What is a Counter-Argument? Noun 1.a contrasting, opposing, or refuting an argument. Shapiro.2015

Annie’s Argument Annie Leonard says that bottled water companies are responsible for major pollution all around the world. Her overall argument is that bottled water is an environmentally irresponsible choice for clean drinking water. Shapiro.2015

Nestle’s Counter-Argument Nestle claims that “bottled water is the most environmentally responsible consumer product in the world.” This is a COUNTER ARGUMENT to everyone, including Annie Leonard, that bottled water is a good source of water. Shapiro.2015

Response to Counter-Argument Annie’s response to this counter-argument is that bottled water is a product that creates pollution “throughout the entire product’s life cycle.” IMPORTANT NOTE: Annie addresses in her argument how the Nestle opposes her viewpoint, and then she explains why Nestle is lying, which strengthens her argument further. Shapiro.2015

First Example from Blogs: Lillian Boatwright (2010) Many consumers have stated that their reason for solely drinking bottled water is for health reasons. They say bottle water tastes better than tap water; it’s cleaner, and safer to drink. Unfortunately, this is not true -- when in fact most bottled water is purified tapped water. For example, ABC/20/20 did a special entitled“Is Bottled Water Better Than Tap?” They stated, “One of Aquafina’s sources is from the Detroit River!”(Stossel 2). Also, “20/20” had several national bottled waters tested by a microbiologist of New Hampshire, and studies revealed that there were no differences between tap water and bottled water. Shapiro.2015

Second Example: Lillian Boatwright (2010) Despite the claims from the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) that bottled water regulations from the FDA are as stringent and protective as U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards for public water supplies. According to The Environmental Working Group who performed a survey, “all but a few bottled-water products don’t list where their bottled water comes from and how it is treated, and publish quality-test reports on their Web sites” (Zhang 2). for-bottled.html Shapiro.2015

Second Example: Continued… The FDA doesn’t have total control of the quality of bottled waters. The U.S. GAO (Government Accountability Office) stated “The FDA considers bottled water low-risk, assigning only two or three employees to inspect bottling facilities.” Although there were violations at the water sites, the agency barely did anything about it. Also, “The Food and Drug Administration, which oversees the $11.2 billion industry, doesn’t keep track of companies that produce bottled water and doesn’t require companies to report positive tests for contaminants, federal officials told a House hearing Wednesday”(Zhang 1). bottled.html Shapiro.2015

Your Turn… Select a statement from “The Story of Bottled Water” script that you find interesting, but also one that is addressed in the IBWA’s “Bottled Water Matters.” Identify how the IBWA counter argues Leonard’s statement. VS. Shapiro.2015