Adam Verhoeff
Sustainable Systems
4/16
Water Opinion
The film “Tapped” that we watched in class really opened my eyes to the silent dangers that come from drinking water from a plastic bottle. Firstly, I learned that plastic bottles use materials that contain toluene and styrene, chemicals that can often be found in paint thinners. The longer one reuses a water bottle the more bacteria piles up and combines with the water, so it becomes much less healthy to drink. I am pretty lazy when it comes to changing my water bottle. Typically, I will have a water bottle I use often, and I refill it with tap water whenever it’s needed. I knew it was a bit unhealthier to do this, but this film opened my eyes to the actual chemicals involved in making the water less healthy.
The film also talked about the three conglomerate corporations and how much of a hold they have on the small towns’ water sources. Nestle, Pepsi and Coke produce mass marketed bottles of water under the names Poland Spring, Aquafina, and Dasani. To get this water, the huge companies tap into the lakes and waters of small towns in places like Maine. The residents of these towns are very much against these huge corporations tapping into their water, making a huge profit of something that should be universal and free. I had no idea the extent that mass marketed water companies go to to get their water.
From the depictions on the bottle label, Poland Spring, Aquafina and Dasani are all depicted showing that their water is coming from some kind of paradise-like meadow heaven, when in reality this is not ever the case. In fact, this film taught me that 40% of bottled water is tap water. Truthfully, sometimes I get a bit apprehensive whenever I am drinking water that’s coming from the sink. But the EPA showed us through this film that the production of tap water is so regulated and checked that it is shown to be just as healthy as bottled water, sometimes even more so.
I also learned from this film that leaving bottled water in the car, especially on a hot day is the worst thing you can do for your water container. The heat combines with the chemicals of the plastic in the bottle, mixes with the water and contaminates it with cancerous carcinogens. This reminds me of when I used to play sports in high school, and parents would bring kids huge bottled drink packs that could have been sitting in the car all night.
The film also showed a brief interview with some important people from these water bottle conglomerates. Their attitudes towards producing a healthy product for consumers seems nonexistent. They stress and stress how much cleaner and safer bottled water is than tap water. However, when they are introduced to facts that thwart their claims, they become more vulnerable and defensive as they look for justification. It is clear that money is the only thing on their minds.
