When drinking bottled water you need to think not only about the water but also about the bottle itself. Plastic is not an inert substance as its manufacturers would like you to believe. It contains chemicals like BPA and phthalates, which mimic hormones in your body.

Even tiny concentrations can cause problems such as:

Structural damage to your brain

Hyperactivity, increased aggressiveness, and impaired learning

Increased fat formation and risk of obesity

Altered immune function

Early puberty, stimulation of mammary gland development, disrupted reproductive cycles, and ovarian dysfunction

Changes in gender-specific behavior, and abnormal sexual behavior

Stimulation of prostate cancer cells

Increased prostate size, and decreased sperm production

Anytime you drink from a plastic bottle you risk exposure, but if you leave your bottle of water in a hot car or reuse it, your exposure is magnified because heat and stress increase the amount of chemicals that leach out of the plastic.

via ’Tapped’ – A Movie About Water You Need to See.

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via ’Tapped’ – A Movie About Water You Need to See.

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via An Array of Water Filters for Your Home – WSJ.com.

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The Food and Drug Administration, which oversees the $11.2 billion industry, doesn’t keep track of companies that produce bottled water and doesn’t require companies to report positive tests for contaminants, federal officials told a House hearing Wednesday. Consumer advocates testified before the Energy and Commerce Committee’s oversight and investigations panel that bottlers should be required to disclose more information to consumers.

In a report released at the hearing, the Government Accountability Office urged the FDA to require bottlers to use labels that would, at the least, tell consumers how to get comprehensive information.

FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Joshua M. Sharfstein testified that the agency regulates bottled water as a food and doesn’t know which companies among registered food firms make bottled water. Moreover, he said, the FDA has limited power to require more information on labels, and he put in a pitch for legislation that would boost the FDA’s funding and authority for food safety.

Still, Dr. Sharfstein said, the FDA has been tightening rules for bottled water. As early as September, he said, bottlers must report test results that show a serious health threat, and by December, bottlers must eliminate E. coli in their products.

In the past several years, bottlers have recalled water contaminated with bacteria, arsenic and cleaning compounds, said Rep. Bart Stupak, chairman of the oversight panel. “Many Americans believe that water they drink from a bottle is healthier than water that comes from their faucets,” the Michigan Democrat said. “Consumers may not realize that many regulations that apply to municipalities responsible for tap water do not apply to companies that produce bottled water.”

Consumption of bottled water last year totaled 28.5 gallons per person in the U.S., nearly double the amount in 1998. Sales slipped a bit last year due to the recession and concerns about the environment.

The industry, which includes PepsiCo Inc.’s Aquafina and Coca-Cola Co.’s Dasani, currently isn’t required to report tests that turned up contamination. By contrast, municipal water authorities must report dangerous contaminants within 24 hours.

The FDA considers bottled water low-risk, assigning only two or three employees to inspect bottling facilities, according to the GAO, Congress’s investigations arm. Even when the agency and its contracted inspectors found violations, it said, the agency took little action.

A PepsiCo spokesman said Aquafina already states its source—purified municipal water—and testing process on the bottle. A spokeswoman for Coca-Cola said its Dasani water also comes from purified municipal sources and undergoes rigorous safety measures.

Joseph K. Doss, president of the International Bottled Water Association, said bottled water is a “safe, convenient, healthful, regulated” product. “Bottled water is frequently tested throughout its production,” he said. Consumers interested in what’s in the bottle can get information directly from the company, he added.

The Environmental Working Group, an advocacy group, conducted a survey showing that all but a few bottled-water products don’t list where their bottled water comes from and how it was treated, and publish quality-test reports on their Web sites. “Instead, they simply make claims of purity and health benefits not backed by public data,” Jane Houlihan, the group’s senior vice president for research, told the panel.

Regulation of bottled water exposes the FDA’s limits in regulating food in general: stagnant funding and limited authority. Congress is considering legislation that would give the FDA more power and funding for food safety, and the White House also signaled willingness to support the FDA’s food activities.

Bottled-water companies have also been beset by criticism about environmental waste created by bottling a drink people can readily get from the tap. Only about a quarter of polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, plastic bottles used for water and other products are recycled in the U.S., according to the National Association for PET Container Resources, an industry group.

Also Wednesday, Mr. Stupak and Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D., Calif.) sent letters to 13 companies, including PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, seeking information on where they get their water and how they test bottled water.

—Valerie Bauerlein contributed to this article.

via Wall Street Journal Greater Regulation Urged for Bottled Water – WSJ.com.

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Heated plastic Smell in your car). In addition to causing cancer, it poisons your bones, causes anemia, and reduces white blood cells. Prolonged exposure will cause Leukemia, increasing the risk of cancer. May also cause miscarriage. Acceptable Benzene level indoors is 50 mg per sq. ft… A car parked indoors with the windows closed will contain 400-800 mg of Benzene. If parked outdoors under the sun at a temperature above 60 degrees F, the Benzene level goes up to 2000-4000 mg, 40 times the acceptable level…. & the people inside the car will inevitably inhale an excess amount of the toxins.

It is recommended that you open the windows and door to give time for the interior to air out before you enter. Benzene is a toxin that affects your kidney and liver, and is very difficult for your body to expel this toxic stuff.

via FOR YOUR SAFETY | Green Ideas.

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How many lights do you have in your home, condo, or apartment? If you live in an average home, you will most likely have dozens of light sources. Consider changing your traditional light bulbs and replacing them with energy efficient lights. These lights tend to last longer and burn fewer kilowatt-hours, saving you money and leaving less of a footprint on your environment.

Look in your pantry and cabinets. How much of your food has excess packaging? Consider buying products that require less plastic and paper. Furthermore, when you go grocery shopping consider bringing your own bag. This contributes to less waste and conserved energy on behalf of the bag manufacturers and recycling plants. There is a multiplicity of ways to save money when we consider our shopping routines. Clean drinking water is another great example. When we go hiking or go to the park for exercise, we often swing by the store to buy a cold bottle of drinking water. This wastes plastic and gas. Consider buying your own water system, like an enagic water system that also provides antioxidant water, and bringing the water with you in a reusable container.

An alkaline water machine can actually be more of an earth friendly device than you may have imagined. Some products, like a Kangen Water™ machine, allow you to change alkaline and acidity levels of your drinking water. Instead of using harsh toxic cleaners that are harmful to your family and the environment, you can simply increase the acidity level of your water and use that to clean around the house. Acid water helps cut through grime and is great to use on countertops to aid in preventing food poisoning. It works wonders on removing stains and smudges!

If you have a large array of electronics in your household, you should unplug them. Many devices like televisions, computers, and stereophonic equipment, use power even when they are in a suspended state. Why suck away natural resources when you are not even enjoying your equipment? Unplug these devices until you need to use them. Moreover, consider buying a programmable thermostat. Reduce your heating and air conditioning when you are away. This helps save you money and requires less carbon-based fuels.

Looking around at your house and your work, you will most likely find a variety of ways to life a greener live and you will find that living a green lifestyle will actually help you save money.

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