Gem of the day

Brace yourself: our esteemed colleagues at the International Bottled Water Association and its consumer arm, Bottled Water Matters--such an amazing title--are amplifying their push to extol the benefits of bottled water on YouTube, of all places.

According to an unintentionally hilarious press release, the first video 'gives consumers an inside look at the process of producing safe, quality bottled water.' It's 'an insightful look at the numerous (and fascinating) steps involved in producing bottling water—both single-serve and home and office delivery (HOD).'

Both single-serve AND office delivery? Mind-blowing!

Watch 'The Real Story of Bottled Water', if you dare. Personally I don't recommend it. And if you have five minutes of your time to utterly waste, and are looking to see some nauseatingly bad graphic design, peruse their official fact sheet. My favorite statistic, which is intended to support their claim that bottled water is 'environmentally conscious', is this one:

• "The amount of water used for bottled water production accounts for less than 2/100 of a percent (0.02%) of the total ground water withdrawn in the United States each year."

Bonus gem

Sometimes you come across a company attempting sustainable products and services that just stops you in your tracks. This is one of those companies. Welcome to the nauseating and twisted world of Refreshing Ventures, LLC and their newest company, h20.

Their value proposition:

"Refreshing Ventures, LLC is proud to introduce earth-friendly 'h20'--natural spring water in an award-winning, renewable, aseptic package."

Why is h20 in quotes? Is it not really water? So many questions, so little time. But wait, there's a heavy call to action too:

"Much more than a product. It's starting a movement!"