Free Water vs. Bottle Water
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Water is so apparently abundant, and yet increasingly precious - for drinking, agriculture, and industry. Even Hollywood has become sensitized to the issue of fresh water access, be it the latest James Bond film or Matt Damon's new water advocacy organization.
The bottled water phenomenon in North America is a puzzling one indeed. Some say it is healthier, others more convenient, and yet all of this is ironic given that we put millions of dollars into creating a public water system that is one of the best in the world. Lucky to be some of the people in the world that actually has access cheap and plentiful tap water, we in the US have opted in the last few years for the apparent chic of water plastique, bottled up and sold to us.
Many have pointed out the virtues of tap water, and indeed that many bottled waters are in fact sourced from municipal taps to begin with! Videos like The Story of Bottled Water gives us some insight into the marketing and social psychology behind it, as well as the environmental consequences of all that plastic...
But if you want to get the word out on the street, nothing better of course than a zine. Michelle Doh's zine, Fresh Water vs. Bottled Water gives a wonderful overview of the issue, including drinking tips!
Click on the image below to read the zine in comic form:
Just how precious is fresh water? Sometimes you only realize it till its gone, as the Aral Sea story illustrates...
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