Search Results for: blog banning bottled water

Vanilla in Our Water

I came across this really interesting piece courtesy of Christine Dell’Amore and the National Geographic Green Guide Blog. Apparently, our earth’s water are actually flavored with the cooking spices and foods that come out of our kitchens. University of Washington associate professor Richard Keil is testing the waters so to speak and finding some interesting things. For example, in the time around the Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States, the Puget Sound (off of the coast of Washington State and British Columbia) tends to get flavored with the spices of time and sage. Summer days and the Independence Day … Continue reading →

Banning Bottled Water

Bottled water is so convenient, isn’t it. In fact, many billions of dollars have been spent on advertising campaigns to show us how cool you are if you use bottled water. But the tide is changing. More and more people are speaking out against bottled water, and even banning it in some places. Why the change? Did you know that when a study was launched to find the best tasting water in America, the winner was did not come from a spring somewhere in main but the from the taps of New York City? I am not kidding. Growing up … Continue reading →

The Great BPA Debate

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B… P… A… they are the three letters every mom knows and fears. Manufacturers of baby products were slow to catch on to the harmful effects of Bisphenol A, but there is now an entire industry devoted to BPA free bottles and pacifiers–anything a kid is likely to stick in his month. The “BPA free” moniker is so prevalent in the baby aisle these days, it’s a wonder any business is crazy enough to still be making products containing BPA. The new toxic buzzword du jour, though, is Phthalates. According to Wikipedia, it is a substance “added to plastics to … Continue reading →

Green Resolutions – Part 1

The New Year is upon us. If you are like most people, you have probably made a few New Year’s resolutions. I know how those well-intended resolutions usually go – I make a resolution to diet every year and end up breaking it eventually. Even so, there are a few green resolutions that I am going to try to keep this year. One it to use the reusable shopping bags. I have already purchased them, but I usually forget to put them in the car because I am in a rush to get to the store. Then, I get to … Continue reading →

BPA: Harder to Avoid Than Originally Thought?

You have probably heard about BPA (bisphenol A) and how some believe it is bad for our health. BPA is an industrial chemical used to make plastics. In 2002 alone, there was 2.8 million tons of BPA produced, so there is a lot of it out there. You have probably heard experts warn not to reuse your water bottles, choose BPA-free plastic baby bottles, don’t microwave polycarbonate plastic food containers (use glass instead), and just plain avoid any plastic that has the No. 7 recycling label because it is made with BPA. Right now, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) … Continue reading →

Bathroom Conservation: The Shower

Look at the bathrooms in your home. With a few modifications you can make them much more efficient and much greener. You can make improvements without doing a complete remodel, but of course if you want to use that as an excuse, go ahead. Just make sure that you repurpose and recycle old fixtures and buy responsibly. Water use is the most obvious place where most of us can improve. While it is mistakenly believed by many that it is the only issue in the bathroom for green living, it is the biggest. Let us start with the shower. Yes, … Continue reading →

The Complicated Fact of Bottle Laws

While some places are in the news for banning water bottles altogether, states her in the USA have been wrestling with a different kind of bottle law, one that doesn’t ban bottles but places a deposit fee on them. Yes, it is the old five or ten or more cents extra that you pay when you purchase a bottle or a can of beverage. When you return that bottle or can, you get your deposit back. I remember years ago as part of a group of kids who would hunt for bottles and turn them in at the local convenience … Continue reading →