Free Republic

While it may seem like we're comparing apples to oranges here, it's surprising to see how something as seemingly harmless as bottled salad dressing can share a pitfall with a classic salty snack like potato chips—an excess of sodium. This might not be a concern for everyone, but for those managing heart disease or high blood pressure, it's worth paying attention. Research suggests a high sodium diet is associated with both hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Potato chips top the list of high sodium foods. A single serving bag (1-¼ ounces) has 210 milligrams of sodium, 10% of the recommended daily...

The federal government has backed up California state regulators in ordering the company that bottles Arrowhead water to stop drawing from the San Bernardino Mountains. Though BlueTriton Brands draws from springs in the mountains that have been used for bottled water since 1906, environmental activists have claimed the removal of that water is harming wildlife, particularly Strawberry Creek. About a year ago, California’s Water Resources Control Board ordered BlueTriton to stop using the water, which flows through public lands like the San Bernardino National Forest.

Congress’s $860,000 tab on bottled water targeted as wasteful spendingBy Jordy Yager - 02/08/11 07:55 PM ET Lawmakers in the House spent more than $860,000 on bottled water last year, according to an advocacy group that is pushing members of Congress and the Obama administration to kick their penchant for the product. A study by Corporate Accountability International found that the largest purchaser was the office of House Information Resources, which spent $12,935. The House Appropriations Committee was close behind, at $12,537, while the clerk of the House spent $11,049 on bottled water. Under former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.)...

Lawmakers Want To Know How Much CSU Stanislaus Is Paying For Sarah Palin VisitSACRAMENTO - The California State University Foundation has released its contract with former Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin that shows the speaker's request as well as compensation for a fundraiser dinner conducted in June. According to the contract released Thursday afternoon, Palin was compensated $75,000 to appear at the event and requested two bottles of "unopened still water" with "bendable straws" placed "in or near the wooden lectern." A private plane, more specifically a Lear 60 jet, was required for Palin under the contract, though the contract...

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/kyle-drennen/2010/04/22/cbs-early-show-guilts-viewers-give-bottled-water-earth-day In the 8:30AM ET half hour of Thursday's CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez introduced an Earth Day segment by proclaiming: "Americans throw away more than 30 billion plastic bottles every year....We have a film maker, Stephanie Soechtig, here with us, she has a documentary out called 'Tapped,' which looks the impact that all those bottles have had on the environment." Rodriguez invited Soechtig to explain her mission: "What has your message been?" Soechtig responded: "we've been trying to educate people that bottled water's one of the greatest marketing scams of all time. 40% of bottled water is really...

Tests on leading brands of U.S. bottled water turned up a variety of contaminants, including cancer-linked chemicals three times higher than California's health standard, according to a study released Wednesday by an environmental advocacy group.

Citing environmental concerns, Mayor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order prohibiting city departments from buying bottled water. In a decision announced Thursday, Newsom said the ban will go into effect July 1 and extend to all city and county water coolers by December 1. Tony Winnicker, spokesman for the San Francisco public utilities commission, said Newsom's decision will save tax payer money and combat global warming.

A Windsor hairstylist who suffered "recognizable psychological injury" after discovering a dead fly in a bottle of Culligan water has been awarded more than $340,000 in damages. Waddah (Martin) Mustapha, who operates two outlets of Martin's Coiffure and Spa at the Radisson Hotel and Casino Windsor, claimed "nervous shock, emotional distress and resulting anxiety, depression and physical and psychological conditions" arising from a breach of contract with Culligan. "It's long overdue," Mustapha said of the settlement. On Nov. 21, 2001 Mustapha and his wife Lynn, who was seven months pregnant, were preparing a new bottle of Culligan water to put...