More Hip Than Hippie #245 - A Drinking Problem

Despite federal regulations, you can't take drinking water safety for granted.

Prozac and makeup and lead, oh my! We all want to trust our tapwater. Unfortunately, more than 20% of US water-treatment systems have broken some of the rules of the Safe Drinking Water Act. The Hipsters flush out the facts and provide some solutions. Also, Val spews (off-air) expletives as winter descends upon Northern California!

Beer and Chocolate:

Beer: We're staying warm with another heady brew. Old Plowshare Stout from North Coast Brewing Co. has enough rich flavor to take the chill off a December night.

Chocolate: Our new Favorite Listener, KC in Korea, supplied a pair of pleasurable treats. Lotte Ghana bar is smooth & sweet; Jeju Orange Chocolate and Cactus Chocolate are fun candies. Komapsumnida!

Hip News and Finds

Finds:

• Beer Magazine. This month's articles: Beer and Chocolate Pairings; Green Brewing; An Interview with George Wendt (Norm!). Really, do we need to say more?

Hip News

• Hot in herre. A new report ranks 2009 as the 5th warmest year on record, and this decade was warmer than the previous two. Let it hang all out.
• Copenhatin'. GOP lawmakers will go to the COP15 to promise the world no new US climate laws until "scientific fascism" ends.

Teenie Weenie Greenie™

Tap into the truth! Figure out what's floating around in your drinking water. Go to the EPA website and locate data about your local water quality. There's also lots of great info about water, so dive in!

 

A Drinking Problem

We all want to trust our tapwater. However, as many as 19 million Americans are sickened by it each year. What the heck is in it? How do we find out if our water is safe? Can we do anything to purify it? H2OMG!

 

• The EPA has identified at least 9 Unexpected Things in Drinking Water.
• The Safe Drinking Water Act passed in 1974 to ensure the quality of Americans' drinking water.
• The Environmental Working Group released its list of cities with the best and worst tap water. Congrats to Arlington, TX!
• Find out what's flowing from your faucet with a water test kit.
• Household systems like Brita can filter out most contaminants. Be sure to change the filters regularly.
• Turn your tap water into a science project! Teach kids to reclaim dirty drinking water with a fun kit.

 

Listener E-mails

What, are your fingers frozen? We need e-mail! Send your questions and compliments to hip@greenfeet.com. Check out our new blog! And remember to post articles, links and Christmas lists at our MHTH forum!Win a Greenfeet Prize Pack! "The Legend of Dori's Engagement Ring" Contest is on until 12/25/09! Just come up with a history for her 1930s-era ring; most creative tale wins! E-mail your entry to us today!

• Alisa in New York is in a lather about laundry! She recommends a cup of baking soda in the wash to soften hard municipal water. It won't harm clothing or the water supply. Win.
• Patrick in North Carolina is bloated with BPA after a chicken soup binge, and would like an alternative to canned soup. Try those aseptic packages or spend a little more for glass. He also shares a TED moment and disses Julie Andrews. Does someone need a spoonful of sugar?

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