Jennifer Aniston Takes Action For Healthy Kids

1. Isn’t bottled water safer than tap water?

No, not necessarily. NRDC conducted a four-year review of the bottled water industry and the safety standards that govern it, including a comparison of national bottled water rules with national tap water rules, and independent testing of over 1,000 bottles of water. Our conclusion is that there is no assurance that just because water comes out of a bottle it is any cleaner or safer than water from the tap. And in fact, an estimated 25 percent or more of bottled water is really just tap water in a bottle — sometimes further treated, sometimes not.

2. Is bottled water actually unsafe?

Most bottled water appears to be safe. Of the bottles we tested, the majority proved to be high quality and relatively free of contaminants. The quality of some brands was spotty, however, and such products may pose a health risk, primarily for people with weakened immune systems (such as the frail elderly, some infants, transplant and cancer patients, or people with HIV/AIDS). About 22 percent of the brands we tested contained, in at least one sample, chemical contaminants at levels above strict state health limits. If consumed over a long period of time, some of these contaminants could cause cancer or other health problems.

3. Could the plastic in water bottles pose a health risk?

Recent research suggests that there could be cause for concern, and that the issue should be studied closely. Studies have shown that chemicals called phthalates, which are known to disrupt testosterone and other hormones, can leach into bottled water over time. One study found that water that had been stored for 10 weeks in plastic and in glass bottles contained phthalates, suggesting that the chemicals could be coming from the plastic cap or liner. Although there are regulatory standards limiting phthalates in tap water, there are no legal limits for phthalates in bottled water — the bottled water industry waged a successful campaign opposing the FDA proposal to set a legal limit for these chemicals.

Concerned about the environment?
Sign up for our monthly newsletter and find out what you can do.

See the latest issue

4. How can I find out where my bottled water comes from?

A few state bottled water programs (e.g., Massachusetts and New York) maintain lists of the sources of bottled water, but many do not. Try calling or writing the bottler to ask what the source is, or call the bottled water program in your state or the state in which the water was bottled to see if they have a record of the source (your state’s health or agriculture department is most likely to run the bottled water program). If you choose to buy bottled water and are concerned about its safety, buy brands with a known protected source and ones that make readily available testing and treatment information that shows high water quality.

5. How can I determine if bottled water is really just tap water?

Often it’s not easy. First, carefully check the bottle label and even the cap — if it says “from a municipal source” or “from a community water system” this means it’s derived from tap water. Again, you can call the bottler, or the bottled water program in your state or the state where it was packaged.

6. What actions can I take to improve bottled water safety?

Write to your members of Congress, the FDA, and your governor (see below for contact information) and urge them to adopt strict requirements for bottled water safety, labeling, and public disclosure. Specifically, point out to these officials that they should:
set strict limits for contaminants of concern in bottled water, including arsenic, heterotrophic-plate-count bacteria, E. coli and other parasites and pathogens, and synthetic organic chemicals such as “phthalates”;

apply the rules to all bottled water whether carbonated or not and whether sold intrastate or interstate; and

require bottlers to display information on their labels about the levels of contaminants of concern found in the water, the water’s exact source, how it’s been treated, and whether it meets health criteria set by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control for killing parasites like cryptosporidium.

Members of Congress and governors should also pass legislation providing the resources for the FDA and state regulators to actually enforce the law.

To take further action, you can encourage your bottlers and the International Bottled Water Association (a trade organization that includes about 85 percent of water bottlers) to voluntarily make labeling disclosures such as those above.

Contact information:

FDA
Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D.
Commissioner, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857

Congress/State Legislators
Go to our action center to find contact information for your members of Congress and state legislators.

7. How does drinking bottled water affect the environment?

In 2006, the equivalent of 2 billion half-liter bottles of water were shipped to U.S. ports, creating thousands of tons of global warming pollution and other air pollution. In New York City alone, the transportation of bottled water from western Europe released an estimated 3,800 tons of global warming pollution into the atmosphere. In California, 18 million gallons of bottled water were shipped in from Fiji in 2006, producing about 2,500 tons of global warming pollution.

And while the bottles come from far away, most of them end up close to home — in a landfill. Most bottled water comes in recyclable PET plastic bottles, but only about 13 percent of the bottles we use get recycled. In 2005, 2 million tons of plastic water bottles ended up clogging landfills instead of getting recycled.

8. If I drink tap water should I use a filter and what types of filters are most effective?

The real long-term solution is to make tap water safe for everyone. However, if you know you have a tap water quality or taste problem, or want to take extra precautions, you should purchase filters certified by NSF International (800 NSF-MARK). These filters designate which contaminants they remove, and you can look for one that removes any contaminants of special concern such as cryptosporidium. Such certification is not necessarily a safety guarantee, but it is better than no certification at all. It is critically important that all filters be maintained and replaced at least as often as recommended by the manufacturer, or they might make the problem worse. See our guide to water filters for more information.

9. How can I obtain test results on my tap water?

Under new “right-to-know” provisions in the drinking water law, all tap water suppliers must provide annual water quality reports to their customers. To obtain a copy, call your water provider (the one that sends your water bills).

You also can test your water yourself, though this can be expensive. There are state-certified drinking water laboratories in virtually every state that can test your water. Call your state drinking water program or the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800 426-4791) for a list of contacts. Standard consumer test packages are available through large commercial labs at a relatively reasonable price.

http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/qbw.asp

Glad to see her do something for the US kids. BOUT DAMN TIME!

Jen knows how to spread it around both here and other less fortunate countries. She’s not stuck on the “flavor of the week” trend to only help outside the US. Won’t name names though.

Current Trends and Environmental Issues

Sales of bottled water have increased dramatically in the last few years despite the similar safety and much lower cost of tap water. There is a great deal of debate about whether this is due to misinformation about tap water safety, the effects of advertising, or simply consumer preferences based on taste or convenience. Bottled water is advertised as being very “convenient” but most people already have tap water delivered around the clock to their homes and workplaces, which is another form of convenience. Much attention is being paid in the recent news to the economic, energy, and environmental costs of making bottles, withdrawing water from the environment, bottling the water, transporting it, advertising it, and recycling or disposing of bottles.

voe @ 06/23/2009 at 8:54 pm
——————-
Thank you for pointing that out. I thought you are fan. Sorry.

Normally, i’m in favor of celebs (or anyone for that matter) giving to charity because it’s a great thing, but this just seems so calculated on Jennifer’s part. I don’t feel that she’s being genuine at all. The least she could do is match the money of $1m but I suppose she’d rather spend that money on her hair and yoga instructions. She is such a vapid, shallow woman. No substance to her whatsover.

Oh and lol@ the jen fan who said that jennifer is the one who dumped brad. It’s so hillarious to me when JA fans say that because Brad is really the one who dumped her in reality. She may have filed the divorce paper, but he checked out of the relationship long ago and left Aniston in the dust way before that. He was in love with Jolie before they even divorced, so she had no choice but to divorce him. Brad was just being nice by letting her file so she didn’t look like such a loser, but everyone knows the deal there. He checked out of that relationship long ago. You Jen fans need to get real already.

Where’s Brooks Barnes with this glaringly obvious media ploy by Aniston? Mr. Barnes, should write another article for the New York Times entitled: JENNIFER ANISTON’S CAREFULLY ORCHESTRATED PR MOVE IN THE GUISE OF CHARITY BUT MORE PROFIT GAiN FOR THE PRODUCT SHE ENDORSES.

@The Goddess circle:

quote: “She’s not even donating her own money.”
——————————————————————————————–

How do you know she’s not? Do you know this for a fact? Did she whisper in your ear and say so?

anne marie @ 06/23/2009 at 10:01 pm @The Goddess circle:

quote: “She’s not even donating her own money.”
——————————————————————————————–

YOU SAID: How do you know she’s not? Do you know this for a fact? Did she whisper in your ear and say so?

*****************************************************

Let me throw it back at you -

FACT: The article did say or imply that she made a matching donation. It’s the sale of the bottled water that will be allocated 5cents of. It did not even say if its gross or net.

So, why are you so adamantly implying that she did?

@gracie: #164

How is she trying to win him back? That is so idiotic. When did she go on national TV after 5 years and decalre her that she will continue to love that person till she dies? She did say that in an interview when asked about her and Brad and she has that right because she was married to him. Both her and Brad have acknoledged their mutal love for each other. In interviews she only mentions Brad when she is asked the question. And when John Mayer called it quits with her on on record that was the first time they split. The second time she dumped him.

@The Goddess circle: #168

Quote”So, why are you so adamantly implying that she did?
——————————————————————————————–

I’m saying no one knows if she did or didn’t. Jen has always said that making donations, to her, is a private matter. But to just spout out and say she’s not donating any of her money is wrong. Give the woman the benefit of the doubt. No one knows for a fact if she privately wrote out a check or not. But I’m sure Jen has donated her share of money over the years to St Jude’s Hospital and many other worthy charitable organizations.

@The Goddess circle: Thank you for posting that. I’ve been thinking all those things but wasn’t commenting about it. You are 100% correct. I don’t drink bottled water period and never really did. If I have to take some I use something reusable and I always take it as fresh out of the faucet as I can. Thanks for posting that. You’re absolutely spot on.

What in the world was Brad thinking? Jen is such a sweet decent woman. Time will tell - Brad will come to his senses and go back to his wife. xoxo Jen.

anne marie @ 06/23/2009 at 9:03 pm @Jill:

Quote: Really? Then how come all her men keep dumping her?
.
Could it be that she is also a very shallow woman? A very vain woman (blowing $50 K on a hair stylist)? A very narcissistic woman? A very self-centered woman? A very self-involved woman? A very boring woman?

1. She dumped Brad.
2. She dumped Vince.
3. She dumped Paul Sculfor.
4. She dumped John Mayer the 2nd time around
…….
Wrong! You had it the other way around.
1. Brad left her for Angie.
2. Vince left her for a much younger woman.
3. Paul S left and never came back.
4. John Mayer PUBLICLY dumped her TWICE.