Feb 18

Written by: dmg
2/18/2008 9:43 PM

I have just finished watching BBC’s Panorama television programme on the subject of bottled water. 

Everything the programme said was true.  In the seventies no one bought or even had really cottoned on to the idea of buying bottled water.  Now it is flown in from all over the world.  Extracted from volcanic rock, clouds, streams not just in the Alps but as far away as Fiji and New Zealand and  flown all the way here. 

Three quarters of the plastic bottles never end up being recycled and end up in landfill sites.  Some of the plastic bottles are burned to create energy which could power thousands of cars of the road.  (I can not remember the numbers exactly I was not paying close enough attention.)

Anyway, I am sure you get the picture.   Yet I can remember not so many months ago hearing that the advice a friend was being given. She should  only give her young baby bottled water – and this was coming from a health professional.

Now I am not making a criticism of the health professional or being a born again environmentalist. But as the programme suggested the whole water phenomenon does have a touch of the “Emperors New Clothes” about it.

Even worse,  a friend who used to work in the oil industry,  pointed out to us recently.   a litre of bottled water costs more than a litre of petrol. And that is saying something,. with petrol and diesel prices sky high.

  It is no wonder we are all bemused, confused and that new mum has something else to fret over

Copyright ©2008 Diana Groves

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