Monday, February 28, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Maryanne MacDonald's Letter to City Council re Bottled Water
February 22, 2011
Dear Mayor Fontana and Members of London City Council:
The purpose of this letter is to bring light to some of the many issues with bottled water. The ones I wish to highlight are with the water itself, the plastic and the health issues.
I am writing this letter as a concerned citizen and on behalf of Waste Free World (WFW), a London based grassroots organization. WFW works in collaboration with local citizens and organizations to raise awareness and find a solution around our need to eliminate unnecessary waste on a finite planet.
In nature, plants are made up of the basic building blocks of all life, carbon dioxide and water and through help from the sun these plants become miniature power houses producing energy and oxygen for animals and humans. When the plants and animals die and decompose the elements are returned to the environment for reuse. If we constantly bombard and interrupt this process with toxins and the introduction of such compounds as plastics, not part of the natural cycle, eventually our ecosystem will cease to be able to provide for our needs.
We are choking the planet with plastic – plastic cannot be broken down in any great quantity by the decomposers that currently exist in nature. Therefore it accumulates – even when the bonds that hold the plastic together break apart we are still left with toxic bits of plastic dust. This then enters our food chain and water systems as birds, plants and animals mistake it for nourishment.
Polluted air comes from the burning of fossil fuels caused in part by the production and transportation of heavy bottles of water and the collection and transportation of those bottles to a recycling facility.
Dr. Peter Gleick, an expert on water policy and president of the Pacific Institute in Oakland, California9] said: “Overall, the average energy cost to make the plastic, fill the bottle, transport it to market and then deal with the waste would be "like filling up a quarter of every bottle with oil." This I think you will agree is a gross misuse of a non renewable resource.
Switching from the bottle to the tap helps to reduce the use of oil - and helps to alleviate the trash burden created by the 25% or more of bottles that do not make it to recycling facilities. While we each struggle to cut down on our consumption of fossil fuels, bottled water increases it.
In the manufacture of a 1 litre plastic bottle it requires anywhere from 3 to 5 litres of water. We are throwing away water to sell water.
Safe drinking water is readily available at the turn of a tap without the above listed impacts to our environment. There are many towns that suffer because we have bottled water. There are aquifers that are depleted, water tables lowered, roads damaged and air quality compromised by the extraction and production of bottled water. Yes a few jobs are provided in the area of the water removal, but that is short term gain for long term damage to the environment and the lifestyle of an entire community.
Water is the basis of all life and needs to be seen as a basic human right. To commodify it and put the power in the hands of multinational corporations is putting the right to life in their hands as well.
In Victoria Park over the past few summers efforts have been made to reduce waste. Surveys indicated Londoners were overwhelmingly in favour of reusables and were grateful to have the option of filling their water bottles from the water fountains and the bottle filling station. When we use reusables instead of disposables the impact on our resources and landfills is significant.
David Suzuki is quoted as saying: “Canadians who want to do something about the environment should start by drinking tap water.”
Dan Huggins, Water Quality Manager for the City stated, at a local Water Forum, that in a survey 81% of Londoners did not know where their tap water came from. If citizens don’t know this, they probably don’t know the level of quality control that goes into ensuring that a safe reliable supply reaches their tap – but they sure know about the supposedly “superior” quality of the water in plastic bottles – yet the bottled water companies are not mandated to tell us where that water comes from nor do they have the same rigid testing requirements as municipal water.
Since the 2008 decision made by Council, there has been further research findings. One of the most disturbing was made in 2009 by researchers, Martin Wagner and Jorg Oehlmanm, at Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany who have identified estrogens in bottled water that they claim have leached from the plastic packaging. "We must have identified just the tip of the iceberg in that plastic packaging may be a major source of -- man-made substance that has a hormone-like effect -- . Our findings provide an insight into the potential exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals -- low-dose exposure to chemicals that interact with hormone receptors that may interfere with reproduction, development and other hormonally mediated processes -- due to unexpected sources of contamination."
The study adds to growing concerns about products that span the plastic spectrum, says Shanna Swan, an epidemiologist at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in New York. "I used to say: '4, 5, 1, and 2. All the rest are bad for you,'" she says, referring to the recycling codes on plastic products. "Now, I'm not saying that anymore. We don't know about 4, 5, 1, or 2. This raises questions about all plastic bottles."
One endocrine disruptor is pthalate: Pthalates are mainly used as plasticizers (substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity) and have been found in bottled water. They are of potential health concern because they are known as endocrine disruptors of animals, and some research has implicated them in the rise of birth defects of the male reproductive system.[33][102][103] Endocrine disruptors interfere with natural hormones in the body responsible for the maintenance of normal cell metabolism, reproduction, development, and/or behavior."[1]
These findings, I believe, indicate a huge health issue that points to the need to eliminate bottled water. For years bisphenol A was allowed as a component of plastic baby bottles until the anecdotal evidence from mothers forced researchers and governments to look more closely at the possible health effects. Bisphenol A is now banned in baby bottles after years of allowing it. Are you willing to take the risk that the plastic in bottled water is safe, when in fact evidence is mounting to prove otherwise?
In a report released in March 2005, the UN stated that Canada is second to Finland for the world’s highest water quality but warned Canadians not to let the abundant supply of clean water lull them into complacency.
At the May 26th 2008 meeting of the Canadian Federation of Students a motion to oppose bottled water was unanimously passed. Since that time many campuses have eliminated the sale of bottled water and others are in the process. The public is demanding change. Our youth are demanding change.
In June 2008, 250 mayors in the US made a proposal to support a ban on bottled water. Leaders are waking up to the issues with bottled water.
London has a mandate from the provincial government to maximize waste diversion. WFW’s view is to eliminate at source. One logical and easy step is with bottled water not just because there is a need to slash disposable trash but because there is a safe, reliable, inexpensive alternative at the turn of a tap.
In the London Free Press on August 11, 2008, Scott MacKay president of Probe Research responded to Nestle’s claim that without bottled water consumers will turn to less healthful bottled drinks. Scott stated that the survey results shouldn’t be used as evidence consumers who can’t buy bottled water will buy other bottled beverages instead. “I don’t think we have data to support that. It’s an inference at best”, he said. If it is inference it is therefore not fact but only something that the Nestle spin doctors put out there in hopes that no one will challenge the information. To assume that there will be an increase in obesity and diabetes if people do not have the choice of bottled water is misleading. Bottled water has been a choice for at least 20 years and in that time obesity and diabetes has had a steady increase. In light of this, it doesn’t appear that bottled water is the solution to these health issues.
If water fountains are a concern as some see them as unsanitary the solution is not bottled water but an improved infrastructure to keep them clean. Also, there needs to be a strategy to provide the correct type of fountain with a goose neck attachment so people can easily refill their personal water bottle without concern. What we need to concentrate on is making the tap water safe, the fountains safe, and citizens knowledgeable about the true value of tap water in our society and why the infrastructure that supports it needs to be funded not only for today but for the future.
Bottled water is a convenience not a necessity. Our own health and the health of the environment is a necessity not a convenience. In summary, the quality of bottled water is a concern, the plastic is a concern and the resulting health consequences are concerns.
I am hopeful you will show leadership to the public and do what is right for all Londoners by maintaining the previous Council decision to eliminate the sale of bottled water in city owned facilities and by strengthening your resolve to continue to make our municipal water accessible and the safest it can be.
Respectfully submitted
Maryanne MacDonald
Dear Mayor Fontana and Members of London City Council:
The purpose of this letter is to bring light to some of the many issues with bottled water. The ones I wish to highlight are with the water itself, the plastic and the health issues.
I am writing this letter as a concerned citizen and on behalf of Waste Free World (WFW), a London based grassroots organization. WFW works in collaboration with local citizens and organizations to raise awareness and find a solution around our need to eliminate unnecessary waste on a finite planet.
In nature, plants are made up of the basic building blocks of all life, carbon dioxide and water and through help from the sun these plants become miniature power houses producing energy and oxygen for animals and humans. When the plants and animals die and decompose the elements are returned to the environment for reuse. If we constantly bombard and interrupt this process with toxins and the introduction of such compounds as plastics, not part of the natural cycle, eventually our ecosystem will cease to be able to provide for our needs.
We are choking the planet with plastic – plastic cannot be broken down in any great quantity by the decomposers that currently exist in nature. Therefore it accumulates – even when the bonds that hold the plastic together break apart we are still left with toxic bits of plastic dust. This then enters our food chain and water systems as birds, plants and animals mistake it for nourishment.
Polluted air comes from the burning of fossil fuels caused in part by the production and transportation of heavy bottles of water and the collection and transportation of those bottles to a recycling facility.
Dr. Peter Gleick, an expert on water policy and president of the Pacific Institute in Oakland, California9] said: “Overall, the average energy cost to make the plastic, fill the bottle, transport it to market and then deal with the waste would be "like filling up a quarter of every bottle with oil." This I think you will agree is a gross misuse of a non renewable resource.
Switching from the bottle to the tap helps to reduce the use of oil - and helps to alleviate the trash burden created by the 25% or more of bottles that do not make it to recycling facilities. While we each struggle to cut down on our consumption of fossil fuels, bottled water increases it.
In the manufacture of a 1 litre plastic bottle it requires anywhere from 3 to 5 litres of water. We are throwing away water to sell water.
Safe drinking water is readily available at the turn of a tap without the above listed impacts to our environment. There are many towns that suffer because we have bottled water. There are aquifers that are depleted, water tables lowered, roads damaged and air quality compromised by the extraction and production of bottled water. Yes a few jobs are provided in the area of the water removal, but that is short term gain for long term damage to the environment and the lifestyle of an entire community.
Water is the basis of all life and needs to be seen as a basic human right. To commodify it and put the power in the hands of multinational corporations is putting the right to life in their hands as well.
In Victoria Park over the past few summers efforts have been made to reduce waste. Surveys indicated Londoners were overwhelmingly in favour of reusables and were grateful to have the option of filling their water bottles from the water fountains and the bottle filling station. When we use reusables instead of disposables the impact on our resources and landfills is significant.
David Suzuki is quoted as saying: “Canadians who want to do something about the environment should start by drinking tap water.”
Dan Huggins, Water Quality Manager for the City stated, at a local Water Forum, that in a survey 81% of Londoners did not know where their tap water came from. If citizens don’t know this, they probably don’t know the level of quality control that goes into ensuring that a safe reliable supply reaches their tap – but they sure know about the supposedly “superior” quality of the water in plastic bottles – yet the bottled water companies are not mandated to tell us where that water comes from nor do they have the same rigid testing requirements as municipal water.
Since the 2008 decision made by Council, there has been further research findings. One of the most disturbing was made in 2009 by researchers, Martin Wagner and Jorg Oehlmanm, at Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany who have identified estrogens in bottled water that they claim have leached from the plastic packaging. "We must have identified just the tip of the iceberg in that plastic packaging may be a major source of -- man-made substance that has a hormone-like effect -- . Our findings provide an insight into the potential exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals -- low-dose exposure to chemicals that interact with hormone receptors that may interfere with reproduction, development and other hormonally mediated processes -- due to unexpected sources of contamination."
The study adds to growing concerns about products that span the plastic spectrum, says Shanna Swan, an epidemiologist at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in New York. "I used to say: '4, 5, 1, and 2. All the rest are bad for you,'" she says, referring to the recycling codes on plastic products. "Now, I'm not saying that anymore. We don't know about 4, 5, 1, or 2. This raises questions about all plastic bottles."
One endocrine disruptor is pthalate: Pthalates are mainly used as plasticizers (substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity) and have been found in bottled water. They are of potential health concern because they are known as endocrine disruptors of animals, and some research has implicated them in the rise of birth defects of the male reproductive system.[33][102][103] Endocrine disruptors interfere with natural hormones in the body responsible for the maintenance of normal cell metabolism, reproduction, development, and/or behavior."[1]
These findings, I believe, indicate a huge health issue that points to the need to eliminate bottled water. For years bisphenol A was allowed as a component of plastic baby bottles until the anecdotal evidence from mothers forced researchers and governments to look more closely at the possible health effects. Bisphenol A is now banned in baby bottles after years of allowing it. Are you willing to take the risk that the plastic in bottled water is safe, when in fact evidence is mounting to prove otherwise?
In a report released in March 2005, the UN stated that Canada is second to Finland for the world’s highest water quality but warned Canadians not to let the abundant supply of clean water lull them into complacency.
At the May 26th 2008 meeting of the Canadian Federation of Students a motion to oppose bottled water was unanimously passed. Since that time many campuses have eliminated the sale of bottled water and others are in the process. The public is demanding change. Our youth are demanding change.
In June 2008, 250 mayors in the US made a proposal to support a ban on bottled water. Leaders are waking up to the issues with bottled water.
London has a mandate from the provincial government to maximize waste diversion. WFW’s view is to eliminate at source. One logical and easy step is with bottled water not just because there is a need to slash disposable trash but because there is a safe, reliable, inexpensive alternative at the turn of a tap.
In the London Free Press on August 11, 2008, Scott MacKay president of Probe Research responded to Nestle’s claim that without bottled water consumers will turn to less healthful bottled drinks. Scott stated that the survey results shouldn’t be used as evidence consumers who can’t buy bottled water will buy other bottled beverages instead. “I don’t think we have data to support that. It’s an inference at best”, he said. If it is inference it is therefore not fact but only something that the Nestle spin doctors put out there in hopes that no one will challenge the information. To assume that there will be an increase in obesity and diabetes if people do not have the choice of bottled water is misleading. Bottled water has been a choice for at least 20 years and in that time obesity and diabetes has had a steady increase. In light of this, it doesn’t appear that bottled water is the solution to these health issues.
If water fountains are a concern as some see them as unsanitary the solution is not bottled water but an improved infrastructure to keep them clean. Also, there needs to be a strategy to provide the correct type of fountain with a goose neck attachment so people can easily refill their personal water bottle without concern. What we need to concentrate on is making the tap water safe, the fountains safe, and citizens knowledgeable about the true value of tap water in our society and why the infrastructure that supports it needs to be funded not only for today but for the future.
Bottled water is a convenience not a necessity. Our own health and the health of the environment is a necessity not a convenience. In summary, the quality of bottled water is a concern, the plastic is a concern and the resulting health consequences are concerns.
I am hopeful you will show leadership to the public and do what is right for all Londoners by maintaining the previous Council decision to eliminate the sale of bottled water in city owned facilities and by strengthening your resolve to continue to make our municipal water accessible and the safest it can be.
Respectfully submitted
Maryanne MacDonald
Don McLeod's Letter to City Council re Bottled Water
Thursday February 24, 2011
Dear Mayor Joe Fontana and London City Councilors:
We have an opportunity for London to show continued leadership on an extremely important environmental issue: Please “Say No to Bottled Water”.
In 2008 City Council voted overwhelmingly to ban the sale of bottled water in City facilities and parks. Through long and detailed discussions London Citizens, Councilors and City staff worked hard to accomplish the leadership decision to ban the sale of bottled water in City Facilities and City Parks such as Victoria Park.
As a concerned citizen of London and the London Chapter Representative for the Council of Canadians we urge you to uphold the process that resulted in the City of London showing leadership by banning the sale of bottled water.
The London Chapter of the Council of Canadians has 1200 registered members in London, Ontario and another 500 London Citizens on our affiliate mailing list.
The following are key supporting reasons to maintain and enforce no bottled water to be sold in City facilities and parks:
• The ban on the sale of bottled water is in place and should be enforced.
• Hundreds of hours by London Citizens, City Councilors and City Staff resulted in the ban on the sale of bottled water in 2008.
• Nestle drains 3.6 million litres per day from the Guelph aquifer resulting in a reversal of ground water into Mill Creek.
• Our environment is negatively affected by the use of fossil fuel consumed in the manufacture of plastic water bottles and subsequently for the transportation of water bottles to distant markets.
• Tap water is readily available to every London Citizen.
• Reusable water bottles help provide an environmental solution for porting water for people’s use.
• Our land fills have a tremendous burden on them – banning the sale of plastic water bottles helps to reduce waste sent to our landfills which reduces the cost of our City of London waste management $$$!
• Municipal tap water is safe as it is tested continuously.
• Water is a human right – by not commercializing the sale of water we are maintaining peoples right to water regardless of their ability to pay.
• Ontario Municipal Water Association supports the ban.
• Federation of Canadian Municipalities supports the ban
• Association of Ontario Municipalities supports the ban on the sale of bottled water.
Let’s work together with our fellow Ontario and Canadian Municipalities!
Our organization will work closely with the City of London to promote water issues that are environmentally responsible.
Thank you for your support of the current ban on the sale of bottled water.
Yours sincerely,
Don McLeod
London Chapter
Council of Canadians
Dear Mayor Joe Fontana and London City Councilors:
We have an opportunity for London to show continued leadership on an extremely important environmental issue: Please “Say No to Bottled Water”.
In 2008 City Council voted overwhelmingly to ban the sale of bottled water in City facilities and parks. Through long and detailed discussions London Citizens, Councilors and City staff worked hard to accomplish the leadership decision to ban the sale of bottled water in City Facilities and City Parks such as Victoria Park.
As a concerned citizen of London and the London Chapter Representative for the Council of Canadians we urge you to uphold the process that resulted in the City of London showing leadership by banning the sale of bottled water.
The London Chapter of the Council of Canadians has 1200 registered members in London, Ontario and another 500 London Citizens on our affiliate mailing list.
The following are key supporting reasons to maintain and enforce no bottled water to be sold in City facilities and parks:
• The ban on the sale of bottled water is in place and should be enforced.
• Hundreds of hours by London Citizens, City Councilors and City Staff resulted in the ban on the sale of bottled water in 2008.
• Nestle drains 3.6 million litres per day from the Guelph aquifer resulting in a reversal of ground water into Mill Creek.
• Our environment is negatively affected by the use of fossil fuel consumed in the manufacture of plastic water bottles and subsequently for the transportation of water bottles to distant markets.
• Tap water is readily available to every London Citizen.
• Reusable water bottles help provide an environmental solution for porting water for people’s use.
• Our land fills have a tremendous burden on them – banning the sale of plastic water bottles helps to reduce waste sent to our landfills which reduces the cost of our City of London waste management $$$!
• Municipal tap water is safe as it is tested continuously.
• Water is a human right – by not commercializing the sale of water we are maintaining peoples right to water regardless of their ability to pay.
• Ontario Municipal Water Association supports the ban.
• Federation of Canadian Municipalities supports the ban
• Association of Ontario Municipalities supports the ban on the sale of bottled water.
Let’s work together with our fellow Ontario and Canadian Municipalities!
Our organization will work closely with the City of London to promote water issues that are environmentally responsible.
Thank you for your support of the current ban on the sale of bottled water.
Yours sincerely,
Don McLeod
London Chapter
Council of Canadians
Friday, February 25, 2011
Canadians for Emergency Action on Climate Change
http://www.climatesoscanada.org/
"Government’s key role is to serve as the trustee of the commonwealth and the common health for this and future
generations. Yet …
Canada now stands out as one of the leading major industrialized countries opposed to targets for deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and one of the biggest blockers of climate change negotiations.
Canadians for Action on Climate Change is a non-profit organization of activists, academia, physicians and citizens focused on climate change mitigation, a true cost economy and relocalization. Our organization seeks to provide news, reports and analysis to inform, educate and develop environmental policies for all levels of government in Canada and Internationally. We are committed to being part of a global movement against the capitalist destruction of our shared environment. Our current economy is unsustainable and an unethical catalyst to ever increasing global warming. This model assumes endless growth and limitless potential wealth, that completely disregards the fact that the earth’s life support capacity is finite. We respect the integrity, resilience, and beauty of the common wealth of all life as the foundation for a new sustainable economic model for our finite planet that will benefit generations to come.
We are a member of the Climate Justice Now network.
Climate Justice Now! is a network of organizations and movements from across the globe committed to the fight for social, ecological and gender justice."
You can contact us at canadiansforactiononclimatechange@bell.net
From Cory Morningstar
"Government’s key role is to serve as the trustee of the commonwealth and the common health for this and future
generations. Yet …Canada now stands out as one of the leading major industrialized countries opposed to targets for deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and one of the biggest blockers of climate change negotiations.
Canadians for Action on Climate Change is a non-profit organization of activists, academia, physicians and citizens focused on climate change mitigation, a true cost economy and relocalization. Our organization seeks to provide news, reports and analysis to inform, educate and develop environmental policies for all levels of government in Canada and Internationally. We are committed to being part of a global movement against the capitalist destruction of our shared environment. Our current economy is unsustainable and an unethical catalyst to ever increasing global warming. This model assumes endless growth and limitless potential wealth, that completely disregards the fact that the earth’s life support capacity is finite. We respect the integrity, resilience, and beauty of the common wealth of all life as the foundation for a new sustainable economic model for our finite planet that will benefit generations to come.
We are a member of the Climate Justice Now network.
Climate Justice Now! is a network of organizations and movements from across the globe committed to the fight for social, ecological and gender justice."
You can contact us at canadiansforactiononclimatechange@bell.net
From Cory Morningstar
Thursday, February 24, 2011
ACTION ALERT! Show City Councillors we DON'T want bottled water!
Monday, February 28 · 5:00pm - 6:00pm, City Hall, Council Chambers (3rd Floor)
300 Dufferin
Come on down to city hall and show that you support the ban currently in place on the sale of bottled water in municipal buildings
A bunch of people went down Feb 15th to let a subcommittee know that we did not want the bottled water ban rescinded. It was fun to be there and hear the debate on the issue, none of it even really covered any of the underlying issues...
WATER is a basic HUMAN RIGHT!
...RECYCLING should not be used as a replacement for REDUCING..
Bring your refillable water bottles, signs, etc and come meet some people!
Sophs, let your frosh know about this event, it's a good chance to see what actually goes on in the City of London's council meetings!
New Health Findings since the original decision in 2008:
Since the original decision in 2008 there have been findings in the scientific research that show bottled water is contaminated with estrogenic compounds that leach from the plastic into the water. Now that is a real health issue. One of the researchers from the Goethe University of Frankfurt, Germany is quoted:
"We must have identified just the tip of the iceberg in that plastic packaging may be a major source of xenohormone -- man-made substance that has a hormone-like effect -- the researchers said in a statement. "Our findings provide an insight into the potential exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals -- low-dose exposure to chemicals that interact with hormone receptors that may interfere with reproduction, development and other hormonally mediated processes -- due to unexpected sources of contamination."
The study adds to growing concerns about products that span the plastic spectrum, says Shanna Swan, an epidemiologist at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in New York. "I used to say: '4, 5, 1, and 2. All the rest are bad for you,'" she says, referring to the recycling codes on plastic products. "Now, I'm not saying that anymore. We don't know about 4, 5, 1, or 2. This raises questions about all plastic bottles."
One endocrine disruptor is pthalates:
Pthalates are mainly used as plasticizers (substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity) and have been found in bottled water. They are of potential health concern because they are known as endocrine disruptors of animals, and some research has implicated them in the rise of birth defects of the male reproductive system.[33][102][103] Endocrine disruptors interfere with natural hormones in the body that are responsible for the maintenance of normal cell metabolism, reproduction, development, and/or behavior."[1]
These findings indicate a huge health issue that points to the need to eliminate bottled water.
Bottled water is a convenience not a necessity. Our own health and the health of the environment is a necessity not a convenience.
1. voice your concerns in writing to the Mayor and all Councillors. If they don't hear from you they will assume that Nestle's request is reasonable and there are few objections. I believe it is better to send a letter in your own words however in case you don't have a lot of extra time to create a letter here is an online form that you can attach your information to and it will be automatically sent to the entire council. http://www.insidethebottle.org/stop-nestles-bottled-water-push-london
2. voice your concerns in the media - send a letter to the editor of the London Free Press and the Londoner
3. join me in the gallery at the February 28th Council meeting to see your elected representatives in action and to listen to the discussion and the decision. Your presence will be a visual indicator of your concern and of your support for keeping the original decision. Council meeting begins at 5:00 pm
From Maryanne MacDonald
300 Dufferin
Come on down to city hall and show that you support the ban currently in place on the sale of bottled water in municipal buildings
A bunch of people went down Feb 15th to let a subcommittee know that we did not want the bottled water ban rescinded. It was fun to be there and hear the debate on the issue, none of it even really covered any of the underlying issues...
WATER is a basic HUMAN RIGHT!
...RECYCLING should not be used as a replacement for REDUCING..
Bring your refillable water bottles, signs, etc and come meet some people!
Sophs, let your frosh know about this event, it's a good chance to see what actually goes on in the City of London's council meetings!
New Health Findings since the original decision in 2008:
Since the original decision in 2008 there have been findings in the scientific research that show bottled water is contaminated with estrogenic compounds that leach from the plastic into the water. Now that is a real health issue. One of the researchers from the Goethe University of Frankfurt, Germany is quoted:
"We must have identified just the tip of the iceberg in that plastic packaging may be a major source of xenohormone -- man-made substance that has a hormone-like effect -- the researchers said in a statement. "Our findings provide an insight into the potential exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals -- low-dose exposure to chemicals that interact with hormone receptors that may interfere with reproduction, development and other hormonally mediated processes -- due to unexpected sources of contamination."
The study adds to growing concerns about products that span the plastic spectrum, says Shanna Swan, an epidemiologist at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in New York. "I used to say: '4, 5, 1, and 2. All the rest are bad for you,'" she says, referring to the recycling codes on plastic products. "Now, I'm not saying that anymore. We don't know about 4, 5, 1, or 2. This raises questions about all plastic bottles."
One endocrine disruptor is pthalates:
Pthalates are mainly used as plasticizers (substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity) and have been found in bottled water. They are of potential health concern because they are known as endocrine disruptors of animals, and some research has implicated them in the rise of birth defects of the male reproductive system.[33][102][103] Endocrine disruptors interfere with natural hormones in the body that are responsible for the maintenance of normal cell metabolism, reproduction, development, and/or behavior."[1]
These findings indicate a huge health issue that points to the need to eliminate bottled water.
Bottled water is a convenience not a necessity. Our own health and the health of the environment is a necessity not a convenience.
1. voice your concerns in writing to the Mayor and all Councillors. If they don't hear from you they will assume that Nestle's request is reasonable and there are few objections. I believe it is better to send a letter in your own words however in case you don't have a lot of extra time to create a letter here is an online form that you can attach your information to and it will be automatically sent to the entire council. http://www.insidethebottle.org/stop-nestles-bottled-water-push-london
2. voice your concerns in the media - send a letter to the editor of the London Free Press and the Londoner
3. join me in the gallery at the February 28th Council meeting to see your elected representatives in action and to listen to the discussion and the decision. Your presence will be a visual indicator of your concern and of your support for keeping the original decision. Council meeting begins at 5:00 pm
From Maryanne MacDonald
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Another bottled water poll! TODAY!
ACTION ALERT! Take the poll down on the right hand side of the LFP website: "Should London scrap its ban on bottled water sales at city-owned sites?" VOTE NO!
http://lfpress.com
http://lfpress.com
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
ACTION ALERT! Participate in radio poll!
Please get the word out. AM980 is running a poll TODAY on whether the City should lift the ban on sales of bottled water at city facilities. http://www.am980.ca/
about half way down the right side of the page.
about half way down the right side of the page.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
London Bottled Water Ban Under Threat
From: maryanne.macd@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2011 16:51:48 -0500
Subject: Bottled Water on City Hall Community and Neighbourhoods Committee agenda for Tuesday February 15th
To: wastefreeworld@gmail.com
Nestle has written a letter that is included on the agenda of the Community and Neighbourhoods Committee Meeting on Tuesday February 15th. Please read it and write to your councillor to let them know your feelings on this. We have been through all of the rationale for this and the previous City Council voted in favour of banning the sale of bottled water in city owned facilities where there was access to safe, clean, municipal water. They didn't ban the bringing in of your own purchased bottled water. It is a question of City Council showing leadership. As pointed out in the letter from Nestle this not about quantity....yet they insist on pursuing it because they know it is about optics and the trend that London has set.
It was as a result of what was done in London that the Federation of Canadian Municipalities recommended that other municipalities take the same action. Thus far this has occurred in over 80 municipalities and numerous universities and colleges across Canada because it is the right thing to do. These cities and educational institutions recognize that water should be a basic human right not a commodity sold to the highest bidder. London has made a difference.
Go to the following link to see the resolution that the Federation of Canadian Municipalities adopted.
http://www.insidethebottle.org/files/FCM%20-%20Bottled%20Water%20Resolution.pdf
The bottled water item is slated to be on the agenda at 4:15 with Nestle presenting as a delegation. Anyone can attend these meetings and it would be showing the new C&N Committee that there is interest in the community about this topic if you were able to attend. You won't be allowed to speak.
http://council.london.ca/meetings/CNC%20Agendas/2011-02-15%20Agenda/Community%20and%20Neighnourhoods%20Committee%20Agenda.pdf
http://council.london.ca/meetings/CNC%20Agendas/2011-02-15%20Agenda/Item%2016.pdf
To learn more about water issues go to http://www.canadians.org/water/index.html
or to http://www.insidethebottle.org/
Please forward this e-mail to your own list of contacts.
Maryanne
Alone we are one drop....together we are a mighty river that can carve a new course to the future.
Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2011 16:51:48 -0500
Subject: Bottled Water on City Hall Community and Neighbourhoods Committee agenda for Tuesday February 15th
To: wastefreeworld@gmail.com
Nestle has written a letter that is included on the agenda of the Community and Neighbourhoods Committee Meeting on Tuesday February 15th. Please read it and write to your councillor to let them know your feelings on this. We have been through all of the rationale for this and the previous City Council voted in favour of banning the sale of bottled water in city owned facilities where there was access to safe, clean, municipal water. They didn't ban the bringing in of your own purchased bottled water. It is a question of City Council showing leadership. As pointed out in the letter from Nestle this not about quantity....yet they insist on pursuing it because they know it is about optics and the trend that London has set.
It was as a result of what was done in London that the Federation of Canadian Municipalities recommended that other municipalities take the same action. Thus far this has occurred in over 80 municipalities and numerous universities and colleges across Canada because it is the right thing to do. These cities and educational institutions recognize that water should be a basic human right not a commodity sold to the highest bidder. London has made a difference.
Go to the following link to see the resolution that the Federation of Canadian Municipalities adopted.
http://www.insidethebottle.org/files/FCM%20-%20Bottled%20Water%20Resolution.pdf
The bottled water item is slated to be on the agenda at 4:15 with Nestle presenting as a delegation. Anyone can attend these meetings and it would be showing the new C&N Committee that there is interest in the community about this topic if you were able to attend. You won't be allowed to speak.
http://council.london.ca/meetings/CNC%20Agendas/2011-02-15%20Agenda/Community%20and%20Neighnourhoods%20Committee%20Agenda.pdf
http://council.london.ca/meetings/CNC%20Agendas/2011-02-15%20Agenda/Item%2016.pdf
To learn more about water issues go to http://www.canadians.org/water/index.html
or to http://www.insidethebottle.org/
Please forward this e-mail to your own list of contacts.
Maryanne
Alone we are one drop....together we are a mighty river that can carve a new course to the future.
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This blog site, formerly the blog site of the Victoria Chapter of the Council of Canadians, is now the blog site of the London Chapter. Previous blogs from the Victoria Chapter have been left in place as a courtesy.
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