Metal Water Bottle - Setting a New Trend For a Greener America

In the book The Tipping Point, author Malcolmthan last year, "We are making the whole festival
Gladwell writes "The tipping point is that magiccarbon neutral through the Climate Smart Program,"
moment when an idea, trend, or social behaviorsaid PG&E spokesman Joe Molica. "We want to
crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire."work and help make it one of the greenest festivals
At what point are we in making an effort to movein the country." The organizers also tried to help limit
away from disposable products like plastic waterwaste by making metal water bottles available for
bottles to a sustainable product like a metal watersale so that people could get refills throughout the
bottle? I pondered that thought for sometime in myfestival.
own observation of the use once and toss cultureThe Lake County News-Sun reported a Chicago area
we live in. In Mr. Gladwell's book, he explains how aBoy Scout proposing an upgrade to the downtown
few individuals or a single haphazard event can setMetra train station as his Eagle Scout project. The
off a social epidemic that can shape our thinking andScout is heading a fundraiser to raise $2,700 for the
way of life.project by selling metal water bottles that are
Judging just from this week news headlines apersonalized with the Troop emblem.
conscious switch has been turned on towards aIn a press release titled, Major Green Efforts are
greener alternative to metal water bottles.Underway on UC San Diego Campus it
In The Daily Green online newsletter article titledstates--Underlining its reputation as one of the
Green up your Back-to-School Shopping, gave simplegreenest campuses in the country, UC San Diego is
tips for non toxic and sustainable safe purchases...initiating students entering the campus this Fall will find
Avoid clear or tinted hard-plastic water bottles...a next-generation array of green innovations ranging
High-quality stainless steel are increasingly available.from drought tolerant bio-swale landscaping to
reported at last months Senior Olympics in Palo Alto,organic foods and hydration stations that eliminate
CA, the organizing committee made an earlythe need for disposable water bottles.
commitment to the environment. Along with theThis is just a snapshot in a seven-day news cycle;
stainless steel water bottles provided by the City,our country is moving toward a greener future, and
they installed 11 hydration stations around the mainthat one approach is through the use of a metal
competition venues where athletes could refill theirwater bottle. We are a long way off from reaching
bottles in seconds.critical mass, but there is a ground swell of
In the Golden Gate Express: The Outside Lands Musicawareness with each one of us doing our part, we
and Arts Festival held at Golden Gate Park lastcan create the next tipping point. Little things can
weekend organizers pledge an even greener venuemake a big difference.