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LETTERS: Remembering a lost student; plastic water bottles more damaging than convenient

By Letter to the Editor on October 15, 2010 3:30 am in Letters, Voices / 4 comments

 

To the friends and family of Sarina Seger:

As one of Sarina’s professors, I was deeply saddened to hear the news of her death. All of us in ENG 175 will miss her intelligence, ready smile and contributions in class. Sarina was well on her way to the successful completion of my course, and I have no doubt the same is true for her other classes.

My thoughts are with all of her friends and her family during this difficult time.

Elizabeth Berriman

English professor

I just wanted to bring to your attention the issues our nation faces due to bottled water.

“How could bottled water be bad for us or our nation?” you might ask. That is where the problems begin.

You see, the process required to produce, ship, and distribute bottled water is a process demanding a large quantity of oil and water. Large quantities of oil are needed to make the bottles, along with the gas needed to ship and distribute the bottles and the water. Huge sums of water are extracted from local taps in order to meet the status quo, often causing problems with local communities’ water use.

To make matters worse, the bottled water may be even more polluted then any local tap water. Why would people spend so much money on low-quality water when they can get better water from their local tap?

Not to mention the extensive, long-term pollution the plastic bottles can cause if they are not recycled properly.

Please take a stand against this issue.

Thirsty? Grab a cup or even a reusable bottle and fill it up with your local water source (such as a water fountain or a sink). Do not give in to this national craze, or in this case, a national epidemic.

Daniel Breitenbach

White Lake sophomore

 

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  • Yahoo

    It's not that simple.

    Not all bottled waters are the same. SOME are filled using local tap and others are filtered completely by reverse osmosis.

    Depending on where you live, you could have a lot of crap in your water that you shouldn't be drinking.

    Your best bet is to get an RO filter for your sink/house. Even then, you'll then have to start looking at the types of plastic you use as a reusable water bottle.

  • Guest

    My apartment water is brown. I'm sorry, but I don't feel comfortable drinking that. I buy bottled water and refill it whenever possible on campus, multiple times a day. After about a day of using the same one, bacteria builds up and I throw it away. Do you know the definition of epidemic? Get your facts straight because bottled water has to go through vigorous testing and passes for being clean, albeit not the same exact tests tap water has to go through. I realize many people don't do the same as me, but the cost of convenience always wins for most.

    If we are talking serious, how about the treatment of people who have to find diamonds for engagement rings? I think there are far more problems than bottled water.

  • Hank

    LOL tap water goes through a hundred more tests and regulations than bottled water. Tap water is regulated by the EPA, whereas bottled water is regulated by the FDA. EPA has MUCH stricter guidelines and rules. You can go into your local water authority and ask for papers on levels of anything in the water. This is impossible for water bottling companies because they don't do it.

  • http://takingbackthetaponcampus.blogspot.com/ Sam

    The problem with bottled water reaches far beyond the water itself. After multiple tests, Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles have been shown to leak chemical contaminants into the water. By re-using PET bottles, you're increasing the likelihood that those same contaminants are being leached into your drinking water. If you cannot drink the water from your apartment, buy a reusable stainless steel water bottle, such as a Klean Kanteen and refill it on campus. You'll be saving money over repeatedly buying bottled water, and you'll be producing less waste.