Bottled Twaddle: Is Bottled Water Tapped Out?

Why would someone spend more for a quart of water than a gallon of gasoline? Perhaps you would pay even more if you were dying of thirst and the only available water was in the hands of an evil extortionist. But why do so, if there is abundant, safe, tasty, and cheap water provided by a public utility? Americans squander about seven billion dollars per year on water in bottles that is largely no more pure or safe than the water in their taps. From the viewpoint of a chemist, this industry makes little sense, and Skeptic Michael Shermer points out its illogic in this one-page article in Scientific American. He does not mention the environmental impact of those millions of plastic bottles, few of which are recycled. Anybody want to buy some gourmet air?

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Michael Shermer

Publication Date: 
Wednesday, January 1, 2003
Price: 
$4.99
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