Think Free » environment

The Greatest Show on Earth

Webmaster — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:16:41 +0000

I’ve said before that the theory of evolution does not say there is no God. The Catholic church believes in evolution, and they believe that the earth is billions of years old. Most of the world, and indeed almost every scientist in the world, accepts the theory of evolution as fact. I’d like to point out, for those that don’t know, the definition of theory. Those that argue against evolution point out the definition of a theory as “a hypothesis assumed for the sake of argument or investigation” (taken from Merriam-Webster). However, another definition, and most definitely the one that applies to evolution, is “a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain phenomena” (also taken from Merriam-Webster, but go ahead and look it up in any dictionary). This same definition can be applied to the theory of gravity, or the theory of light waves, or the theory that the sun is in the middle of our solar system.

I don’t post every article I read about evolution, just the ones that I think the general public would find interesting. I can’t believe with all the evidence there is for evolution, that some 40% of Americans believe the Earth is less than 10,000 years old. That is not only an affront to biology, but every other form of science as well. Just today, two new articles about evolution: First Evolutionary Branching For Bilateral Animals Found; New Comprehensive Analysis Sheds Light On The Origin Of Cetaceans. I implore those of you that doubt evolution to pick up Richard Dawkin’s new book “The Greatest Show on Earth”. He beautifully illustrates the scientific fact of evolution in a way anyone can understand. For those of you that do accept evolution, the book is still a great read, and will give you tons of facts to present if ever arguing the side of evolution.

Evolution and Global Warming

Webmaster — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:28:00 +0000

My apologies for the lack of original posts lately, I promise there are some in the works. Until then, have some articles:

Molecular Decay Of Enamel-specific Gene In Toothless Mammals Supports Theory Of Evolution

Long-term Cooling Trend In Arctic Abruptly Reverses, Signaling Potential For Sea Rise

Food, Inc Trailer

Webmaster — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:05:00 +0000

This is an film I believe everyone should see. There’s so many things wrong with the American food industry, and it’s important to know where your food is coming from and what’s in it.

Think Before You Drink (bottled water)

Webmaster — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:10:00 +0000

Over half of the inhabitants of Fiji do not have access to clean drinking water, yet the Fiji factory makes about a million bottles a day to be purchased in other countries for a premium price. 1/6th of the world’s population doesn’t have clean water to drink. Thousands of people die every day from diseases contracted from tainted drinking water. The corporations that make billions of dollars every year from selling bottled water want us to think it’s a healthy choice, and better than tap water (or other municipal sources). The truth is, it’s incredibly expensive, not to mention unhealthy for us, and terrible for our environment.

Last week, I received a brochure from my city’s water department detailing the quality of the municipal water in my area. You’ll never get a similar report from the bottled water companies. Municipal water is inspected frequently by the EPA and must meet its standards. Bottled water is controlled by the FDA, but most is not transported between states, which exempts it from FDA regulation. Even when it is, the testing is less rigorous and the standards are not as high as for tap water. For more information, check the startling charts on the NDRC’s site, including EPA tap water/FDA bottled water rules, comparison of standards, and monitored contaminants.

It seems there is a large choice when you see the varieties of bottled water offered for sale, but the truth is that Pepsi, Coke, and Nestle own more than half of them (including the largest 2, Aquafina and Dasani, which are nothing more than purified municipal water). At least those 2 save oil, they start as municipal water and don’t need to be transported far. Half of the wholesale cost of bottled water that must be transported, like spring water, is spent on transportation. It takes millions of gallons of oil every year to make plastic bottles, and even more oil to transport bottled water. Water is so heavy, you cannot fill an 18-wheeler truck with it, you must leave empty space.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used to make plastic bottles that has been shown to harm reproductive development in animals. In humans, it has been linked to heart disease, diabetes, chemotherapy resistance, and a whole wealth of other problems. A recent study from the Harvard School of Public Health showed a 2/3 increase in BPA found in subject urine that used plastic bottles for a week. They used cold drinks; if the plastic bottle is heated the amount of BPA is higher. This does not only apply to disposable containers, but some baby bottles and other polycarbonate products.

Buying bottled water is like throwing away your money. Actually it’s worse than throwing away your money, you’re giving it to huge corporations. Water is extremely cheap. Most of the money you pay for a bottle of water goes toward paying for the bottle. Municipal water like tap or well costs, at the most, a few cents per gallon. Assuming you get a 20oz bottle of water at the vending machine for $1, that’s 5 cents per ounce, or $6.40/gallon. Where I live, gas is pretty expensive, but bottled water is 3 times the cost of gas here. The companies don’t have to spend very much on advertising, either. Water practically sells itself, especially if you make it seem healthier than tap water. The bottled water industry is about half the size of the soda industry, but the advertising budget is only 15% of what they spend to market soda.

The bottles are recyclable, but most of them are thrown out. Plastic has a very slow rate of decay, and bottled water alone (not including sodas and other drinks) account for 1.5 million tons of plastic waste per year. I can’t deny that bottled water is convenient. It’s there, it’s ready, you can just grab it and go. But is using a refillable container all that much of an inconvenience? My advice is buy a water filter and buy a stainless steel thermos. You can save money, help the environment, and it’s better for your health.

Sources/further reading:

Message in a Bottle

Natural Resources Defense Council’s Bottled Water Information

Five Reasons Not to Drink Bottled Water

Plastic Bottle Facts Make You Think Before You Drink

Thirst: A Documentary on the Corporatization of Water