The Best Alternative Bottle Water V. Tap Water
In the essay Bad To the Last Drop the author Standage claims that people are wasting money on bottled water when there is no difference between it and tap water. Water is the one thing that all humans need; it is an essential element to keeping us alive because it helps our bodies stay hydrated and helps regulate temperature by creating sweat. The different ways that people receive water varies, but the two leading ways to acquire water in first world countries is from the tap or buying bottles of water from stores. These two methods of getting water are very popular in America and Canada because many people believe that tap water is sanitary and that it isn’t for drinking only for doing things like washing dishes, cleaning, and other tasks so they drink bottle water. While others think that bottle water is the worst option because it causes environmental issues and it isn’t safer than tap water so they drink tap water. I also agree with his claim because bottled water is not safer than tap water, it causes major environmental issues, and huge resource issues.
Many people believe that drinking water should be for one purpose only which is drinking which is why they buy bottled water to drink and use the tap water for other task such as washing, watering plants, etc.. But what many people fail to realize is that tap water isn’t as dirty as it is thought to be. Tap water may be affected by contamination once in a while but
Water is an important source in this world and it is a source that all of us humans need. Without water we wouldn’t be living today. Water comes in many different ways but the most common and the most talked about topic is, Bottled Water or Tap Water? There are many debates on which type of water is safer, better in taste, and what is more convenient. The question is usually what tastes better. I read in the article “is tap water as safe as bottled water?” “Tap water and bottled water are generally comparable in terms of safety. So the choice of tap or bottled is mostly a matter of personal preference.” (Zeratsky) I completely agree with this statement. Everyone has his or her own opinions.
Seventy percent of the human body is comprised of water. This makes drinking water quality vital. The EPA estimates the average adult consumes 1.2 liters daily or 115 gallons of community (tap) water daily while the average consumption of bottled water per capita in the U.S. is in excess of 30.8 gallons per year and is expected to continue to increase according to the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) and the Beverage Marketing Association’s 2013 report. Bottled water costs anywhere from 240 to 10,000 times more per gallon than the average cost of tap, but people’s perception that bottled water is purer, safer or healthier is driven, in part, by strong bottled water marketing campaigns that focus on news reports about crises that involve municipal water supplies. (NRDC, “Bottled Water Pure Drink or Pure Hype”) The sources for both tap and bottled waters as well as additives to either enrich or neutralize contents of water determine the mineral and chemical composition of drinking water. Is bottled water really any purer or healthier than local tap water?
The economy is hurt when people spend money on bottled water, which in fact tastes the same as tap water, but costs much more. Not only do people waste money on water that tastes the same as tap, but they waste money on water that helps destroy the environment. Not only does bottled water cost more, but it takes money away that could be used to help upgrade and provide cleaner tap water. People would like to save money, but they spend it on bottled water which tie in with tap water. “Nearly 40 percent of bottled water is simply filtered water filled in a bottle. Humans pay 1900 times
Tom Standage in his article “Bad to The Last Drop” claimed that tap water is more beneficial than bottled water. At the start of the article the author described a tasting experiment he conducted with his friends to see whether they can distinguish between tap and bottled water. This experiment involved 10 bottles of water (one was filled with tap water), which were evaluated based on taste, appearance, smell, and feel. Considering how only one person was able to recognize which one was the tap water, he concluded that most people cannot differentiate between the two waters. Additionally, Standage mentioned a study from The Archives of Medicine, which demonstrated that bottled water has more bacteria than tap water. Also, he included
Tom Standage’s essay “Bad to the Last Drop” first appeared in the New York Times on the first of August, 2005. And it appears on pages 662-664 in the textbook; Practical Argument, compiled by Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell. In his essay, Standage argues that we, as a society, should do away with bottled water. He justifies his stance with several points including the shear monetary cost to the consumer, the lack of any nutritional benefit in bottled water, and even his results in a “water tasting”, a parody of a wine tasting which he partook in with the help of a few of his friends (Standage). By far, one of Tom’s strongest points, though, is the plight of impoverished nations around the world and their lack of clean water. One can almost feel his contempt for the seeming hypocrisy of first-world countries and their rejection of their perfectly adequate tap water, especially in the face of such global need. He demonizes the “illogical enthusiasm” with which wealthy nations turn up their noses at tap water (Standage). But in the midst of his tirade, he is certain to pardon developing countries, as bottled water is often times the cleanest water available to them. As his final point, Standage concludes that the most reasonable course of action is that the populace of developed nations, in light of the deficiency of water in other countries, ought to cease consumption of bottled water and send that money to water charities instead.
In Peter Gleick’s “Selling Bottled Water: The Modern Medicine Show” and Cynthia Barnett’s “Business in a Bottle”, bottled water is argued to be an excessive commodity falsely advertised as healthier and more beneficial than tap water to society and the environment. Both authors discuss that bottled water is actually equivalent in quality to tap water and in some cases even more hazardous to the human body. Public water itself is a less expensive resource that is more accessible to the masses. However, due to fraudulent companies focused on profit and the lack of effective oversight, people are deterred from realizing that there does not need to be an alternative to municipal water. Gleick
Op-ed New York Times contributor Tom Standage 's article“Bad to the Last Drop” has stated that people spend too much money on buying bottled water. What they don 't know is the difference between bottled and tap water. People buy bottled water because they think it 's safer to drink. What they don’t know is that bottled water is bad for the environment. Bottled water manufacturers begin by putting the water into plastic bottles which then is shipped from one part of the world to another and then kept refrigerated before they sell it. Not only that, but people around the world are lacking safe drinkable water and are dying of water-borne diseases. Bottled water is a problem and people should stop spending money on such an unnecessary product. Instead, they should give that money to water charities. Standage effectively argues that bottled water is not good for the environment nor for the people.
According to The Water Project, “Bottles used to package water take over 1,000 years to bio-degrade and if incinerated, they produce toxic fumes. It is estimated that over 80% of all single-use water bottles used in the U.S. simply become ‘litter’” (“Bottled Water is Wasteful”). This fact is not the only reason I believe that bottled water does not outweigh its costs. Although statistics show that bottled water is efficient, there are many reasons to believe otherwise.
Tap water is healthier than bottled water for many reasons like how they leave the bottled
Tap water can be used to help cook right in the comfort of home. Instead of going through many gallons of bottled water, just turn on the tap to fill up the pot to boil noodles or do whatever is needed to in the kitchen. It is also portable, just fill up reusable bottles with the tap and bam; good to go. When people hear the word tap they think of the sink at home, yes that is included, but tap water can be water fountains in public areas. Consumers use the tap more than they realize. Tap water also hydrates not only the person drinking from it, but it can also hydrate animals and crops. This proves tap water is very
One of the most significant resources in our life is water. However, when it comes to drinking water, people should be careful on choosing whether the water they are drinking is pure and healthy for them or not. People can make their own choice to drink a tap water or bottled water. Most people believe that bottled water is healthier than drinking tap water. However, they should take a look at the adverse effects of bottled water before they consume it. Bottle water companies spend a lot of money to produce the bottled water. Also, it is one of the main reasons that cause pollution. Unlike bottled water, Tap water doesn’t cause any harm to the environment and it is more convenient. There are many reasons why people should drink tap water because it is cheaper, it is better for the environment, and it is healthier.
In the United States, Americans consume over 8.6 billion gallons of water annually (HRF, 2014). That is only one country; imagine what number it would get if the other countries are included. Anywhere we go we carry of use bottled water. I can bet that you have bottled water on your hand or somewhere near you. Humans became reliable to the expensive water on the bottle; the bottle that increased pollution and health risk to the Earth. Using and drinking bottled water is worse than using the old tap water.
Tom Standage’s essay “Bad to the Last Drop first appeared in the New York Times” (pages 662-664) on the first of August, 2005. In his essay, Standage argues that we, as a society, should do away with bottled water. He justifies his stance with several points including the shear monetary cost to the consumer, the lack of any nutritional benefit in bottled water, and even his results in a “water tasting”, a parody of a wine tasting which he partook in with the help of a few of his friends. By far, one of Tom’s strongest points, though, is the plight of impoverished nations around the world and their lack of clean water. One can almost feel his contempt for the seeming hypocrisy of first-world countries and their rejection of their perfectly adequate tap water, especially in the face of such global need. He demonizes the “illogical enthusiasm” with which wealthy nations turn up their noses at tap water. But in the midst of his tirade, he makes sure to pardon developing countries as bottled water is often times the cleanest water available to them. As his final point, Standage concludes that the most reasonable thing for the populace of developed nations to do, in light of the deficiency of water in other countries, is to cease consumption of bottled water and send that money to water charities instead.
As you all know everyone of us need to drink water in order to live. If you ask yourself, where do water come from?Tap water is free and is easy to find almost anywhere. Tap water can have these dangerous toxins in it. I can say this though bottles of water are much healthier for you, can you agree? In my home, bottles of water is all we drink.
Have you ever had any concerns about bottled water? Do you think that bottled water consumption should be banned? Bottled water is water packed in plastic containers and sold for human consumption (Health Canada, 2013). Currently, the amount of bottled water consumed has increased considerably since many people feel it is safer drinking bottled water than tap water (Parent and Wrong, 2014). According to The Statistics Portal, the global sale of bottled water took a leap from 161, 589 to 181, 608 liters from 2009 to 2011. Only in the United States, each American citizen consumed around 32 gallons of bottled water in 2013, thus meaning an equivalent growth of 15, 94% over 2009 (The Statistics Portal, 2014). In fact, due to good portability, bottled water has been helpful in both simple and complex situations such as daily exercises and natural disasters. Even though having those few considerable advantages, bottled water still have been less beneficial; especially due to the negative impacts in the socio-economic, health and environmental fields.