sustainability, bottled water, and a house bill

The Great Lakes basin made the New York Times today. The House is in the process of looking over a bill that would ban diverting water from the great lakes basin to outside regions. The bill which has already been passed by the senate and Bush administration looks good with its candy shell. On the inside though, as the NY Times article points out, there are a few loop holes. The biggest one being that bottled water can be pumped out of the basin and shipped outside of the region.

I’ve never liked the idea of bottled water anyway. Too much plastic. Too much money. Not enough sustainability. And here is where the issue lies: sustainability. As the Times article goes on, it quotes Representative Bart Stupak, Democrat of Michigan, opposing the bill because of the bottled water loop hole. Later, on one of the drafters of the bill, its quoted as saying that the bottled water is not an issue because more bottled water will actually be shipped into the basin area than shipped out. Why? Why can’t the Great Lakes bottled water stay in the basin region if it needs so much bottled water and ship the other water else where? Where?

The second big complaint according to the Times article is that people outside the basin, but live in a state where the basin resides such as Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York (Michigan is the only state completely within the Great Lakes basin) now wonder why they can’t have the water that clearly belongs to them. Remember the blog a few weeks ago on the Great Lakes basin? The issue is brought up again. How can I see the Great Lakes, but not be able to take water from it? Hence the boundaries of the basin and how it effects each ecology. Where will they get their water now - how about the outside shipped bottled water they brought into the basin?

Obviously the bill is not foolproof, as shown with the bottled water. I think at least it is a good sign of defining the basin in political circumstances that could be beneficial to future bills for the Great Lakes and the basin. Hopefully it will create awareness of our environment as they come to understand what the bill is about and who it affects. Although not perfect, the idea of the bill, I feel, is a step forward to the sustainability of the basin and the lakes.

NY Times article