In the spirit of Gov. M. Jodi Rell's "One Thing" initiative -- a campaign encouraging Connecticut households and businesses to do one thing every day to reduce energy demand -- here's a suggestion that will conserve fossil fuels, save money and reduce litter: Drink tap water instead of the bottled variety.
The average American drinks 182.5 gallons of liquid each year, according to Beverage Digest. Soft drinks are the single most popular source of liquid replenishment, accounting for almost 28 percent of the total last year (a fact that sheds some light on the nation's obesity problem). Tap water took a distant second at 15 percent, followed by beer. (Please note earlier reference to obesity.)
Yet the popularity of all three is on the wane. Not so for bottled water, whose share of Americans' liquid diet was 12 percent in 2006 and growing.
But bottled water only worsens the national thirst for oil. Making the plastic containers requires petroleum; so do shipping and refrigeration.
Bottled water is more costly, too. A recent analysis in The New York Times estimated that drinking eight glasses of city tap water a day would cost 49 cents per year; the price for the same amount of bottled water: $1,400.
So next time you pay tribute to this grand experiment called America, here's a suggestion: Put down the water bottle before you salute. By using tap water instead, you'll help clear the air (protecting the view of those purple mountains majesty), reduce litter (keeping those shining seas and fruited plains free of plastic) and cut imports of foreign oil.
Now that's independence ...