The Bottled Water Industry Fights Back

Prompted in part by Annie Leonard's new video "The Story of Bottled Water," the International Bottled Water Association released a video of their own extolling the virtuous conduct of bottled water companies.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iExU-NT-RlA

It's great that bottled water companies recycle and support environmental organizations, but that doesn't change the fact that the core of their business is taking private control of a free public resource on which our lives depend, packaging it in disposable plastic junk, and selling it back to people at a huge profit.

But what about emergency provisions? From the press release that came with the video:

Floods, wildfires, hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, terrorist attacks, boil alerts and other events often compromise municipal water systems. IBWA members contribute millions of gallons of water each year to the affected victims. Lifesaving bottled water cannot be available in times of pressing need without a viable, functioning industry to produce it.

I'm not sure we need a commercial bottled water industry to prepare for emergencies. Why can't FEMA keep stocks of water on hand?