All or nothing

Photo Muffet

While I am proud to be an alumnus of Concordia University, and while I endorse the socially and environmentally progressive views that have shaped many of the university policies, I find the petition to ban bottled water to be misguided in the extreme.

Bottled water is one of the only healthy beverages available through vending machines and in the various sale points of the campus. I find it highly dubious that bottled water is being singled out for a ban. Why are bottled juices and canned soft drinks not also appearing in this effort? Refining sugar and the production of other ingredients for soft drinks (which also come in plastic bottles or cans!) is even more detrimental to the environment.

Stop being so reactionary and think things through! More recycling points and an educational campaign will do much more for the environment than targeting a single item out of a large spectrum—especially when that item is, otherwise, the healthiest and most environmentally sound.

—Audrey Christophory,
Concordia Alumni

This article originally appeared in Volume 31, Issue 02, published August 24, 2010.