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Toronto to vote on plastic bottle ban
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by julianw | August 21, 2008 at 10:53 am
1133 views | 2 Recommendations | 7 comments
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Let them drink tap water!
Mayor David Miller could be asking Torontonians to do just that as early as this fall when council decides on banning bottled water.
The ban, likely only in city-owned buildings, would be part of Toronto's overall plan to divert waste from landfills.
"I think Torontonians should use tap water," Miller said. "It is more pure than leading brands of (bottled) water."
He said he expects a report to be issued in November.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (7)
at 13:04 on August 21st, 2008
"Plastic water bottles are vital necessities to life...especially in the summer. Water bottles allow us to keep a close fixation of hydration wherever."
Snapshotguy14 has contributed a photo to this story.
at 19:37 on August 26th, 2008
Maybe the focus should be on banning soda (pop for us Iowans) bottles in government buildings first. That might solve a few more health problems and help the environment.
at 11:45 on February 7th, 2009
What people drink is their choice, unfortuantely pop doesn't flow out of water fountains, water does, so why should people be given free access to water bottles when the goal of Toronto is to reduce waste
at 15:37 on August 21st, 2008
This should be a Canada wide ban, yeah water bottles are convient, but buying a reusable bottle for water is just as easy, and works out to be cheaper in the long run.
at 18:54 on August 21st, 2008
julianw, I like this story. It's good stuff. I have seen this happening recently, and while it is great to be thinking about these things, it appears like a very minor step. Thinking bigger and implementing projects such as large recycling of office paper and other supplies could have a much larger impact. Hopefully this is just the first step of many projects coming from this city. It is great to see the general idea spreading though.
at 20:05 on August 21st, 2008
The staff canteen in our office building suddenly closed bussiness. The demand of drinking water in the pantry at each office floor suddenly increased. Hundreds of bottles of distilled water were delivered to our office everyday to meet the demand upsurge. Because of the limited space in pantries, distilled water bottle were piling up at the entrance of our office building. I felt that the pattern created by these bottle is nice and so I took this snapshot.
wut88 has contributed a photo to this story.
at 04:54 on August 26th, 2008
Ummmm ... drink all the tap water you like - but there remains the issue of Fluoride in the water ... which I'm not sure but I don't think it's too good ...
Dental fluorosis is a condition caused by an excess of fluoride exposure‚ which can range from faint white markings to unsightly brown stains. "This condition is the first sign that the body has been over–dosed with fluoride‚" said Dr. Limeback. About 12 per cent of the population of Toronto has dental fluorosis‚ according to both Dr. Leake and Dr. Limeback.
"Symptoms of too much fluoride accumulation over a long time include the early stages of skeletal fluorosis (joint pain)‚ an increased risk for bone fracture‚ and thyroid dysfunction‚" said Dr. Limeback. Other studies suggest links between fluoridated water and cancer‚ genetic damage‚ neurological impairment‚ and early menstruation in girls.
"Many researchers have published that the main effect of fluoride is a topical one‚ and that there is little benefit to ingesting fluoride‚" said Dr. Limeback. "The Centre for Disease Control in Atlanta has acknowledged this in their recent report‚ stating that ’The laboratory research that has led to the better understanding of how fluoride prevents dental caries indicates that fluoride’s effect is...topical and that the effect depends on fluoride being in the right amount and in the right place at the right time.’"
apparently it's also more toxic than LEAD.
it says on ur toothpaste packaging that if u ingest a portion larger than a pea size piece you should consult some kind of poison control office - apparently the amount of Fluoride in that pea size portion is the same amount u'd find in a 8 oz glass of water - does this seem right?
and if the benefits are topical - why would we have to ingest it? why do infants who don't have teeth need Fluoride??
I dunno ... just some thoughts ... I"m sure Toronto water is teeming with the stuff ... but is it really good for us?