Drink Responsibly!

When it comes to being responsible towards the environment, a small step or a small lifestyle change can make a big difference. Our consumption of bottled water is a great example. I read this insightful report on the BBC website - Bottled Water: who needs it; which puts the focus on how the increased demand for bottled water is damaging the environment. In the US for instance a total of 29 Billion Bottles are sold every year! (This includes all plastic bottles not just water) while in the UK the bottled water is now a $4 Billion industry a year from a negligible amount in the 70s. First there is the cost of transporting these bottles and then there is the problem of all the plastic bottles piling up. In the US, manufacturers use a shocking 17 million barrels of crude oil to manufacture these bottles! Its strange considering across most of the US and the UK, tap water is absolutely safe to drink. Imagine buying bottled water when you have access to safe drinking water in a world where more than a 1 billion people don't have access to safe water. In India it is a different scenario we are forced to opt for 'Mineral water' in many situations where there is no clean, safe water. But clearly there are places (Usually restaurants) where we have the option of safe water but don't exercise it. If you don't want to take a chance at lease consider carrying a bottle of water (from home which you can refill everyday) in your car for your everyday ride from home to work and back.  That's better than buying a few bottles of mineral water a week and adding to the problem. It's easy even for compulsive water addicts like myself. National Geographic puts the entire thing in perspective - 'If you imagine your water bottle a quarter filled up with oil that’s how much oil it takes to create the bottle'. 

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