Annotated Bibliography

Thesis: Although bottled water is convenient and supposedly healthier, it has a negative effect on the environment and should not produced for profit.



Edwards, Alys. (2007). Bottled Water: Pouring resources down the drain? Environmental Ethics. Retrieved Oct. 9, 2007 from http://www.environmentalethics-sihe.co.uk/pdfs/ALYSARTICLE_Edit.pdf

This article by Alys Edwards of the Swansea Institute of Higher Education, sheds light on the growing shortage of water among other things. According to the article, “the demand for fresh water will exceed availability by 56 percent by the year 2025.” This is an alarming statistic, because water is a guaranteed human right, and should not be a commodity for sale. Some economists describe bottled water as “Blue Gold” because it could become a trillion dollar industry if the demand for it steadily increases as it has been. Article ultimately states that bottled water is a growing environmental and economical issue, and measures need to be implemented in order to fight it.

Ferrier, Catherine.(2001, April). Bottled Water: Understanding Social Phenomenon. WWF. Retrieved Oct. 8, 2007 from http://assets.panda.org/downloads/bottled_water.pdf

This discussion paper on the bottled water phenomenon basically covers all aspects of the bottled water; from its history to how much money the industry makes a year. This paper is definitely a pro environment paper, as it goes into great length the negative effects of bottled water on the environment. The argument made is very factually based, which usually means that the information is relevant and correct, as it was produced by the WWF or the World Wildlife Fund. The only possible downside of this in-depth information is that the paper was published in 2001, and a lot has changed. However I think that it has solid facts that can help build a foundation into the argument I am trying to present, that in fact bottled water is harmful to the environment.


Fishman, Charles. (July, 2007). Message in a bottle. Fast Company. Retrieved Oct. 9, 2007 from http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/117/features-message-in-a-bottle.html

This article by Charles Fishman delves into the economic and psychological reasons for this continually growing industry. According to author, bottled water did not exist thirty years ago. “Now people spend more money on it than they did on the movies or ipods.” This growing industry is a result of bottled waters convenience and being image conscience. Fishman says that “what we once used to get free from our homes, we pay for now, which is more than the price of gasoline.” He believes that until society really knows how harmful it is to society and how easy it would be to go back to tap water, the world will continue to use this ultra popular product.
Food and Water Watch. (2006, Jun). Bottled Up and tapped Out. Food and Water Watch. Retrieved Oct. 8, 2007 from http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/water/bottled/BottledUpTappedOut.pdf

This website, provided by the Food and Water Watch, which is presumably a food and water watchdog group, is yet another site dealing with the harmful effects of bottled water. However this site is all about scare type tactics; providing details as to how the large corporations are bottling up tap water and making sometimes a 1000% profit on something that should be guaranteed for all. One of the sites main points is that just because it is bottled water does not mean it’s safer. “ According to study by the Natural Resources Defense Council found approximately one-third of tested bottled water brands violated, in at least one sample, an enforceable standard or exceeded microbiological-purity guidelines.” This is just one of the many valuable points made throughout the piece.


Fuller, Carol. (2007, Aug. 23). Moving away from bottled water. Grecourt Gate News. Retrieved Oct. 8, 2007 from http://www.smith.edu/news/2006-07/BottledWater.php

Smith College is taking a proactive grassroot stance to combat the growing problem environmental problem of bottled water. Each student enrolled on campus this fall 2007 will be given a free water bottle, complete with hooks to attach to a backpack. By giving each student a bottle, it will replace the bottled water once given out at the dining hall’s Grab and Go. Although this may be just a local movement, it is still cutting down on the amount of empty bottles in the hope that someday, the rest of society will get the message and begin to ease up on bottled water consumption.


IBWA. (2007). Water our most precious resource. IBWA in conjunction with Dept Agriculture. Retrieved October 9, 2007 from http://www.bottledwater.org/public/IBWA_movie.htm

This slideshow produced by the International Bottled Water Association gives a pro-bottled water stance on the issue of bottled water. This association presumably represents the major corporations responsible for the distribution of bottled water for profit. The IBWA still sees a need for bottled water in society to help replenish our bodies with this liquid needed in order to survive. As far as the environmental impact that bottled water has, they leave that in the hands of consumers. They feel that if the bottles are recycled properly, there would be no issue. They also answer the issue that they (bottled water companies) are extracting large amounts of groundwater according to their critics. However they point out that other industries take way more from the ground, basically the blame them defense, which was rather interesting.

Mittelstaedt, Martin. (2006, Sept. 23). The Religious War on Bottled Water. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved Oct 8, 2007 from http://www.newsdesk.org/old_archives/000866.php

This article by Martin Mittelstaedt provides a different viewpoint to the issue of bottled water. The article still attacks bottled water and believes it is the wrong choice, however it isn’t all based on environmental reasoning. Strangely enough, some religious communities in Canada have spoken on the “extravagantly wasteful way of quenching a thirst” or bottled water. They feel water is an element of life, and shouldn’t be used as a way to make profit. The moral issue of the sale of water is disheartening to the religious groups, who claim that water is “a scared gift from God”. Overall this is an interesting outlook on a largely growing social and economic topic facing the world.

Owen, James. (2006, Feb 24). Bottled Water isn’t healthier than tap. National Geographic News. Retrieved Oct 9, 2007 from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/02/0224_060224_bottled_water_2.html

Article by National Geographic states that according to reports bottled water is not healthier than water retrieved from the tap. “No longer a luxury item, the beverage has become a common sight worldwide.” What once started out as a fad (bottled water) started by health activists, has turned out to be detrimental to the planet. The author of this article James Owen, writes that this water is also becoming expensive, due to the mass transportation across international borders. He cites an example of a Finnish company shipping its own tap water all the way to Saudi Arabia, over 2,700 miles way, just for tap water! Author also shares the pro bottled water side, saying that pro bottled water activists feel that it is convenient and healthy alternative to other on the go products such as soda and juice.

Scow, Adam. (2007 Sept). San Francisco says no to bottled water. Sierra Club Yodeler. Retrieved Oct. 8, 2007 from http://sanfranciscobay.sierraclub.org/yodeler/html/2007/09/conservation10.htm

The San Francisco chapter of the Sierra Club reports in its Sept-Oct 2007 newspaper that the City of San Francisco in accordance with the mayor will stop buying bottled water for its employees. This move will save the city and its taxpayers roughly $500,000. It is also a show of faith to the municipal water source, which according to the article, comes from a very clean reservoir in Yosemite National Park. The newspaper also states that California contributes to 23% of bottled water usage in the United States, which is far too much. This move by the mayor according to the article is the first step toward regressing back to the age of tap water; a equally clean, cheaper, and less of an environmental impact. Although the Sierra Club is a well known Eco-friendly organization, the points made are in fact valid.

United Nations. (2003). International Year of Fresh Water. United Nations: UNESCO Retrieved Oct. 8, 2007 from http://www.wateryear2003.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=5226&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

In 2003, the United Nations along with UNESCO which is an organization within the U.N. that among other things looks into human rights; and the access to water is a fundamental human right designated 2003 the international year of water. This website although from 2003, gives numerous facts and figures dealing with water. An interesting topic that the article breaks down is the percentage of bottled water consumption by continent, and surprisingly Europe consumed the most, one would have thought that North America, specifically the United States would be the leading consumer, due to it’s fascination with health and convenience.