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[DrForester]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...-lobby-that-fought-it/?utm_term=.f4ae93b719de

The Trump administration has ended a six-year-old ban on selling bottled water at some national parks that was aimed at easing plastic pollution and the huge amount of waste being recycled.

In a statement that closely tracked the arguments of a campaign by the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) in opposition to the ban, the National Park Service said the 2011 action under the Obama administration “removed the healthiest beverage choice at a variety of parks while still allowing sales of bottled sweetened drinks.”

The move follows a review of the policy “in close consultation with Department of Interior leadership,” according to the statement Wednesday. The department declined to elaborate.

....

The decision came three weeks after the Senate confirmation of David Bernhardt as deputy interior secretary. Bernhardt is a former lobbyist with the law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, which has represented one of the largest water bottlers in the United States, Nestlé Waters. Nestlé distributes the Deer Park brand.

...

Grand Canyon National Park estimated several years ago that water bottles constituted 30 percent of the 900 tons of garbage it recycled. Zion National Park estimated that its sale of reusable bottles that visitors took home skyrocketed by 78 percent once it banned bottled-water sales.

 

[elrechazado]

If true, the rule was idiotic if it allowed bottled soda sales but not water.

Should have banned soda too!!!!!!!!!

Edited because good god

 

[ShadowSwordmaster]

This is just dumb and petty.

 

[cdyhybrid]

Fill the swamp

 

[fluffydelusions]

Fill the swamp

with plastic bottles

 

[Chittagong]

So Coke was allowed but water not? Lmao

 

[whitehawk]

If true, the rule was idiotic if it allowed bottled soda sales but not water.

Why? Water is available at any tap or water fountain, Coke is not.

 

[Host Samurai]

What a fucking loser.

 

[Slayer-33]

This is absurd.. When will it end

 

[WedgeX]

If true, the rule was idiotic if it allowed bottled soda sales but not water.

Because most people hiking turn to Coca-cola instead of water?

 

[Aurongel]

The name calling is getting a bit puerile.

EDIT: So wait, the article makes it sound like bottled water was specifically banned but not soda? While it was a step in the right direction it seems weird that they didn't originally try and take a more comprehensive approach.

 

[RinsFury]

The name calling is getting a bit puerile.

Fuck that orange piece of shit.

 

[DrForester]

The name calling is getting a bit puerile.

 

[cirrhosis]

The name calling is getting a bit puerile.

what would you rather he be referred to

 

[Strike]

No policy, just undo whatever Obama did.

 

[Squire]

Not that I feel any differently at all, but did you need to put the C-word in the title?

 

[The Last Wizard]

The name calling is getting a bit puerile.

EDIT: So wait, the article makes it sound like bottled water was specifically banned but not soda? While it was a step in the right direction it seems weird that they didn't originally try and take a more comprehensive approach.

Do heinous shit, get made fun of. /shrug

 

[Fisty]

Nestle.

Had to be fucking Nestle.

 

[JORMBO]

That thread title. The OP must feel very strongly about bottled water.

 

[PandaPandaPanda]

This is absurd.. When will it end

after he undoes any and all things obama did while he was in office

so fucking sad

 

[elrechazado]

Why? Water is available at any tap or water fountain, Coke is not.

Because most people hiking turn to Coca-cola instead of water?

Uhh, rule exists to reduce plastic waste. Continue to sell plastic receptacles. Tough to understand though, clearly.

 

[g11]

Why? Water is available at any tap or water fountain, Coke is not.

Because Coke comes in plastic bottles, i.e. if the purpose was to prevent pollution, all plastic bottles should be removed/banned. Just take a frigging Nalgene, people.

 

[Kenai]

The name calling is getting a bit puerile.

If the shoe fits and all that

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

why was Coke allowed but not plastic water bottles?

 

[Gentleman Jack]

So wait, the article makes it sound like bottled water was specifically banned but not soda? While it was a step in the right direction it seems weird that they didn't originally try and take a more comprehensive approach.

While strange I can only imagine the pushback from two powerful food lobbies (Nestle and Coca Cola) instead of just one pressuring the lawmakers into compromising.

Single use plastic bottles are a goddamn scourge on the planet and I would have been happy to continue with a rule that only solves 30% of a problem rather than give up because we can't make perfect laws.

 

[entremet]

Damn, OP. NSFW language, breh.

 

[Loudninja]

While strange I can only imagine the pushback from two powerful food lobbies (Nestle and Coca Cola) instead of just one pressuring the lawmakers into compromising.

Single use plastic bottles are a goddamn scourge on the planet and I would have been happy to continue with a rule that only solves 30% of a problem rather than give up because we can't make perfect laws.

Right dont know why some people think this is all or nothing.

 

[Sirpopopop]

Uhh, rule exists to reduce plastic waste. Continue to sell plastic receptacles. Tough to understand though, clearly.

So the proper solution is to remove the ban for water, and not also add coke to the list?

 

[Gentleman Jack]

Right dont know why some people think this is all or nothing.

I used to think that way myself, but ultimately the compromise produced measurably positive effects, now being completely wiped out so hurray, now we have nothing but at least we don't have imperfect laws so that's that, hurray!

 

[NervousXtian]

So the proper solution is to remove the ban for water, and not also add coke to the list?

The bottled water was the problem, not the soda.

Hence the ban on them.

If it was 30% of the waste being soda then I agree ban them both.. but it wasn't.

 

[mreddie]

Dump confirmed to be a real life Captain Planet villain.

 

[A.J.]

I'd have banned the soda and kept bottled water.

 

[LostCaress]

The name calling is getting a bit puerile.

Trump's a cunt. He's a cunt now, and he's always been a cunt. And the only thing that's going to change is that he's going to be an even bigger cunt. Maybe have some more cunt kids.

 

[elrechazado]

So the proper solution is to remove the ban for water, and not also add coke to the list?

You have some real reading problems.

 

[mjc]

The name calling is getting a bit puerile.

EDIT: So wait, the article makes it sound like bottled water was specifically banned but not soda? While it was a step in the right direction it seems weird that they didn't originally try and take a more comprehensive approach.

Calling a spade a spade, is what it is.

But this is silly. I don't see the upside on the reversal.

 

[Lombax]

If true, the rule was idiotic if it allowed bottled soda sales but not water.

No lies detected. Years ago the town of Concord, MA passed an idiotic law banning the sale of bottled water to I guess cut down on pollution? All this ended up doing is making it so you could only buy soda and other shit beverages....in plastic bottles!

 

[perfectchaos007]

Damn. Trump said he wouldn't fall for lobbyists, but he actually fell to the freakin Nestle lobby

 

[Randolph Freelander]

Why? Water is available at any tap or water fountain, Coke is not.

And for America to be truly great, this must change.

 

[DodgerSan]

From the title of this, and many similar threads, I can only presume that this clause from the GAF terms of service:

A. Language

You agree, through your use of this service, that you will not use NeoGAF to post any material which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise in violation of any law. Sexual, racial, or ethnic slurs will not be tolerated in any form and are bannable on the first offense. It is recommended that profanity be held to a minimum in order to keep the level of discourse high, and profanity should not be used when addressing others. Though NeoGAF is an international forum, discussion is to be held in English unless otherwise designated.

is redundant these days? (I am NOT calling for OP ban by the way).

To be clear, I am far from pro-Trump - I'm not even American. But the level of infantile name calling is a far FAR cry from what GAF used to be. Surely we are intelligent enough to express ourselves sufficiently without this level of vulgarity?

Note although I am addressing the OP, it is very much the prevailing level of discussion here these days.

 

[Regiruler]

Banning water bottles without banning other bottled beverages is fine because it's a lot easier to find an alternative water source.

 

[Nerdkiller]

No policy, just undo whatever Obama did.

Ohhh, this is policy all right.

The decision came three weeks after the Senate confirmation of David Bernhardt as deputy interior secretary. Bernhardt is a former lobbyist with the law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, which has represented one of the largest water bottlers in the United States, Nestlé Waters. Nestlé distributes the Deer Park brand.

So yeah, this has less to do with Obama and more to do with crony conflicts of interest...though it was still an Obama order rescinded, so Oompa would have been happy to oblige either way.

Also, did ya really need to add in (Trump) to the title after the fact?

 

[PopeReal]

From the title of this, and many similar threads, I can only presume that this clause from the GAF terms of service:



is redundant these days? (I am NOT calling for OP ban by the way).

To be clear, I am far from pro-Trump - I'm not even American. But the level of infantile name calling is a far FAR cry from what GAF used to be. Surely we are intelligent enough to express ourselves sufficiently without this level of vulgarity?

Note although I am addressing the OP, it is very much the prevailing level of discussion here these days.

Just message a mod.

 

[watership]

Guys.. it's SALES at the park. You can still bring your own bottle water. The problem was that bottle waterbottles.. not coke or other drinks.. were causing a litter problem. The thing that makes this dirty, is that is was "we are the worst company ever" Nestlé behind it.

 

[Gentleman Jack]

backseat modding

Guess what else is frowned upon? PM a mod with your objections.

 

[Mugsy]

Why? Water is available at any tap or water fountain, Coke is not.

And for America to be truly great, this must change.

It is coming.

 

[Cheerilee]

why was Coke allowed but not plastic water bottles?

The ranger station used to (still does) have a free drinking fountain. They also sell coca cola. Cheap people drink from the fountain, or fill a reusable bottle from the fountain.

The ranger station figured out that they can make more money by selling bottled water, and discouraging the use of the fountain.

Park is now littered with discarded water bottles.

Obama bans the sale of bottled water at parks. Ranger stations see a boost in the sales of reusable souvenir bottles, which are then filled with water from the free fountain. No more water bottles getting littered in the park. Everybody wins, except Nestle, who literally charges absurd money for tap water.

Trump hates Obama, so fuck that.

 

[Dude Abides]

The bottled water was the problem, not the soda.

Hence the ban on them.

If it was 30% of the waste being soda then I agree ban them both.. but it wasn't.

How dare you think about this for more than three seconds? We've got knees to jerk here!

 

[Az]

But why

 

[Sirpopopop]

You have some real reading problems.

Then enlighten me rather than coming up with an insult.

Is it possible for you to actually be civil?

 

[Sweet Bellic]

While Trump is certainly a cunt, I don't see how this particular issues warrants such vehemence. National parks are often in remote places and visitors should have multiple options for accessing potable drinking water. Perhaps they should raise the fines for littering?