Bottled Water vs. Tap Water

by Adrienne Wilson on

You
would think bottled water would win without a question in a battle of being the healthier choice, but some
enviornmentalists say not so fast.

"Bottled water is no often
healthier than tap water, but it can be 10,000 times more expensive," says Emily Arnold, a researcher with the
Washington D.C. non-profit.

The battle over whether bottled water is more healthier than that running
from the faucets in our kitchen sinks isn’t so much about the humans drinking the liquid, but more so about the planet
and how the consumption of bottled water and the waste may be hurting Earth. Campaigners challenge the idea of drinking
bottled water in our developed nation by stating 25 percent of bottled water is just tap water in pretty packaging,
sometimes further treated and many times not at all. They also note the high mineral content in some bottled waters as
‘unsuitable’ for feeding babies and young kids. In developing countries where tap water is unsafe or unavailable
bottled water instantly wins the match. Believe me, I care about Momma Earth a great deal, but from L.A. (where the tap
water smells) to San Juan, CR, to Cluj-Napoca, Romania (where the water had a brown tint) bottled water wins. Hands
down.

But what to do with all that plastic?

Nat Geo News ran the piece
back in February this year and with Earth Day approaching it’s no wonder it jumped out at me. The picture with the
enormous load of plastic cash on the man above also caught my attention.

Art Not Oil 2006

by Adrienne Wilson on

One last plug for the night on an oil
related story. I know several of you (especially the last minute type who have to fill up that gas guzzling tank first
thing Monday morning before heading to the office space) are trying to avoid thinking about the topic, while the rest
of you eco and money minded individs are finding clever ways to beat the system or speak out against it. For those
fortunate enough to not have to rush-in and punch somebody’s time clock and feel like whipping a little sumthin’
sumthin’ up on canvas, why not paint your petro related frustrations then submit them to the 2006 Art Not Oil exhibition?

It’s not only about high gas prices
though, think corruption and the damage done by seedy companies in the industry. You can see additional details at the
website or by visiting London Rising
Tide. The exhibition will open in London on June 10, 2006. Closing date for entries is May 30, 2006. Sounds like
cool show to check on when in London during your summer holiday, provided the gas doesn’t break your bank beforehand.

Top 10 U.S. Cities Best Prepared for an Oil Crisis

by Adrienne Wilson on

Spring just arrived, summer is somewhere around the corner and gas prices are surging, again. Time to start
evaluating the cost of any potential cross-country road trips this season. Better yet, it’s time to start re-evaluating
where you live. I am. Sustain
Lane takes a close look at some of America’s 50 biggest cities and breaks them down into a list of the 10
best prepared for an oil crisis should one rise. For the most part many will not come as a surprise; NYC has the
most means of metro transportation available and a city not afraid to utilize it and well, Honolulu, on the island of
Oahu isn’t exactly that huge. You could walk the entire island if needed, but seriously, cities are ranked according to
factors like recent city commute practices, metro area public transportation, sprawl, traffic congestion, local food,
and wireless network access. With all the details found in the article you’ll want to know how your city stacks up and
what makes it best prepared for an ill oil situation. I already abhor driving unless it’s on long open roads and
judging from these factors I’d be quite out of luck here in Tampa.

The best prepared are as follows:

  1. New York City
  2. Boston
  3. San
    Francisco
  4. Chicago
  5. Philadelphia
  6. Portland
  7. Honolulu
  8. Seattle
  9. Baltimore
  10. Oakland

Chad’s Quest for More Manly Name

by Neil Woodburn on

Tired of the ridicule and mockery member nations say they face on a daily basis, the Committee for the Advancement of Poorly Named Countries is petitioning the United Nations for approval to change the official names of their respective homelands. “I mean, come on, my country sounds like it is a gay waiter, for God’s sake,” said Naboo Mutomaba, a representative from the African nation of Chad.

Chad is part of a sizeable subcommittee fighting for more manly national monikers. “We’re tired of diplomats making fun of us at U.N. happy hours and state functions,” added Pierre Fornaut who lost diplomatic immunity in January when he attacked a Spanish diplomat for mocking his effeminate sounding homeland of Guadeloupe. Others from Gabon, Andorra, Yemen, and Martinique have expressed similar harassment at the hands of U.N. hecklers.

Changing country names is hardly a new practice for skittish, insecure nations and principalities. The Isle of Man, for example, used to be called Daffodil Island until angry male citizens finally rebelled. “They are my heroes,” Mutomaba told the U.N. who just last month rejected his petition to rename Chad, Lord Berkeley’s Knob. It was discovered that a small town in Scotland was already using this moniker and Mutomaba was visibly crestfallen upon hearing the news. “Well I guess things could be worse,” he admitted. “At least we’re not named Brest.” At which point a French diplomat from Brittany hauled off and slugged him.

Walking Across America

by Adrienne Wilson on

Exciting news everybody! Yours
truly, always manages to have something up her sleeve and this time in just a few weeks I’ll be walking across the
country with 11 other like-minded fitness fanatics. Our combined efforts and tracks across some of America’s biggest
cities and tiny towns I’ve never heard of are apart of a program called Steps Across America. Overall the program aims in helping to promote
healthier, active lifestyles and the walking is to be done in relay fashion. Sorry to break the hearts of those that
thought I would be going solo on this adventure. I’ll keep this shameless plug short, but before I sign off be sure to
follow me and all the others along the way during this incredible journey. Check into the Steps Across America website to read the bios, get updates or register for the Presidents Challenge. Click on the map to see the route.

Updates from the road to follow! Stay tuned.