers insist that the bottled water tastes better than tap water.In Praise of Tap WaterFar from being harmful or second-best, tap water contains a beneficial substance that bottled water does not: fluoride. Many public water sources add fluoride to tap water, the result being a steady decrease in the incidence of tooth decay. Logic follows that with the increase in use of fluoride-free bottled water, Americans may very well see an increase in visits to the dentist, unless they choose to add a fluoride supplement to their diets.The best answer in terms of saving energy, resources, and money is to drink tap water from a refillable, non-disposable container. Many companies have responded to consumer demand (prompted by the outcry against bottled water) by manufacturing a variety of reusable, refillable water bottles in a variety of styles, colors, and sizes, from large sport versions to small varieties for children.In the event that local water has an unpleasant taste (which is often due to naturally occurring minerals), there are many filtration systems available, ranging from expensive, professionally installed home systems, to simple, affordable filtration pitchers. According to the manufacturer of one popular variety on filtration pitchers, a gallon of water passed through its filtration system costs as little as 18 cents, much cheaper than even a single serving of bottled water.ConclusionResponding to the outcry from environmental and conservation groups, as well as concerned citizens, cities around the US have embarked on a campaign to encourage the use of alternatives to bottled water. Chefs and restaurateurs have joined Corporate Accountability International and other environmental advocacy groups in giving their customers a friendly environmental push by banning the sale of bottled water in restaurants and public buildings, and encouraging the consumption of tap water. Large-scale events have been held across the country to publicize the environmental problems associated with bottled water, and to encourage Americans to drink tap water instead. In June of 2007, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome went so far as to ban the purchase of bottled water by city departments, citing environmental and financial concerns.Ponder This1. Analyze whether the author’s purpose is to persuade or to offer an opinion on why drinking tap water is more beneficial than bottled water. Cite details from the article to support your response.2. Does the author provide more facts or opinion to support the argument for tap water over bottled water? Which example is most effective in supporting the argument? Which is least effective? If so, how can they be strengthened and/or clarified? Explain.3. What is an environmentally friendly alternative to using bottled water?4. Are there any issues that the author sidesteps or leaves out in discussing the debate concerning bottled and tap water? Discuss.5. In your opinion, what are some of the challenges presented by the transition from bottled water to tap water?BibliographyPeriodicals”A Look at Bottled Water: Nutritional Breakdown.” CBS News (19 July 2002). Online. 2 February 2008. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/07/15/earlyshow/health/health%26lowbar;news/main515162.shtml.Eddins, Mary. “Bottle-water claims are all wet.” meadvilletribune.com. 10 March 2011 http://meadvilletribune.com/opinion/x740871985/Bottled-water-claims-are-all-wet.“IS BOTTLED WATER BETTER?.” Environment 43.0 (May 2001): 4. Points of View Reference Center. EBSCO. 30 Dec. 2008 http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=4358121&site=pov-live.McLaughlin, Heather. “Ban bottled water, says union.” dailygleaner.com. 9 March 2011 http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/news/article/1387051.“More Cities Join Anti-Bottled Water Movement.” MSNBC (9 October 2007). Online. 2 February 2008. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21214017/.“New Study Finds Fault With Some Bottled Waters; Tap Water a Better Bet.” Environmental Nutrition 32.1 (Jan. 2009): 3-3. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. 30 Dec. 2008 http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=35784892&site=ehost-live.Noorbaloochi, Shahrzad. “Elder Convinces Town to Ban Bottled Water.” theephochtimes.com. 6 July 2010 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/38523/.“Plastics in Our Oceans.” Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. (2007). 2 February 2008. http://www.whoi.edu/science/B/people/kamaral/plasticsarticle.html.“Some Upscale Restaurants Shun Bottled Water.” MSNBC Online. (29 March 2007). 3 February 2008. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17856717/Block, Ben. “U.S. Bottled Water Demand Slowing.” World Watch 21.6 (Nov. 2008): 5-5. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. 30 Dec. 2008 http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=34948657&site=ehost-live.Alter, Lloyd. Treehugger. “Pablo Calculates the True Cost of Bottled Water.” 06 February 2007. Accessed 14 November 2008. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/02/pablo_calculate.phpChristiansen Bullers, Anne. “Bottled Water: Better than the Tap?” US Food and Drug Administration Consumer Magazine (July/August 2002). Online. 2 February 2008. http://www.fda.gov/FDAC/features/2002/402%26lowbar;h2o.htmlJAMES M. INHOFE, and RANKING MEMBER. “BOTTLED WATER.” FDCH Congressional Testimony Points of View Reference Center. EBSCO. 30 Dec. 2008 http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=32Y1154317680&site=pov-live.Fishman, Charles. “Message in a Bottle.” Fast Company (July 2007). Accessed 14 November 2008. http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/BottledWaterARiverOfMoney.aspx?GT1=10328Hein, Kenneth. “Has the Bottled Water Well Finally Run Dry?” Brandweek 49.31 (08 Sep. 2008): 5-5. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. 30 Dec. 2008 http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=34291662&site=ehost-live.Niman, Michael I. “Bottled Insanity.” Humanist 67.2 (May 2007): 40. Points of View Reference Center. EBSCO. 30 Dec. 2008 http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=24833185&site=pov-live.Owen, James. “Bottled Water Isn’t Healthier than Tap, Report Reveals.” National Geographic Online (24 February 2006). 2 February 2008. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/02/0224%26lowbar;060224%26lowbar;bottled%26lowbar;water.html.Saxe, Dianne. “Cities Battle Bottles.” Pollution Engineering 40.11 (Nov. 2008): 17-17. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. 30 Dec. 2008 http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=35183589&site=ehost-live.Shandley, Kathy. MaximsNews Network. “Global Bottled Water Consumption On The Rise.” Accessed 14 November 2008. http://www.maximsnews.com/news20080926bottledwatershandling10809260801.htmSmith, Tom. TimesDaily.com. “Bottled Water Consumption Continues to Rise Worldwide.” 20 October 2008. Accessed 14 November 2008. http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20081020/ARTICLES/810200321/1011/NEWS?Title=Bottled_water_consumption_continue S_to_rise_worldwideWilliams, Alex. “Water, Water Everywhere But Guilt by the Bottleful.” New York Times (12 August 2007). Online. 2 February 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/12/fashion/12water.html?%26lowbar;r=2%26oref=slogin%26oref=slogin.Zainulbhai, Yasmin. “BOTTLED HYPE?” E – The Environmental Magazine 12.0 (Sep. 2001): 22. Points of View Reference Center. EBSCO. 30 Dec. 2008 http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=5015919&site=pov-live.These essays and any opinions, information or representations contained therein are the creation of the particular author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of EBSCO Information Services.~~~~~~~~By Jennifer SextonCo-Author: David C. MorleyDavid C. Morley is a freelance environmental writer and researcher, and former Regional Conservation Organizer with Sierra Club. He holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Studies from Antioch University New England.Copyright of Points of View: Bottled Water is the property of Great Neck Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder’s express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.