Last class we watched the documentary movie "Tapped" which enlightened us about the grave reality that plastic bottles and mainly plastic bottled water cause probably one of the worst pollution and possible health problems to our environment. Mainly the movie introduced the viewer to the Nestle corporation's involvement in the water industry. Basically Nestle is going into small towns all across America and buying up land to drill for wells so they can extract the water for close to no cost, then bottle it and sell it for anywhere from one to four dollars a bottle. In 2008 bottled water sales was a 3.5 billion dollar industry in America and it is a $800 billion world market. The giant water corporations can get away with exploiting the water supply because ground water is under a different jurisdiction than lakes, rivers, and the oceans, and can be "owned" depending on what county in America. I found that one of the most profound quotes from the whole movie was that the water corporations like Pepsi, Coca Cola, and Nestle being able to "define control" of the water supply because they have the money to tell us what they are going to do with it. For example, in 2007 Coke was able to pull ground water 24/7 in a town in Georgia despite the fact that there was a drought and ALL the residents were under very strict water restriction laws and could barley even take showers. All bottled water is is tap water in a plastic bottle sold for 1,900 times the price. But there are also adverse affects of the chemicals and compounds in the plastic of the bottles, so you are paying for that too. Bottle water companies are able to find loop holes and create there own rules through the FDA (because 60%-70% of the bottled water is consumed in state and is not regulated by the FDA) and create the standards to actually create all the "safety tests" of their water. They actually conduct their own tests and tell the public all the chemicals in the bottles are fine for human contact and consumption, even though there clear and direct links to high rates of cancers in residents around the bottling plants all around the US. Another good quote I remembered was "when we as a society don't stick up for the vulnerable, then we as a nation become vulnerable." This is so true because we are starting to see the huge impact all around the world from the plastic bottle build up in our environment. There are actually concentration of plastic in the oceans water that the fish actually ingest and breathe in. The fish today have to swim with plastic soup in the water, EVERYWHERE! The best solution that the movie provided was that all the states in America adopt the Bottle Bills because there is a 70% return rate for the 5cent bottles, and a 90% return rate on the 10cent bottles. There are so many things we can do collectively and these bottle companies should practice more sustainable bottling and water extracting practices But most importantly is to remember to not buy bottled water and fill up your Clean Canteen.

http://news.yahoo.com/solar-power-station-spain-works-night-000342166.html

midterm- questions

Ty Dayberry

SUST Midterm Questions

1. What is your definition of social sustainability?

My definition of social sustainability is to ensure equal rights and equal access to education, medicine, and experiences to all individuals in a community, country, and the world while at the same time treating the environment in a sustainable manner.

2. In your own words what is social justice?

Social justice to me is the responsibility of a government to make sure that it’s citizens all have aspects of social sustainability incorporated into everyday life. Examples: socialized medicine, free and clean public transit, low unemployment rates, access to free (or cheap) education after grade school…

3. What is the biggest lesson you've learned from this class so far this semester?

The biggest lesson that I’ve learned in this class this semester is that I still need to be more tolerant of humans in general and need to check myself before I speak on somebody’s behalf or about them because I will never fully to be able to understand their full prospective.

4. What question(s) would like us to answer next semester?

What I would like see next semester is maybe more statistics about what countries have higher standards for social justice and sustainable living.

>http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/obama-rings-limbaugh-slut-georgetown-sandra-fluke-200016515.html

>http://www.newsday.com/news/nation/obama-calls-sandra-fluke-to-express-support-after-limbaugh-comments-1.3573834

>Women's heath is this topic; "accessible and affordable access to a basic health care service that prevents medical disasters and unplanned pregnancies" is what Sandra Fluke is fighting for in America and basically Sandra (a women's activist) was called a 'slut' by the biggest slut for the right-wing (aka Rush Limbaugh) for standing by her morals and being a spokeswomen for women's rights. This just shows how unprofessional and scared of change the Republican/rightwing sector of American government is.