Water, water, water

My friends Erin and Tim just had a baby, Elijah.  This has inspired Tim to make a big change this year, he has given up soda--specifically Dr. Pepper, and other beverages except water.  You can read his blog here for the specifics of his story  http://thewateryear.wordpress.com/
The short version is that here in the United States we have access to water at the turn of the faucet, many people do not.  Many, many places in the world do not have clean water to drink much less to bathe, wash clothes, cook, etc.  And here, we swim, bathe, cook, clean, drink, and even water our lawns with clean water.  We even BUY water when we could easily turn on the tap and get it for practically free. 
Since reading Tim's blog I have learned 2 very interesting things about bottled water.  First:  it is 5000x the cost of tap water.  Yes, you read that right.  The dollar or two that you are paying for a bottle of water would only cost a few cents if you were filling a glass with the same amount from your sink.  Second:  researchers have tested bottled water against tap water for both cleanliness and taste.  Guess what---tap is the winner in almost every instance.  Muncipal water sources are more regulated and therefore more clean than bottled water which is not regulated.  In fact many bottled water manufacturers are actually using TAP water to fill their bottles decorated with mountains and streams.  Think about that!  You are actually paying $2 for a plastic bottle full of water that you could have gotten out of your kitchen faucet for free. 
Really, I have learned so much from Tim's blog already and he is only a week into his year of water.  And he has inspired me to switch to water as my main beverage also.  However, unlike Tim, I am still having one dose of liquid caffiene a day.  A girl's gotta have an energy source!
Seriously, check out Tim's blog---you might learn something.  :)