In Context: 5 Web Perspectives On A Story In The News

Bottled water blues

(CBC)   Following Halifax’s bottled water ban at city hall, Toronto university students are pushing for all Ontario provincial buildings to start using tap water. Ryerson and University of Toronto students are backing a bill proposed by the NDP’s Peter Tabuns that introduces a government spending cap on bottled water. He argues, as does Environment Minister John Gerretson, that relying on Canada’s high-quality tap water can not only save the government plenty of money, but also reduces waste being sent to landfills. Others feel that bottled water has a role – notably, where free, public tap water isn’t available, and some argue that bottled water offers consumers a healthy drinking alternative to soft drinks.

1.

Inside the Bottle campaigns to phase out bottled water

Inside the Bottle
Inside the Bottle is a campaign launched by the Polaris Institute, a citizen movement aimed at challenging corporate power. The site tracks legislative action, campus news, and global updates regarding the opposition to the bottled water industry.
They have created a map detailing places in North America where organizations are lobbying to have bottled water phased out. Further, the map includes locations of bottled water plants across the country.

2.

Stats Can: the Canadian bottled water industry

Statistics Canada
Stats Canada has released a document detailing the significance, scope and challenges brought forth by Canada's bottled water industry. As of 2006, the report states that bottled water comprised 9.1% of the Canadian commercial beverage market. The report also states the environmental concerns raised by the industry: 1.3 litres of water are need for every litre of the bottled stuff, and waste reduction and the recycling of polycarbonate materials are an issue, as well.

3.

CBWA in defense of bottled water

Canadian Bottled Water Association
The CBWA is the trade association for the Canadian bottled water industry. They're seeking to promote bottled water as a healthy, convenient beverage alternative. Their website contains plenty of industry-specific information, including their list of approved manufacturers, recycling practises for different types of water bottles and the quality standards used by the industry.

4.

Bottled water: pure drink or pure hype?

National Defense Resource Council
Bottled Water is a report published by the National Defense Resource Council, an American environmental action group. The report, submitted to the FDA, is the result of a four year study examining the myth of bottled water purity, the contaminants found in both city and bottled water and government bottled water regulation. The report suggests that while the industry is exploding, that the quality of bottled water is no better - and sometimes worse - than public water.

5.

Health Canada: Canada's drinking water

Health Canada
This is Health's Canada's website detailing the quality of Canada's drinking water. The site explores some of the risks associated with drinking tap water, Canada's drinking water guidelines, the materials that come into contact with our water supply, and Canada's water sources.