14: Bottled Water: The pure commodity in the age of branding

The debate of the control over natural resources is one that has caused a millenia of disputes. Bottled water creates an enigma for Wilk. Some have concern over the unsustainable nature of bottled water as a concept. Others have a concern over the safety of tap water, which incidentally enough, is often the source of bottled water. Communities that have made attempts to reject bottled water, such as the negative reaction to Dasani in the UK, end up stronger because of the dispute. While bottled water is still available in the UK, these communities are strengthened by their ability to organize and reject the corporate intrusion. The concept of “bottled air” was a concept that went viral several years ago. In countries like China where air pollution more days than not creates an uninhabitable atmosphere, bottled clean air is a popular product. While this may sound ridiculous to us, it is no more ridiculous than bottled water. Wilk’s poignant examination of the oddity that is bottled water represents a much larger issue. We have yet to settle who can lay proper claim to natural resources, especially water. Is it ethical for communities upstream to consume water at the cost of communities downstream? Is it ethical for landowners to allow the harvesting and exportation of natural resources if these activities result in environmental degradation in areas beyond the landowner’s holdings? These are the questions that Hardin predicted we would have to resolve. Bottled water is yet again another commons at risk.