Tapped Out: The Perils of Bottled Water
by Derrick Z. Jackson
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/07/25/2760/
Bluesman Howlin’ Wolf moaned in 1956, “I asked her for water, she brought me gasoline.”
Sly and the Family Stone warned in 1969, “Don’t let the plastic bring you down.”
In 2007, you ask a waitress for a bottle of water, she still brings you gasoline. When we finish the bottle, the plastic brings us down.
In the chronicles of chasing our tail, the pursuit of purity gives us putrid environs. Americans more than doubled their purchases of personal-sized bottled water between 2002 and 2005, according to the Container Recycling Institute, from 13 billion bottles to nearly 28 billion bottles. The United States, only 5 percent of the world’s population, accounts for 17 percent of global bottled water consumption, according to the Worldwatch Institute. As we take water itself for granted, so too do we ignore its waste and, as they say these days, its ecological footprint.
Nearly all such water comes in bottles derived from oil, commonly called PET for polyethylene terephthalate. Nationally only 14.5 percent of PET bottles for non-carbonated drinks were recycled, creating 2 million tons of trash that will not degrade for hundreds of years in landfills. The Container Recycling Institute says overall beverage container recycling has dropped from 53.5 percent in 1992 to 33.5 percent in 2004.
The institute calculates that if we were to go on a national campaign to increase beverage container recycling to 80 percent, the savings in greenhouse gas production would be the equivalent of taking 2.4 million cars off the road for a year. It says if the recycling content of plastic beverage bottles was 25 percent, that would save enough crude oil to electrify 680,000 American homes for a year.
“Beverage bottles and cans are not only a large portion of packaging, but are also some of the most easily recycled and most economically valuable materials in our waste stream,” the institute said last year. “Replacing these cans and bottles with new containers made from virgin materials consumes substantive amounts of energy, water, and, increases dependence on foreign oil.”
The ironies of bottled water are an iconic insult to our intelligence. Many companies imply their water is better than tap water even though bottled water is often tap water. Many companies imply that bottled “spring water” is healthier even though there is no evidence that such water is any better or worse than municipal supplies. Despite that, Americans are willing to pay far more for bottled water.
Even more ridiculous, we are howlin’ wolves about $3-a-gallon gasoline. But those little bottles of water add up to as much as $10 a gallon, according to the Earth Policy Institute, a Washington environmental think tank. Some mayors are catching on. San Francisco just banned bottled water at city offices. New York is crusading to lure residents back to the tap. Globe columnist Yvonne Abraham reports that Boston City Hall employees last year quaffed $100,000 of bottled water.
The US Conference of Mayors, noting how Americans spend $11 billion on bottled water despite the $43 billion that local governments spend to deliver some of the best water in the world, last month passed a resolution calling for the “compilation of information regarding the importance of municipal water and the impact of bottled water on municipal waste.”
These stirrings have the bottled water lobby gurgling in protest. The International Bottled Water Association said the San Francisco ban by Mayor Gavin Newsom was riddled with “misinformed statements.” It claimed neither their bottles nor the production or transport of the bottles are environmental problems. The association cried that Newsom was depriving city employees of a healthy drink that “does not contain calories, caffeine, sugar, artificial flavors or colors, alcohol and other ingredients.”
Talk about crying and howling wolf. By far, the two fastest-growing individual “liquid refreshment” brands in the United States, according to the Beverage Marketing Corporation, are Pepsi’s Aquafina and Coke’s Dasani. Both are bottled waters. Both are municipal water!
When Sly and the Family Stone sang about plastic, it was about fake people. There is nothing more fake than people who repackage tap water, then jack you up, calling it “liquid refreshment.”
The next time you ask the waitress for bottled water, remember it costs more than gasoline.
Derrick Z. Jackson’s e-mail address is jackson@globe.com.
© 2007 The Boston Globe
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
In pictures: World's largest camel race
In pictures: World's largest camel race
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/07/africa_world0s_largest_camel_race/html/1.stm
Getting ready for the race
A race by 468 camels around a 4km-track in Layoune, in Western Sahara, has, say the organisers, broken a world record with some 100 more entrants than previously recorded - although this is still to be ratified.
It was the high point in a week-long festival celebrating the culture of the Saharawi people.
The entrants included 100 one-humped dromedaries, known as Arabian camels, and 200 Bactrian camels, which have two humps.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/07/africa_world0s_largest_camel_race/html/1.stm
Getting ready for the race
A race by 468 camels around a 4km-track in Layoune, in Western Sahara, has, say the organisers, broken a world record with some 100 more entrants than previously recorded - although this is still to be ratified.
It was the high point in a week-long festival celebrating the culture of the Saharawi people.
The entrants included 100 one-humped dromedaries, known as Arabian camels, and 200 Bactrian camels, which have two humps.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Big Wendy the muscular whippet
Big Wendy the muscular whippet
Rare genetic mutation increases muscles, weight of sleek breed
Kim Westad, Times Colonist
Published: Monday, June 25, 2007
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/story.html?id=67f15c17-2717-4022-bb76-1b982456e793&k=94653
People mistake her for a pitbull with a pinhead, but Wendy the whippet is one rare breed.
So rare that the Central Saanich dog recently graced the New York Times. She also had several of her photos shown on The Today Show, all because of a rare genetic mutation that has led to her being the Incredible Hulk of dogs.
Wendy is a 27-kilogram rippling mass of muscle. Forget the so-called six-pack stomach: Wendy has a 24-pack. And the muscles around her neck are so thick, they look like a lion's ruff.
Wendy the Whippet has a genetic disorder that has resulted in an exceptionally muscular appearance.View Larger Image View Larger Image
Wendy the Whippet has a genetic disorder that has resulted in an exceptionally muscular appearance.
"People have referred to her as Arnold Schwarzenegger," says doting owner Ingrid Hansen, stroking Wendy's sleek black coat and white chest.
Wendy was recently part of a genetics study done in the U.S. on mutation in the myostatin gene in whippets, which resemble greyhounds in appearance. The National Institute of Health study reported that whippets with one single defective copy of the gene have increased muscle mass that can enhance racing performance in the breed, known for speeds up to 60 kilometres an hour.
But whippets with two mutated copies of the gene become "double-muscled," like Wendy. It has been seen before in one human, and also in mice, cattle and sheep, says the study.
The uber-muscled whippets are called "bullies," not because of their nature -- Wendy likes nothing better than a good back scratch and isn't shy about sitting in your lap to ask for one -- but because of their size. She's about twice the weight of an average whippet, but with the same height and small narrow head -- and the same size heart and lungs, which means she probably won't live as long as normal whippets.
Hansen has had Wendy, now four, since she bought the dog from a Shawnigan Lake breeder when she was eight months old.
Wendy landed in clover. She lives on an acreage, runs around with other dogs and horses, sleeps on Hansen's bed and pretty much anywhere else she wants to.
People are often afraid when the muscle-bound dog runs up to them on her dainty whippet-thin legs, but they soon realize she's friendly, Hansen said.
Rare genetic mutation increases muscles, weight of sleek breed
Kim Westad, Times Colonist
Published: Monday, June 25, 2007
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/story.html?id=67f15c17-2717-4022-bb76-1b982456e793&k=94653
People mistake her for a pitbull with a pinhead, but Wendy the whippet is one rare breed.
So rare that the Central Saanich dog recently graced the New York Times. She also had several of her photos shown on The Today Show, all because of a rare genetic mutation that has led to her being the Incredible Hulk of dogs.
Wendy is a 27-kilogram rippling mass of muscle. Forget the so-called six-pack stomach: Wendy has a 24-pack. And the muscles around her neck are so thick, they look like a lion's ruff.
Wendy the Whippet has a genetic disorder that has resulted in an exceptionally muscular appearance.View Larger Image View Larger Image
Wendy the Whippet has a genetic disorder that has resulted in an exceptionally muscular appearance.
"People have referred to her as Arnold Schwarzenegger," says doting owner Ingrid Hansen, stroking Wendy's sleek black coat and white chest.
Wendy was recently part of a genetics study done in the U.S. on mutation in the myostatin gene in whippets, which resemble greyhounds in appearance. The National Institute of Health study reported that whippets with one single defective copy of the gene have increased muscle mass that can enhance racing performance in the breed, known for speeds up to 60 kilometres an hour.
But whippets with two mutated copies of the gene become "double-muscled," like Wendy. It has been seen before in one human, and also in mice, cattle and sheep, says the study.
The uber-muscled whippets are called "bullies," not because of their nature -- Wendy likes nothing better than a good back scratch and isn't shy about sitting in your lap to ask for one -- but because of their size. She's about twice the weight of an average whippet, but with the same height and small narrow head -- and the same size heart and lungs, which means she probably won't live as long as normal whippets.
Hansen has had Wendy, now four, since she bought the dog from a Shawnigan Lake breeder when she was eight months old.
Wendy landed in clover. She lives on an acreage, runs around with other dogs and horses, sleeps on Hansen's bed and pretty much anywhere else she wants to.
People are often afraid when the muscle-bound dog runs up to them on her dainty whippet-thin legs, but they soon realize she's friendly, Hansen said.
New7Wonders World Tour and Campaign Examples
New7Wonders World Tour and Campaign Examples
http://docs.google.com/View?docID=dd883pt3_1f6pdt4&revision=_latest
July 2007
World Tour
The New7Wonders World Tour visited all 21 candidates between September 2006 and March 2007, to allow each to showcase their monuments and their cultures to the world, and to promote the campaign in general to the global media and people everywhere.
During the World Tour, the New7Wonders team was welcomed by presidents, a queen, a premier, governors and ministers, many mayors and countless cultural representatives, as well as several chiefs or tribal leaders and other popular figures. The ceremonies were often filled with music, dance and other tributes to the culture being highlighted and to the New7Wonders campaign giving it a global platform.
The World Tour dates were as follows:
The Acropolis, Athens—September 5, 2006
Hagia Sophia, Istanbul—September 13, 2006
The Kremlin and St. Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow—September 21, 2006
The Colosseum, Rome—September 26, 2006
Neuschwanstein Castle, Schwangau, Germany—October 4, 2006
The Eiffel Tower, Paris—October 10, 2006
Stonehenge, Amesbury, United Kingdom—October 17, 2006
The Alhambra, Granada, Spain—October 24, 2006
The Great Wall of China, near Beijing—November 9, 2006
Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto—November 14, 2006
Sydney Opera House, Sydney—November 21, 2006
Angkor, Cambodia—November 28, 2006
The Taj Mahal, December 5, 2006
Timbuktu, January 9, 2007
Petra, Jordan—January 16, 2007
The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt—January 23, 2007
The Statue of Christ Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro—February 7, 2007
The Easter Island Statues, Chile—February 13, 2007
Machu Picchu, Peru—February 20, 2007
Chichén Itzá, Mexico—February 27, 2007
The Statue of Liberty, New York City—March 7, 2007
New7Wonders met and presented the Official Certificate of Candidacy to many notable figures throughout the World Tour, including Dr Károlos Papoúlias, President of the Hellenic Republic; Queen Rania al-Abdullah of Jordan; Prime Minister Ousmane Issoufi Maiga of Mali; Peruvian Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism Mercedes Araoz; Premier of the Australia state of New South Wales Morris Iemma; Mr Sou Phirin, Governor of Siem Reap Province in Cambodia; Patricio Patrón Laviada, Governor of the Mexican State of Yucatan; Prof. Haluk Dursun, President of the Hagia Sophia Museum; Dottoressa Irene Iacopi, Director of the Colosseum and the Roman Forum; María del Mar Villafranca Jímenez, Director of the Alhambra; Mr. Dong Yaohui, Standing Vice-Chairman of the China Great Wall Society; Cynthia Garrett, Superintendent of the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island; Dr. Norman Gillespie, CEO of Sydney Opera House; the Chief Abbott of Kiyomizu Temple, Mr. Seihan Mori; the Cardinal of Rio de Janeiro, Eusebio Oscar Scheid; Chief of the Council of Elders of Easter Island Alberto Hotus; Rollo Maughfling, Archdruid of Stonehenge; and Brazilian football legend and world record holder Jairzinho.
For details of the often spectacular event at each of the monuments, as well as photographs and insights in Bernard Weber’s “Founder’s Blog,” please visit www.new7wonders.com/worldtour.
Campaign Examples
The New7Wonders Foundation, in putting on this first-ever global vote, has provided a platform for cultural dialogue. Campaigns in many countries, initiated either by the government, official cultural bodies, or by private individuals who share the New7Wonders vision, have played a very important role in promoting this dialogue and the involvement of people around the world. It has hence attained the status of a truly global grassroots movement. Here are some examples:
Many monuments were supported by dedicated websites or strong placements in national websites. Here are a selection of examples:
www.einweltwunderfuerdeutschland.de (Neuschwanstein Castle),
www.porquelaalhambra.com (The Alhambra),
www.petrablog.com/vote-for-petra and www.visitjordan.com (Petra),
www.cristoredentor.com.br and www.rioconventionbureau.com.br (Christ Redeemer),
www.moai.gobierno.cl and www.voterapanui.com (Easter Island Statues),
www.votenpormachupicchu.com and www.peru.info (Machu Picchu),
www.mexicomaxico.org (Chichén Itzá).
Many monuments, such as the Alhambra, Sydney Opera House, Machu Picchu and Chichén Itzá printed postcards and pamphlets, and several printed information about the campaign on their entrance tickets. Posters promoting the votes were also hung throughout Jordan and Peru, while information about the New7Wonders campaign was prominently distributed in Chinese universities. Several European capitals saw posters promoting Chichén Itzá as a New7Wonders candidate on buses and in their underground or subway stations.
National figures and celebrities have promoted the New7Wonders campaign in many countries, such as King Juan Carlos of Spain and Shakira, who both voted for the Alhambra, the cast of the very-popular Big Brother television show in Brazil, who were taken out of the house (which normally does not happen!) to visit the statue of Christ Redeemer and to promote the New7Wonders campaign, and one of India’s most-loved singers, A.R. Rahman, wrote a moving song supporting the Taj Mahal’s candidacy and toured throughout the country in support of the monument. Rapa Nui elders and dancers held several public ceremonies in Chile calling on people to vote. A wide variety of celebrities and public officials in Germany, including Miss Germany and some top television personalities, have backed New7Wonders and called upon people to vote.
Some governments, such as the Peruvian and Mexican ones, used their global embassy network to create awareness amongst their citizens living abroad and friends of their countries.
Contact: Tia B. Viering, tia@n7w.com, tel: +32-2-503-4767 or +32-473-79 57 53 (mobile)
07.07.07
Official Declaration of the New 7 Wonders of the World in Lisbon, Portugal
… be part of the making of history!
www.new7wonders.com
Google Docs & Spreadsheets -- Web word processing and spreadsheets. Edit this page (you have permission)
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Chinese Villagers Eat Dinosaur Bones
Chinese Villagers Eat Dinosaur Bones
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CHINA_DINOSAUR_MEDICINE?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=ENTERTAINMENT
Jul 4, 8:08 AM EDT
AP Photo
BEIJING (AP) -- Villagers in central China dug up a ton of dinosaur bones and boiled them in soup or ground them into powder for traditional medicine, believing they were from flying dragons and had healing powers.
Until last year, the fossils were being sold in Henan province as "dragon bones" at about 4 yuan (50 cents) per kilogram (2.2 pounds), scientist Dong Zhiming told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Dong, a professor with the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said when the villagers found out the bones were from dinosaurs they donated 200 kilograms (440 pounds) to him and his colleagues for research.
"They had believed that the 'dragon bones' were from the dragons flying in the sky," he said.
The calcium-rich bones were sometimes boiled with other ingredients and fed to children as a treatment for dizziness and leg cramps. Other times they were ground up and made into a paste that was applied directly to fractures and other injuries, he said.
The practice had been going on for at least two decades, he said.
Dong was among a team of scientists who recently excavated in Henan's Ruyang County an 60-foot-long plant-eating dinosaur, which lived 85 million to 100 million years ago. Local officials held a news conference Tuesday, showing off the find to the public for the first time.
Another two dinosaur fossils were being excavated in the area, which is rich in fossilized dinosaur eggs, Dong said.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CHINA_DINOSAUR_MEDICINE?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=ENTERTAINMENT
Jul 4, 8:08 AM EDT
AP Photo
BEIJING (AP) -- Villagers in central China dug up a ton of dinosaur bones and boiled them in soup or ground them into powder for traditional medicine, believing they were from flying dragons and had healing powers.
Until last year, the fossils were being sold in Henan province as "dragon bones" at about 4 yuan (50 cents) per kilogram (2.2 pounds), scientist Dong Zhiming told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Dong, a professor with the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said when the villagers found out the bones were from dinosaurs they donated 200 kilograms (440 pounds) to him and his colleagues for research.
"They had believed that the 'dragon bones' were from the dragons flying in the sky," he said.
The calcium-rich bones were sometimes boiled with other ingredients and fed to children as a treatment for dizziness and leg cramps. Other times they were ground up and made into a paste that was applied directly to fractures and other injuries, he said.
The practice had been going on for at least two decades, he said.
Dong was among a team of scientists who recently excavated in Henan's Ruyang County an 60-foot-long plant-eating dinosaur, which lived 85 million to 100 million years ago. Local officials held a news conference Tuesday, showing off the find to the public for the first time.
Another two dinosaur fossils were being excavated in the area, which is rich in fossilized dinosaur eggs, Dong said.
Get Your Own Japanese Castle Theme Park
Get Your Own Japanese Castle Theme Park
http://www.weirdasianews.com/2007/07/03/
Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007
Got a few extra million dollars lying around just wasting away. Well grab it up and purchase your very own Japanese Castle Theme Park.
We are just about 9.99 million away from purchasing it ourself.
Gambate Ne!
Must have a eBay Account
Buy It Now price: US $10,000,000.00 Buy It Now >
PayPal account required
Shipping costs:
Pickup only - see item description for details
Ships to: Will arrange for local pickup only (no shipping).
Item location: Kyoto City, Kyoto, Japan
http://www.weirdasianews.com/2007/07/03/
Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007
Got a few extra million dollars lying around just wasting away. Well grab it up and purchase your very own Japanese Castle Theme Park.
We are just about 9.99 million away from purchasing it ourself.
Gambate Ne!
Must have a eBay Account
Buy It Now price: US $10,000,000.00 Buy It Now >
PayPal account required
Shipping costs:
Pickup only - see item description for details
Ships to: Will arrange for local pickup only (no shipping).
Item location: Kyoto City, Kyoto, Japan
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