Banning bottled water
In the upcoming election, you will be asked to vote on a referendum question asking for your support to eliminate the sale of bottled water on campus. Bottled water has repercussions on all levels of sustainability. Considering the environmental impact at Concordia alone, during 2008-2009 we threw away 2.1 million plastic water bottles, while only 10 per cent of these were recycled. This does not include the millions of litres of water and oil that are wasted in the production of bottled water.
However bottled water’s impact also affects social and economic sustainability. Choosing bottled water supports a system of privatization that places your right to safe drinking water into the hands of corporations. In the process, it allows for the degradation of water infrastructure that should be maintained at its highest quality.
Those who advocate for a “choice” are in fact eliminating their choice and their human right to free accessible water. What will voting yes to ban bottled water do for Concordia? It will force the administration to keep our water infrastructure to its highest quality. The water at Concordia is already clean and safe to drink, however a ban will ensure that any problems with water pressure are fixed. Fountains will become accessible to those with mobility impairments and refill stations will be installed at various fountains. So far, more than 100 municipalities, universities, colleges and school boards have banned bottled water. This movement is not just a symbolic one – it is making a real difference in the fight against environmental injustice, cutting down on millions of bottles from going through their destructive life cycle.
So for these reasons and more we are asking you to VOTE YES to BAN BOTTLED WATER on March 29, 30 & 31.
http://theconcordian.com/2011/03/29/re-banning-bottled-water/
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