It's a shame that so many people don't have the choice to be environmentally friendly as they are economically prohibited. I don't think this article belongs on treehugger, bottled water is bad, yet the fact that this place sells 22 varieties is advertised like its a good thing. Over priced products that do little for the environment except salve the consciences of rampant consumers.

Hi Bonnie and Trent

Namaste.

Trent, someone just came to this site, read this review and resolved to find out more about this organic green stuff and visit this store when they were next nearby.

Then they read your negative comment and decided not to bother. They might not even come back to Treehugger itself.

We will not green the world by being negative and turning people off.

Of course bottled water is not a good thing but remember back to when you first became green(er). Was bottled water top of your list of concerns? Surely not.

To someone new to green concerns there are likely to be bigger issues they are liable to be drawn to.

Surely it would have been better if you would have posted something positive about not using bottled water with links to further info about the issue?

Example:
Bottled water concerns include the environmental cost of the plastic, the movement and processing of the water, the chemical composition and potential for leaking harmful chemicals into the water itself from the bottle.

A great article (sadly only the first few paragraphs are now free) addressing some of these concerns can be found at:
http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article344959.ece

The net benefit of someone using this Daylesford store is still a greater engagement with green issues.

And that can only be a good thing.

Please try to get over your big bad green self.

Namaste

Al

Al, may I say that might just be the best example of savoir-faire I've encountered in our 20,00+ comments (not that I profess to have read them all).

There is only one habitable planet, to the best of our knowledge. There is no room for 'us and them'. Only we. On this one tiny ball, all of us have to figure out how to get along with people we don't agree with. Not everyone 'gets it' at the same time. We can encourage people to do better, or we can chastise them for doing poorly. Ask any teacher which gets better results.

I am intrigued by the recently occurring notion of what 'belongs' on TreeHugger. We are about moving the 'mainstream' towards a greener, more sustainable lifestyle. If everyone was already there, would there be a need for TH, in the first instance?

Trent, I understand your concern, I noticed the fly in the ointment as well. But I also learnt about organic cotton and jam, about hemp and locally made English produce.

And it is precisely the wealthy that green design needs to target. They are the great consumers. They are we. We are the wealthy. We are sitting here using computers, when much of the world's population barely has electric light. It's our lifestyles that need adjustment, not those of the poor, they are already frugal - by unfortunate necessity.

Thanks Warren...am in full smug mode now ;)

Your points are equally well made and I totally agree with them.

A poem for you from Emily Dickinson:

Tell all the Truth but tell it slant
Success in Circuit lies

Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth's superb surprise

As Lightening to the Children eased
With explanation kind

The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind

;)

Namaste

Al

Glass bottles... I think there is enough silica to use up before we start thinking about a tipping point.

Re-cycled plastic. If it's been made and you can re-make it, perhaps there is a better outcome than stopping the use of it (plastic bottling) altogether. Industry powered in sustainable ways can provide this.

...I wish for the moment when possibilities are considered, not argued...

I think the bottles watering hole bit was referring to wines anyway people. No one sells 22 different kinds of water.