What’s a health conscious, contemporary, socially aware consumer to do? With the advent of more widespread leisure and travel for business and pleasure, consumers are increasingly turning to the convenience of bottled water for refreshment. Water makes a great contribution to over-all hydration. It is fat free and a great thirst quencher. But…is it…safe?
The cosmic view on water poses still other puzzling issues. Ninety-seven percent of all the water on our planet is in the oceans. The Atlantic, Pacific, Artic, Antarctic and Indian Oceans cover about three-quarters of the earth’s surface with salt water that can only be utilized if processed by desalinization. Over two percent of that is polluted or part of the ice cap, leaving less than one percent which is actually available for human use. In the home, three quarters of all water used is in the bathroom. I am as guilty as the next person of letting water run in the sink while brushing my teeth, but I had no idea that I was increasing my daily usage by up to twenty gallons! Most toilets use a minimum of three and one-half gallons per flush. It seems that our personal hygiene must go through a new and different ringer, and I for one will look at rainstorms and monsoons with a new respect in the future.
But how do we solve the problem? Those cute little sports bottles look so chic sticking out of belts and back pockets and designer tote-bags. Flip-top caps make it all so easy to drink as much or more water than the Jones’. Has there been any survey made about those who put plain tap water in those containers and pretend to be among the elite? What should we do with these people if we find them? Tell them they are low class and just too passé for serious consideration? Not only that. We are capable of adding our own bacteria. We don’t need any help from imposters! Maybe P.T. Barnum was right after all. If he were alive today, he would probably get on the bandwagon and find a way to bottle air as well. Who knows what bottled air could do for our minds and spirits? Do you think it could prevent another sucker among us from being born ever minute? I doubt it.
Did you know . . .
"Our lives are not in the lap of the gods, but in the lap of our cooks."