Write Your Governor about Bottled Water

Visit the New American Dream organization's website to sign your name to a petition to ask state governors to stop spending taxpayer money on bottled water during these difficult economic times. As this organization points out, not only is bottled water thousands of times more expensive than tap, it also often undergoes less rigorous testing than tap water. Read up by looking at a landmark study on bottled water by the Natural Resources Defense Council, which has several recommendations for the FDA when it comes to bottled water.

Moreover, bottled water is often simply tap water that has been filtered and minerals added. Bottled water is the fastest growing beverage industry in the country and estimates show that it's a $1 billion to $4 billion yearly industry. Those billions of bottles, of course, generate waste, even if they are recycled. Not to mention the energy, waste and pollution it takes to make that product and distribute it. Bottom line, get a nifty reusable bottle for water (or just start reusing some of those bottles of water you already have in your refrigerator) and drink tap. Then, tell your state governor and all of the other institutions you support (maybe your college) to serve tap.