As many of you know, I receive press releases from various sources. A few I'll call to Gatherers' attention. Here's one that I think has interesting implications. The below story is being hailed as a victory for environmentalists. However, I see it as a simple business decision based on the the falling out of bottled water from fashion. You make the call:
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 13, 2008 |
| | Contact: Severn Williams 510-336-9566 |
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| Statement from Protect Our Waters in Response to Nestlé Announcement Regarding Proposed Water Bottling Facility in McCloud, California: |
Nestle announced yesterday its plans to scale back the planned water bottling plant in McCloud, CA (read the news). Following is a brief statement from the Protect our Waters Coalition in response to this announcement: "We were interested to hear that Nestlé is considering a smaller project in McCloud. The way that Nestlé has conducted itself in the past in connection with the McCloud project, however, leads us to view this recent announcement with caution. We acknowledge the statement by Dave Palais of Nestlé that Nestlé is no longer considering the project as initially conceived, and that a new contract with the McCloud Community Services District therefore will be required. Any new contract should include provisions for broad scientific studies to fully evaluate the health of the McCloud watershed and impacts on the residents of McCloud and Siskiyou County. Any new contract also should be a fair deal for the residents of McCloud, should eliminate groundwater usage and diversions from the McCloud River, and should adequately address environmental and quality of life issues such as traffic, air quality, noise, toxics, climate change, economic impacts and historical preservation. These issues remain regardless of the amount of water to be purchased by Nestlé or the size of the plant Nestlé proposes. We expect Nestlé to propose a new contract to reflect the new project Nestlé now proposes, and to address the Coalition's concerns. The Protect Our Waters Coalition was formed to ensure the ecological and hydrological integrity of Mt. Shasta's unique headwater areas for future generations. Members include Trout Unlimited, California Trout and the McCloud Watershed Council. |
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Comments: 16
Personally, our family has had a very nice water filter system in our house for years. One rarely published blessing is that it cuts back on the amount of salt by all family members!
That would be wonderful Jo C. I'm interested in checking out how the Digg referral service works and would welcome comments from Diggers who find their way here.
That's a chuckler Mary G. Portland, Oregon, has some of the best tap water in the nation, straight from mountain streams. Hence, it's been a long while since I've given anything other than flavored bottled water a taste. I'm sure I'm not missing much, especially given the revelations that some plants are bottling from the same place we'd drink out of otherwise: the tap.
I'm with you there Amy B. The environmental impact of all of that difficult-to-recycle plastic has had a noticeable effect on public perception. That's the good news....
Care to enlighten us further Theodore?
Chick J., you're right (of course). Demand still exists, but I would bet that looking at the numbers would prove that sales have gone down in recent months. I'll see what I can do to dig up some reliable numbers, so we can look at this accurately. Thanks for the note.
"...Several highly-publicized developments have put a question mark on the category's future. First there was the mayor of San Francisco banning the product in city offices – as both a cost-cutting measure and for what he deemed environmental reasons. In addition, a number of high-profile restaurants have eliminated the product from their menus. The rationale is that tap water is just as good as bottled and people can save money and help the environment by opting for tap."
Aberdeen S.D. 48.0 Albuquerque 12.0
Ann Arbor , Mich. 4.8 Austin, Tx. 7.2
Baton Rouge, La. 21.6 Biloxi. Miss. 55.2
Birmingham, Al 4.8 Bissmarck, N.D. 14.4
Boise, Ida. 4.8 Brownsville Tx 14.4
Buffalo NY 1.6 Charleston, S.C. 2.3
Cincinnati Ohio 1.6 Cleveland Ohio 2.3
Columbus Ohio 12.0 Crandall Tx 408.0
Dallas Tx 7.2 Denver, Co 7.2
Des Moines, Iowa 2.3 Dover, Ill. 4.8
El Paso, Tx 16.8 Evansville, Ind. 4.8
Fargo, N.D. 12.0 Galesburg, Ill. 72.0
Galveston, Tx 81.0 Houston, Tx. 38.4
Since most of the towns listed have reduced the amount of salt in the tap since 1981, do not panic if you town is on this partial list. My point is if you do not have your water filtered at home, you should know how much salt is in your drinking water. It may be a LOT more than expected.