TAPPED (Stephanie Soechtig and Jason Lindsay, 2009)

The other night a friend was over and he commented that he had noticed that lately I have gotten much more into the environment. I responded that becoming a surfer had hugely impacted the way I looked at things. With this in mind the next day I decided to finally watch the documentary TAPPED (Stephanie Soechtig and Jason Lindsey, 2009). I had been aware of this documentary for some time and watching it was entirely eye opening. I come away from viewing it angry, baffled, concerned and generally fed up with the status quo.

I am angry at the bottled water industry which apparently is primarily Nestlé, Coke and Pepsi. According to the documentary Americans consume 80 million bottles of water a DAY, the vast majority of which come from these three corporations. The filmmakers also go on to prove that the water you buy and drink from these companies is not in any way, shape or form better for you than what comes from your tap. In many instances they proved it was worse. Why do we continue to purchase bottled water? I am angry at this industry for perpetuating such a crime upon us but I am angrier still at myself for happily being duped along with everyone else.

I am baffled that after it has been proven time and again that the extensive use of plastics is not only detrimental to us but hugely dangerous to our environment we still, for the most part, do nothing. Our options are limitless yet we can't go out of our way to stop drinking bottle water, to recycle each and every bottle we do happen to use, to volunteer time to help clean areas that need it. Have we become that entitled as a society that this entitlement places us above such concern? In the film there were a couple of interviews of people defending or supporting the industry. How clueless and out of touch are these guys? Are they being paid that well? There is an organization called the International Bottled Water Association. Really? This is a necessary institution?

I am generally fed up with the situations we allow our lives to be privy to. How much longer are we going to let government, corporations, politicians and the like continue to walk on us with no regard for our future, our lives, the lives of our children or the planet? I thank filmmakers such as Stephanie Soechtig and Jason Lindsay for stepping up and speaking out against industry such as the bottled water industry. I actually remember a time when if you purchased bottled water people mocked you. A return to such times would be awesome. And if we could all start doing just a little more ourselves, each and every day, it would make a difference.