July 15, 2009 by admin
Why is there no mention of
soft drinks, the manufacture and disposal of which poses the same
or even greater environmental risks as bottled water, and which,
unlike bottled water, is genuinely unhealthy to the human
body?
Also, shouldn’t the
campaign be FOR water coolers to be installed all throughout the
island and for people to bring their own reusable
containers?
Written by Ng E-Jay
15 July 2009
It was reported in the Straits Times article “Bottled water: People should be told the
facts” that the Australian town of Bundanoon, south of
Sydney, voted to ban bottled water last Wednesday, and that
two individuals here are keen
on campaigning for a similar move in Singapore. I was nothing short
of flabbergasted when I read this.
Ms Leong Ching, a PhD student at the Lee Kuan Yew School of
Public Policy, and Professor Tommy Koh, chairman of the Governing
Council of the Asia-Pacific Water Forum, are reportedly planning to
lobby all ministries, statutory boards, Temasek-linked companies,
and educational institutions to consider stopping the practice of
serving bottled water, on the basis that bottled water wastes
resources and harms the environment.
Ms Leong, a former journalist, said: “I can understand why they
drink bottled water in countries where they have no choice. But it
is senseless when the (tap) water is fit for drinking (as is the
case for Singapore).”
First off the bat, I have absolutely no objections to Government
departments, statutory boards, and dining establishments such as
restaurants providing only tap water as opposed to bottled
water.
But if the campaign is also
targetted at bottled water sold to the general public, it is
nothing short of sheer idiocy.
Bottled water is an extremely hygenic, convenient and healthy
means of hydrating the body when one is in public and is in need of
a thirst quencher.
If bottled water is banned,
wouldn’t that mean that people will instead have to opt for
beverages like soft drinks, which are unhealthy as they tend to
contain loads of sugar and other
preservatives?
I personally rely heavily on bottled water while not at home, as
a source of hydration throughout the day and after exercise.
Perhaps Ms Leong Ching and Professor Tommy Koh would rather that I
spend even more money loading up on expensive soft drinks or
caffeinated beverages instead.
Without bottled water, if there is no water cooler nearby, I
would have to go to the toilet to drink from the tap. Given the
overall unhygienic state of public toilets in Singapore, I find
that notion repulsive. Imagine calling ourselves a first world
nation and then having to drink from a public toilet!
Concerns over the environmental impact of bottled water are most
probably misplaced as well. The greatest threat to the environment
comes from carbon and toxic emissions from heavy industries. It is
true that non-biodegradable plastics such as those used in bottled
water also hurt the environment, but if so, shouldn’t the emphasis
be on soft drinks instead, as
soft drinks are genuinely unhealthy to the human body and
use both metals and plastics for
containers?
Rather than campaign to ban bottled water, Ms Leong
Ching and Professor Tommy Koh should instead be campaigning for
water coolers to be installed throughout the island and for people
to bring their own reusable containers.
I simply do not understand why a campaign has to be directed
against something so innocent as bottled water, when there are far
greater environmental threats, when there are far unhealthier
products in the marketplace, and when bottled water is of such
convenience to people on the move.
I also take offence at the
notion of individuals going around trying to ban something just
because they dislike it. It infringes upon
the right of others to make informed choices and insensitively
disregards the fact that those choices may be an important part of
the lifestyles of others.
As reported in the Straits Times, the bottled water industry is
extremely lucrative. Perhaps some soft drink manufacturers are
feeling the heat as a result of people like myelf opting to drink
bottled water as opposed to their sugar-laden concoctions.
Access to clean, healthy
bottled water is to me a basic right. If Ms
Leong Ching and Professor Tommy Koh insist on encroaching on my
right to enjoy this magnificent product, I will oppose them come hell
or high water.
http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=3406
