Bottled Water
But It’s Just a Bottle of Water… by Lindsey May, Jessica Kotke, and Charles R. Bomar Department of Biology University of Wisconsin—Stout
Part I—Moving In
On the first Mega-Store trip on move-in day at Midwest University, Sally and her mom picked up groceries for the dorm. Sally’s mom insisted on getting bottled water for her daughter because of her firm belief that bottled water was safer and cleaner than tap water. Back at the dorm, however, Sally’s new roommate, Jane, a sophomore Environmental Studies major, argued against this with facts she had learned in class. “Did you know that while tap water is frequently tested to maintain public health and safety, bottled water has no guidelines for testing? The fda can’t regulate water that is bottled and sold within the same state, which accounts for – of bottled water.” Sally was taken aback by her new roommate’s comments on the first day that they met. “Ummmm, ok, but it can’t be that bad,” she mumbled. Sally’s mother, on the other hand, admired Jane’s enthusiasm and passion for the environment, and her knowledge of bottled water. “So what you’re saying is you want to pay a lot more for untested water sealed in bottles that are horrible for the environment, especially since people don’t recycle?” said Jane. “Water bottles are convenient… anyway, I recycle… sometimes,” stuttered Sally. Jane was appalled to hear that her new roommate didn’t recycle often. What kind of person was she? “Do you know what happens to the unrecycled water bottles?!” she asked. Feeling momentarily brilliant, Sally spouted, “They go into landfills, of course.” “Yes, landfills that are filling quickly,” snapped Jane. “We don’t have room for water bottles that could be recycled. When water bottles are thrown in the trash, not only do they fill landfills, but they also increase air pollution and help destroy our ozone layer. When they are incinerated with the regular trash, toxic fumes are emitted that are harmful to our health, and these
Part I—Moving In
On the first Mega-Store trip on move-in day at Midwest University, Sally and her mom picked up groceries for the dorm. Sally’s mom insisted on getting bottled water for her daughter because of her firm belief that bottled water was safer and cleaner than tap water. Back at the dorm, however, Sally’s new roommate, Jane, a sophomore Environmental Studies major, argued against this with facts she had learned in class. “Did you know that while tap water is frequently tested to maintain public health and safety, bottled water has no guidelines for testing? The fda can’t regulate water that is bottled and sold within the same state, which accounts for – of bottled water.” Sally was taken aback by her new roommate’s comments on the first day that they met. “Ummmm, ok, but it can’t be that bad,” she mumbled. Sally’s mother, on the other hand, admired Jane’s enthusiasm and passion for the environment, and her knowledge of bottled water. “So what you’re saying is you want to pay a lot more for untested water sealed in bottles that are horrible for the environment, especially since people don’t recycle?” said Jane. “Water bottles are convenient… anyway, I recycle… sometimes,” stuttered Sally. Jane was appalled to hear that her new roommate didn’t recycle often. What kind of person was she? “Do you know what happens to the unrecycled water bottles?!” she asked. Feeling momentarily brilliant, Sally spouted, “They go into landfills, of course.” “Yes, landfills that are filling quickly,” snapped Jane. “We don’t have room for water bottles that could be recycled. When water bottles are thrown in the trash, not only do they fill landfills, but they also increase air pollution and help destroy our ozone layer. When they are incinerated with the regular trash, toxic fumes are emitted that are harmful to our health, and these