how does bottled water cause global warming?

Question

ok well i dont know how it does and why they wanna illegalize it....which i think is totally stupid...why isn't bottled pepsi getting illegalized then? and tap water is so not the same as bottled. bottled is purified and tap has all that chlorine and stuff in it.

Answer 1

Actually, it IS the same as tap water because it IS tap water. Pepsi is now being required to say so on the label. No more PWS (public water supply). And all the idiots will buy tap water for upwards of 15-20 per gallon and b*tch about 3 per gallon gas. Drink up, moron.

Answer 2

Okay. To answer the original question being posted bottled water containers are made up of plastic materials. These plastic materials release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere from their storage and transportation. Additionally, if the bottles happen to be burnt then the gases released also have a negative affect on the environment. Tap water is being sold as bottled water (Aquafina and Dasani brands) and what is the chief difference between the purified water and the tap is that purified water has lost the sodium and chlorine that was mentioned and tap water still has the acceptable levels of those ions and minerals.

Answer 3

Howdy,

Many previous responses answer this effectively, so I won't bother to repeat what they say.

I will point to a few news articles that explain the reasons behind the various bans on bottled water. According to article from the International Herald Tribune, the city of San Francisco is banning bottled water because of its enviornmental impact.

The production, transportation, and disposal of the bottles has a significant effect on the enviornment, and "more than a billion of them end up in the state's landfills each year." A billion is a big number, especially if it can be avoided.

This ban doesn't make a lot of sense to some people. But to those lucky enough to live in areas with great tap water, the ban is sure to have a significant positive effect on the enviornment.

I've included a few more links on the topic below. The New York Times article covers how much an average person can save by drinking tap water over bottled water. The numbers might surprise you.

thanks!

Mike

Answer 4

The contribution to global warming is a very small one brought about through the processing, packaging, transportation and distribution stages. Pretty much everything we consume goes through these processes so you could just as well point the finger at cheese, sugar, milk, bread etc.

The impact in respect of bottled water is more of an environmental one than many other products because of the plastic bottles that end up in landfill sites or discarded on the ground. Many plastics don't biodegrade unlike paper or board packaging.

Don't have specific figures for the contribution of bottled water to global warming but given the total contribution made by all apsects of the food industry I would guess it would be in the order of 0.001 to 0.025%.

There is sometimes confusion surrounding the contrinution of soda to global waring because these drinks are carbonated with carbon dioxide. They're not in themselves contributing to global warming because the carbon dioxide in soda was extracted from air in the first place.

Answer 5

I suppose by the energy involved in bottling it. But you are right, it is inconsistent to spend all that energy on soft drinks and not complain. In towns where the tap water is not fit to drink, bottled water is a necessity. And the bottles are recyclable, after all.

Answer 6

well studies show that bottled water contents don't differ so much from tap water. depening on where you live tap water may taste the same as bottled water or taste totally nasty. im not sure about the global warming part but i think its the manufacturing of plastic bottles.

Answer 7

Billions of gallons are sealed in water bottles and soda cans/bottles. If we release every drop of water into environment (emptying EVERY bottle and cans, around the world), the global warming will disappear. The ice cap in the north will be restored. California will get more rain. Ban water bottles and soda bottles/cans.

Answer 8

Where did you get this information?

Trust me, Poland Spring is not looking to go out of business. Also, most of the bottled water comes from a tap somewhere anyway.


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Answer 9

It doesnt cause global warming dunce, it is just bad for the environment. Bottles rarely get recycled, and end up in land fills where it can take billions of years to properly disintegrate.

But what you mean is the distribution of water is bad for the environment. It takes an amazing amount of energy to make bottles, transsport them, etc. This of course causes pollution in the air.

Answer 10

Bottled water does nothing... but plastic bottle producing, the process of purification, transferring bottles etc do affect the environment