Thirsty For A 'Green' Lifestyle? Drink Tap Water

"Florida buys more bottled water than any state except Texas and California -- about 576.9 million gallons last year, according to the New York consulting firm Beverage Marketing Corp.

But the bottle has been in hot water since summer, when environmentalists like the Washington-based Earth Policy Institute drew attention to the 1.5 million barrels of oil a year it takes to satisfy U.S. demand.

Beyond the oil used to make the bottles, brands like Evian and Fiji often are shipped thousands of miles before they hit local grocery store shelves, adding to energy costs. Bottled water is often consumed far from the nearest recycling bin, and statistics show more than 85 percent of bottles end up as garbage or litter.

'The environmental impacts are huge,' said Eric Goldstein, a water quality specialist for the Natural Resources Defense Council, based in New York. 'No one should be drinking bottled water and thinking they're doing something good for the planet.'"