Water bottle industry
I read with interest the viewpoint column written by Trish Cocksedge [“Take back the tap,” September 26].
While Cocksedge is to be commended for her commitment to the environment, her challenge with bottled water is based on information long confirmed as false—mythology typically found on anti-bottled water activists’ websites, including Earth Policy Institute, which does not fund independent research into our industry.
Plastic used to produce bottled water packaging is chiefly made from natural gas, not oil. If the energy inputs (hydro, materials, et cetera) were translated to oil equivalents, that would account for less than 2.5 per cent of the bottle’s volume.
Last year, almost 80 per cent of plastic beverage containers, including bottled water, were recycled across British Columbia.
Bottled water has the smallest carbon footprint of any bottled beverage. The average bottle of water travels about 250 kilometres from source to shelf. That compares to 2,400 to 3,200 kilometres for fresh fruit and vegetables and most consumer packaged goods.
The Canadian beverage industry has been using recycled plastic in its bottles since 2010.
To date, more than 130 local governments across Canada have rejected resolutions to ban the sale of bottled water in their facilities. Just 30 municipalities, five school boards and 13 colleges and universities have banned its sale. Several thousand local jurisdictions have decided there are more important matters to consider, like repairing aging water and sewer infrastructure, improving service delivery and keeping taxes low.
During its review of the matter at upcoming 2013 budget deliberations and, assuming there is consultation with our industry and others followed by additional clarification in the second report by staff on this topic related to the financial impact to the municipality of lost beverage sales, the concerns of local public health officials and the costs associated with not only constructing but maintaining public water fountains/filling stations, we remain hopeful that a majority of City of Powell River council will conclude that banning the sale of bottled water in Powell River facilities is simply not in the public interest.
John B. Challinor II
Director of Corporate Affairs
Nestlé Waters Canada
Breast cancer myths and facts
I am writing to express a bit of concern about the “myth and fact” portion on Breast Cancer awareness [“The real deal on breast cancer prevention,” October 5].
The section on deodorant fails to mention that it is the percentage of aluminum chlorohydrate that is the issue, not the overall use of underarm deodorants. The fact part says that scientific studies have “disproved any conclusive links at this time,” which is an appropriately tentative expression, so I hope readers realize that there is still research being done on this.
Another fact section reports that “there is no reliable scientific evidence to support this claim” that underwire bras may also contribute to breast cancer. Again I applaud the careful wording here. However, I would still hope readers might realize that breast cancer is overwhelmingly a much bigger problem in parts of the world where women wear bras and occurs in far lesser proportions in areas of the world where they do not. In other words, the jury is still out on both of these points.
In the interests of people taking charge of their health whenever possible, I hope readers will not completely dismiss these potential causes of breast cancer that are still being researched.
Adela Torchia
Dorval Avenue
BC Ferries Vacations—why?
I read recently that we will be paying more for ferry service and that ferry service will be reduced [“Commissioner okays fare hikes,” October 3].
Why, oh why, is BC Ferries subsidizing BC Ferries Vacations? To make matters even more obscene, why is BC Ferries Vacations located in one of the most expensive buildings in Vancouver? Its address is 1010 Canada Place which adjoins the Pan Pacific Hotel and Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre and surprise, surprise, across the street from the cruise ship terminal.
In Powell River, where I live and work, we are paying more and more for our ferry service while the quality of service has gone down over the years. Now we are looking at higher fares and reduced service.
BC Ferries Vacations is a joke. BC Ferries should be providing a safe, reliable, affordable ferry service from point A to point B, period. Forget all the fancy food, fancy offers, forget fancy BC Ferries Vacations—just provide a service that people can count on.
Not only is BC Ferries Vacations being subsidized by us (the ferry users and taxpayers), but BC Ferries Vacations is also taking income away from other travel agencies who are struggling to make a go of things because they do not have, at their beck and call, an expensive marketing scheme and an out-of-this-world office—that we are all paying for.
Janice Olfert
Owner/Operator Heather Tours
