Here's one of the dumbest things I've seen in a while. Some (probably lefty) religious groups claim that it's immoral to bottle water.

First they came for the water bottles, and I said nothing, because I drink from the tap. Then they came for the scuba tanks...

"Cassandra Carmichael, director of eco-justice programs for the National Council of Churches, said in the story that privatization takes away water from those who cannot afford it and added that water "should be free for all."

Because Evian in the stores prevents the tap water from flowing. This is the dumbest reasoning I've ever heard.

And tap water is free, right?

Not in L.A. it ain't!

Let Dumbass Carmichael go drink from the creek then if she don't like it. Giardia and her are a match made in heaven.

> Some (probably lefty) religious groups

Probably? The NCC is imfamous for its support of Castro and other left-wing causes. If there was any doubt, the title "director of eco-justice programs" should settle it.

http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles5/NCCResource.php

The lefty argument that water should be free could be applied to any physical resource. Which sounds perfectly Marxist.

Don't these same leftist morons also buy Bling?

The best reason not to drink bottled water is that it's a waste of money. Unless your tap water tastes awful or has been analyzed and contains dangerous pollutants, tap water is fine. I've read most bottled water is just filtered tap water anyway.

All municipal tap water has to meet EPA Drinking Water Standards. Goggle on that for more info.

Don't forget that bottled water also contributes to global warming. It's true! Wikipedia says so! And we all know how super-accurate Wikipedia is.

"Cassandra Carmichael, director of eco-justice programs for the National Council of Churches, said in the story that privatization takes away water from those who cannot afford it and added that water "should be free for all."

I wonder how many of you have done any research into issues regarding bottled water and the environment or if you're all just doing the typical knee-jerk reaction bit. If bottled water companies are putting pressures on municiple supplies and increasing prices on residents as a result, then yes, I think the people in the article might have a point.

Well, in Plano, TX, my wife and I buy bottled water. The tap water just tastes nasty most of the time and when the reservoirs are low and the temps are high, the smell from the algae makes drinking water out of a muddy hoofprint not look so bad. The mud smell can get so bad that the shower smells like a buffalo wallow. Nope, I touch tap water here only when in dire need.

"I wonder how many of you have done any research into issues regarding bottled water and the environment or if you're all just doing the typical knee-jerk reaction bit. If bottled water companies are putting pressures on municiple supplies and increasing prices on residents as a result, then yes, I think the people in the article might have a point. "

That is an absurd assertion. The amount of withdrawl for bottled watter amounts to a trivial taking compared to residential sewage disposal for example. Every flush is a gallon. How many gallons of water do you drink a day? How many times do you flush the toilet? Not to mention industrial processes for those without a direct intake on the river which use a tremendous amount.

Its like PETA spasing over sport fishing when all the sport fisherman on planet Earth each day don't collect the amount of catch one large drift net does.

Some water bottling plants uses a ground water source that in no way affects the local plant's withdrawl from the river. Even if it did, you are tallking tens of thousand of gallons in a process that involves multiple millions. Most large municipalities use surface water sources such as rivers, resivors and large lakes.

Arguing a water bottling plant is affecting municipal supplies is tantamount to arguing that my peeing in the Missippi river increases the water level by a measurable amount.

If you really want to discuss this further, I can put you in contact with the person who deals with water taking issues for my state. He is a good friend of mine and a former boss. He has all of the breakdowns.