I just wanted to post a little follow up to last week's tapwater post. In yesterday's Globe and Mail, I read that certain cities in Canada are contemplating banning the sale of bottled water from some public venues after London, Ontario has voted to eliminate the sale of bottled water at city-run facilities (arenas, community centres, city hall, etc.). London is one of the first cities in Canada to implement such a forward-thinking restriction. Now, cities like Vancouver, Ottawa and Kitchener are contemplating following London's lead. And, school boards in Toronto, Waterloo and Ottawa have already started to ban the sale of bottled water. It's amazing how popular this product was a while ago, but over the past little while people are starting to realize how much energy it takes to produce, recycle and transport bottled water, and how wasteful it is to crack open a new one every time you need to quench your thirst. The debate about bottled water continues in today's Globe and Mail as well. An editorial suggests that municipal governments need to think about citizens' convenience before they institute a ban. The editorial brings up a very valid point about how drinking fountains seem to be becoming less available – something that will have to change before a ban can be successful. There has been no shortage of responses from Globe readers. Two separate readers wrote in to point out that the ban of bottled water will merely cause people to make an unhealthy choice when trying to quench their thirst. One suggested charging a deposit on plastic bottles to help discourage the use of them and encourage recycling of the bottles, instead of getting rid of them entirely. What do you think about the bottled water debate? Here are some Globe and Mail articles on the topic that may be of interest to you: Cities ponder London's bottle ban The public tap If you're trying to kick the bottled water habit, check out some of the great reusable bottles that are out there in 5 BPA-free pitchers and water bottles.