Readers React: Why are Americans so afraid of tap water?

To the editor: The point Michael Hiltzik makes about the war bottled water companies have waged on tap water is made evident at Vancouver International Airport, where filtered water for filling reusable water bottles is widely available through much of the facility. (“Don’t praise Starbucks for moving its water bottling out of California,” May 11)

But past the U.S. Customs facility for passengers flying to the United States, only overpriced bottled water, with its large carbon footprint, is to be found.

It appears that only one kind of green matters in the U.S., as it would not be too difficult to have filtered water freely available at drinking fountains. But first we would have to get past the mind-set that tap water is inferior, especially considering that bottling companies obtain their water from the same source.

Jenny Sharpe, Manhattan Beach

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To the editor: Hiltzik’s article was more interesting for what it didn’t cover than what it did.

He should have taken a more in-depth look at the people and corporations that do nothing for others, promote nothing positive for society and are only worried about the financial bottom line for their own economic gain.

They are the “do nothings” that neither promote good corporate stewardship nor move society and communities forward.

Starbucks is far more progressive in its corporate approach than 99% of most big companies. It is not perfect, and it sometimes errs, but at least Starbucks admits its mistakes and corrects them.

For the record, I am neither an employee nor a shareholder of Starbucks.

Michael Bruen, Valley Village

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