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The Republican Fetish With Water Bottles

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Via:  Jerry Verlinger  •  9 years ago  •  3 comments


The Republican Fetish With Water Bottles
 

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Climate Change & Environment

18sat2-blog427.jpg?width=400 Credit:Eleanor Taylor

The National Park Service has a cautious, sensible policy that allows parks to ban the sale of plastic water bottles. Those that do so are required to provide easily accessible filling stations at which visitors can replenish their own containers or fill reusable bottles sold at park concessions with fresh, potable water.
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By THE TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD JULY 17, 2015

reusable-water-bottle-rocky-mountain-national-park.jpg.653x0_q80_crop-smart.jpg?width=300 This is an excellent strategy to eliminate a big source of the litter that befouls many parks, but after three years Republicans are looking for ways to roll it back. Thats too bad, because the policy saves money for the parks, by reducing cleanup costs, and for visitors, who are able to drink free tap water and buy refillable bottles sold at park concessions for a few dollars.

The National Park Service hopes that people will bring reusable water bottles with them to enjoy the great outdoors . (Photo:daveynin/flickr)

The bottled water industry and its allies in Congress say the bans may be having adverse effects on public health and safety by leaving some visitors dehydrated if they cant find water and by pushing others to drink less healthy beverages, like sugary sodas. Those dangers are recognized by the Park Service, which requires any park with a ban to monitor its effects. There is no solid data yet on the bans effects on health or the environment, but the Park Service told Congress the initial feedbac k indicates that there is less plastic and aluminum garbage and litter in the parks.

Common sense suggests that would be the case, but House Republicans contend there is no evidence that the bans work to reduce waste. They have also called allowing the ban of bottled water intrusive government overreach that is robbing consumers of choice and could cost jobs for people who bottle water in a noble industry. House Republicans are trying to undercut the Park Service policy with an amendment, approved last week with cheers from the industry, to prevent any appropriated money from being used to carry out or enforce the bans.

the-water-illuminati-are-battling-against-the-national-park-services-proposed-bottled-water-ban-111-1436805653.jpg?resize=*:*&output-quality=75&width=300 So far 19 parks, including Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina, Mount Rushmore National Monument in South Dakota and Zion National Park in Utah, have established water filling stations and banned sales of bottled water, although visitors remain free to bring in their own bottled water or any legal beverage. Grand Canyon estimates that plastic bottles made up 20 percent of its solid waste stream. It now sells refillable water bottles for as little as $2.50. Zion National Park has made more money in sales of reusable bottles than it lost in bottled water sales.

Photo via Flickr userBob B. Brown.

The bottle bans could inspire park visitors to cut their bottled water use back at home, and help spread the message of the environmental benefits of choosing tap water.

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