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But Harrison says that all this disinfecting
has not come without a price: Chlorine introduced
into the water supply reacts with other
naturally-occurring elements to form toxins
called trihalomethanes (THMs), which eventually
make their way into our bodies. THMs have
been linked to a wide range of human health
maladies ranging from asthma and eczema
to bladder cancer and heart disease. In
addition, Dr. Peter Montague of the Environmental
Research Foundation cites several studies
linking moderate to heavy consumption of
chlorinated tap water by pregnant women
with higher miscarriage and birth defect
rates.
A recent report by the non-profit Environmental
Working Group concluded that from 1996 though
2001, more than 16 million Americans consumed
dangerous amounts of contaminated tap water.
The report found that water supplies in
and around Washington, D.C., Philadelphia
and Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, and the
Bay Area in California were putting the
greatest number of people at risk, although
1,100 other smaller water systems across
the country also tested positive for high
levels of contaminants.
“Dirty water going into the treatment
plant means water contaminated with chlorination
byproducts coming out of your tap,”
said Jane Houlihan, EWG’s Research
Director. “The solution is to clean
up our lakes, rivers and streams, not just
bombard our water supplies with chlorine.”
Eliminating water pollution and cleaning
up our watersheds are not going to happen
overnight, but alternatives to chlorination
for water treatment do exist. Dr. Montague
reports that several European and Canadian
cities now disinfect their water supplies
with ozone instead of chlorine. Currently
a handful of U.S. cities do the same, most
notably Las Vegas, Nevada and Santa Clara,
California.
Those of us who live far from Las Vegas
or Santa Clara, though, do have other options.
First and foremost is filtration at the
faucet. Carbon-based filters are considered
the most effective at removing THMs and
other toxins. The consumer information website
WaterFilterRankings.com compares various
water filters on the bases of price and
effectiveness. The site reports that filters
from Paragon, Aquasana, Kenmore, GE and
Seagul remove most if not all of the chlorine,
THMs and other potential contaminates in
tap water.
Concerned consumers without the money to
spend on home filtration, though, can just
rely on good old-fashioned patience. Chlorine
and related compounds will make their way
out of tap water if the container is simply
left uncovered in the refrigerator for 24
hours.
CONTACTS:
Environmental Working Group, www.ewg.org
Environmental Research Foundation, www.rachel.org
WaterFilterRankings.com, www.waterfilterrankings.com
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Dear EarthTalk:
Have high oil prices of late really caused
Americans to buy fewer SUVs,
or is this just a myth?
—
Shane Wiener, Royal Oak, Michigan
It is indeed true that sales of sport utility
vehicles (SUVs)--not to mention pickup trucks
and vans--have plummeted in recent months
in the U.S. Undoubtedly rising oil prices
are playing a big role, and sales of the
Ford Explorer, Lincoln Navigator, GMC Yukon
and Hummer H2 are all down 50 percent or
more.
But U.S. automakers are quick to point out
that sales have been dropping across all
product lines and that attractive financing
programs last year translated into record
sales numbers. But General Motors (GM),
the world’s largest automaker, did
report that overall sales in the U.S. sank
in October 2005 by 22.7 percent compared
to the previous year, while sales of SUVs,
pickups and vans shrank by a whopping 30.3
percent. Meanwhile, Ford Motor Company experienced
similar drops.
“We realize that gas prices are important
to consumers and we’re certainly not
denying that there’s an impact,”
says Paul Ballew of GM, who thinks the change
in consumer preference is not as significant
as it was following the world’s first
round of oil shocks three decades ago. “We
are seeing more interest in consumers understanding
fuel economy of vehicles. But there’s
not the shift we saw in the 70’s and
80’s.”
Against this backdrop of gloom for American
automakers, Japanese competitors specializing
in smaller cars have reported banner sales
numbers in recent months. Toyota, maker
of the industry-leading gas-electric hybrid
Prius, beat its own October U.S. sales numbers
from a year earlier by 5.2 percent, while
Honda, which offers the world’s most
fuel-efficient traditional cars as well
as hybrids, saw its U.S. sales rise four
percent in October. Toyota’s SUV and
pickup sales slackened by four percent,
while Honda bucked the downward trend by
staying even with last year with its light
truck line.
One sign of flagging consumer demand for
gas-hogging large SUVs is the recent development
of so-called crossovers, which are SUV-type
vehicles built on smaller, more fuel efficient
frames. These vehicles, such as the Chrysler
Pacifica and the Toyota Highlander, appeal
to consumers looking for better gas mileage
but unwilling to give up the SUV’s
size. Today almost half of all light trucks
sold are considered crossovers. Just two
years ago, such vehicles accounted for only
about 16 percent of the country’s
light truck fleet.
Another new option for light truck lovers
looking to save gas and money is the hybrid
SUV, which, like a hybrid car, utilizes
both gasoline and electric engines to maximize
fuel efficiency. Ford and Toyota lead the
pack in hybrid SUV sales, but new models
on the way from GM promise to provide consumers
with even more ways to live large with less
guilt.
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