Archive for July, 2008
A Terrible Choice: Crops or Water?
Global food shortages have placed the Middle East and North Africa in a quandary, as they are forced to choose between growing more crops to feed an expanding population or preserving their already scant supply of water.
read more | digg story
The Story of Stuff
From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It’ll teach you something, it’ll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.
Bottlemania
Personally, I’ve always thought bottled water is weird. First, I don’t like it carbonated (bubbly), second, it seems weird to buy something, that is coming straight out of the taps in your house, with equal or even better quality control than what you would buy in bottles, and you don’t have to carry it.
Especially, I always thought this image to be scary:
Ok, it’s sugary water, not “pure” water, but hey.
The NY Times recently reviewed a book that looks into the phenomenon of bottled water: “Bottlemania: How Water Went on Sale and Why We Bought It” by Elizabeth Royte (at amazon.com or at VLB)
There is also a letter to the editor which provides some insights as to how drinking water is controlled in the US. And there is also a free chapter available to read online at the NYTimes.