Undersea volcanoes are home to more life than we know

<p><em>This story is part of</em> <a href="https://www.vox.com/down-to-earth"><strong>Down to Earth</strong></a><em>, a Vox reporting initiative on the science, politics, and economics of the biodiversity crisis.</em></p> <p>Bill Chadwick has seen things you wouldn’t believe. He’s observed an undersea volcano oozing carbon dioxide, which turned into an eerie, milky liquid under the intense water pressure. “That was crazy,” Chadwick tells Vox. He witnessed another eject a toxic plume that was killing and stunning fish and squid, which rained down to be eaten by crabs, worms, and shrimp.</p> <p>Chadwick, a researcher at Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center, has spent much of his career exploring the ocean’s depths as a seafloor geologist. He says nothing is quite as wondrous as an underwater volcano.</p> <p>One of Chadwick’s all-time favorite expeditions was to the Mariana Arc, a chain of mostly submerged volcanoes south of Japan. Between 2004 and 2010, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) glided around this previously unexplored realm, surveying its volcanic cathedrals — some nearly breaking the waves, some concealed a mile beneath. The eruption of an underwater Arc volcano known as NW Rota-1 — the same one emitting the plume that knocked out fish and squid — marked the first time a deep-sea volcano had been seen spewing molten rock.</p> <p>Earth is covered in volcanoes, and most of them are in our oceans. If you could merge all known underwater mountains and active underwater volcanoes, their total area would be roughly equivalent to that of <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/24861089?seq=1">Europe and Russia combined</a>. And whether those volcanoes are long dead, adorned with hydrothermal vents, or erupting hellfire, expeditions like those to the Mariana Arc show a world teeming with life. This life, though, is difficult to investigate, and not just because it takes a lot of expertise and pricey technology. “The ocean,” Chadwick says, “is the great hider.”</p> <p>One of Earth’s most underappreciated biodiverse habitats is, for now, mostly a mystery. That’s left a chasm in the collective understanding of the full extent of our largely detrimental effects on the world’s watery domains. And the threats these habitats face, from warming oceans to commercial fishing to a controversial, nascent deep-sea mining industry, are mounting.</p> <p>A disquieting race is now afoot. Conservationists are toiling away, hoping that protective measures and standards are agreed upon and in place long before any future waterborne enterprises get their own shot at the seafloor — and, in the process, potentially inflict lasting damage on unknown ecologies obscured by the depths.</p> <p>Humans have explored only a <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2017.00418/full">tiny fraction</a> of the deep sea, so we don’t know exactly how many seamounts are out there. (Some scientists use “seamount” to refer to any underwater volcano, but many associate that word with any significant topographic highs on the seafloor, the vast majority of which are <a href="https://www.whoi.edu/know-your-ocean/ocean-topics/seafloor-below/seamounts/#:~:text=Seamounts%20are%20underwater%20mountains%20that,sometimes%20break%20the%20ocean%20surface.">extinct volcanoes</a>.)</p> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708177/629464159.jpg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1626094816_500_2812" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22708177,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jBkUU62CtGNklfjFi5eaCRCH2oc=/0x0:4618x4542/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:4618x4542):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708177/629464159.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gOOzIar8tLsOsCn0ghJ5RdNK_9Y=/0x0:4618x4542/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:4618x4542):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708177/629464159.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JGGnEorUhk3uTRtRCtSEqMMNGSk=/0x0:4618x4542/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:4618x4542):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708177/629464159.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Zq6SwdDQWVU9CuCWCpMibqI5hsY=/0x0:4618x4542/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:4618x4542):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708177/629464159.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/56nJD-OzvNnGJIWhxfD3g8yWfsg=/0x0:4618x4542/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:4618x4542):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708177/629464159.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/P0ibPRFy_QgqSnydp1h1wEb3mU4=/0x0:4618x4542/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:4618x4542):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708177/629464159.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5nhCF94XCKSn2tgnUhvXVK_Igos=/0x0:4618x4542/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:4618x4542):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708177/629464159.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gQBOf9OfhqHAdq3f3ePv-gSIy8g=/0x0:4618x4542/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:4618x4542):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708177/629464159.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/R5N8aAXpwMvPplOkYk-vRG4Gjf0=/0x0:4618x4542/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:4618x4542):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708177/629464159.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="A topographic image of the seafloor showing a curved mountain range." data-upload-width="4618" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2BR-NJJyu8RDGvJLagQiekx9GYY=/0x0:4618x4542/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:4618x4542):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708177/629464159.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/qr6T-SvCqzLmmj8EXv12hxDRNpw=/0x0:4618x4542/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:4618x4542):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708177/629464159.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/poiK8DiGFPlBcI9jxKTTiAH_onE=/0x0:4618x4542/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:4618x4542):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708177/629464159.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0HaWlxao3neo4DwrqIrkqsJXQUs=/0x0:4618x4542/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:4618x4542):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708177/629464159.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/oRNFZQd-6y9Q_nJITOQyKZXgQNg=/0x0:4618x4542/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:4618x4542):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708177/629464159.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/z4YSowNDZ3C4Q75WnBgEg1idg7M=/0x0:4618x4542/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:4618x4542):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708177/629464159.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9SjEviwsgxGKAPfWnzlaaIUPBDg=/0x0:4618x4542/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:4618x4542):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708177/629464159.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/avyyQiiCvkt08WWKiOrT6aVd6XQ=/0x0:4618x4542/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:4618x4542):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708177/629464159.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/eO5yS1P43fdal02Xnu_85hrtwKA=/0x0:4618x4542/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:4618x4542):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708177/629464159.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fBRAa8raczeZYMapuJqTgGF_LJI=/0x0:4618x4542/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:4618x4542):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708177/629464159.jpg 1920w" /></picture></span></span> <figcaption><span class="e-image__meta">Satellite-derived bathymetry of the Mariana Arc region.</span></figcaption> <span class="e-image__meta"><cite>Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images</cite></span></figure> <p>Many ancient seamounts that scientists have observed host fields of corals and sponges. Brennan Phillips, who specializes in ocean engineering at the University of Rhode Island, has explored seamounts for most of his career using ROVs, and recalls visiting a seamount chain off New England that is thousands of years old and coated in coral gardens. “You really get the feeling that you’re looking at something sort of sacred, that’s so old that you shouldn’t even touch it,” he says.</p> <p>These sponges and corals provide the foundations for an underwater jungle, explains Verena Tunnicliffe, a deep-sea biologist at the University of Victoria. They trap food particles, offer shelter, and provide places for creatures to lay their eggs or nurture their young. Small fish and crustaceans hang around them, attracting larger marine animals, like sharks and whales.</p> <p>From the limited number of expeditions conducted to date, scientists have found that while seamounts are teeming with life, few appear to have species unique to them. “They’re biodiversity hot spots,” says Lissette Victorero, a marine macroecologist at the Norwegian Institute for Water Research, but not necessarily hot spots of lifeforms endemic to just those areas.</p> <p>Seamounts function as waystations: oceanic outposts where life can seek refuge, refuel, and raise offspring before moving on. Either through ancient transit routes that no longer exist or contemporary ocean currents, many of the same lifeforms — from foundational species like coral to vagabonds like shrimp and sea turtles — can be found at seamounts throughout the same ocean, or even in two different oceans.</p> <div class="c-float-left"> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708951/corals.jpeg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1626094816_7646_2813" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22708951,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SIdv3WDbDa5geoMdQiFVUlUhFPE=/0x0:1920x1080/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1920x1080):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708951/corals.jpeg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mbrgGiX6lmtAjNcccWFoFhgOuxw=/0x0:1920x1080/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1920x1080):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708951/corals.jpeg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/meIWzxEFJobK1dVOfuzDqw2JAhU=/0x0:1920x1080/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1920x1080):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708951/corals.jpeg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/EKQ3bSe4Da3npOc67_aADhch8Ys=/0x0:1920x1080/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1920x1080):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708951/corals.jpeg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xIDhBbM1IOu_IGKWnO-oFBbA87k=/0x0:1920x1080/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1920x1080):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708951/corals.jpeg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Mlaya250mJITVsDxWYFhYupBP78=/0x0:1920x1080/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1920x1080):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708951/corals.jpeg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mlkOhFwcCSNKq8gpLXlMXKJvcg8=/0x0:1920x1080/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1920x1080):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708951/corals.jpeg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hOeaTh_HAEF0CsAmJmIv4Qqz0tI=/0x0:1920x1080/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1920x1080):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708951/corals.jpeg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/kF6e_aOx6KuSyNv84Y2T6DzN8NM=/0x0:1920x1080/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1920x1080):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708951/corals.jpeg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="" data-upload-width="1920" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/T_7ffbvdPGtG3hM2tCAZMV_wnbY=/0x0:1920x1080/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1920x1080):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708951/corals.jpeg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Y0Ekd2-7U8D2BDaAIwWdRSXQWSI=/0x0:1920x1080/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1920x1080):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708951/corals.jpeg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YxrvYyHGI5Uak3hRpglT4hxDKS8=/0x0:1920x1080/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1920x1080):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708951/corals.jpeg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VoHfeeb--cgcbrpReJYGGHoCU10=/0x0:1920x1080/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1920x1080):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708951/corals.jpeg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QXb_vzaTfg91KKTZUeDju2G3GdI=/0x0:1920x1080/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1920x1080):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708951/corals.jpeg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zMOyaSjiBcbJP6yyp5DR5Vs4T-s=/0x0:1920x1080/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1920x1080):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708951/corals.jpeg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fzIuP_3vN3BE0cSamqjLd089p9s=/0x0:1920x1080/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1920x1080):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708951/corals.jpeg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/St94ZoSGfs1_uoRDhr4jH46RHXQ=/0x0:1920x1080/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1920x1080):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708951/corals.jpeg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/qjV7PtdwwJI_Igr3gPx_mwByQt8=/0x0:1920x1080/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1920x1080):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708951/corals.jpeg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/O8pQqpGFZ8N5mrhsvOdE1CH1mgY=/0x0:1920x1080/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1920x1080):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708951/corals.jpeg 1920w" /></picture></span></span> <figcaption><span class="e-image__meta">Researchers observed this garden of coral at a depth of 2,465 meters on the Sibelius Seamount.</span></figcaption> <span class="e-image__meta"><cite>NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research</cite></span></figure> </div> <div class="c-float-right"> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708845/FK161129_Two_TowersHoffman20161212.png"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1626094816_9761_2814" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22708845,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nWav60Ko0IC4ibg0jCXrJJmZXYQ=/0x0:2828x1598/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:2828x1598):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708845/FK161129_Two_TowersHoffman20161212.png 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/AqjoCsI646nUSJ9Sd3-NeLrDD0E=/0x0:2828x1598/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:2828x1598):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708845/FK161129_Two_TowersHoffman20161212.png 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8zF5Df0bw7hzbPWuXDTTShdaBmA=/0x0:2828x1598/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:2828x1598):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708845/FK161129_Two_TowersHoffman20161212.png 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LNFUK9yqqzsrwsBbi4APhYXj-zM=/0x0:2828x1598/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:2828x1598):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708845/FK161129_Two_TowersHoffman20161212.png 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XkuHbJk0Qvdl9PyOpCzqf46nus8=/0x0:2828x1598/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:2828x1598):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708845/FK161129_Two_TowersHoffman20161212.png 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TXY6AQEF9VYydqMt01EQVBAybGk=/0x0:2828x1598/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:2828x1598):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708845/FK161129_Two_TowersHoffman20161212.png 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Ye5ZqsjZe5gNOfoQLQ00Rn-xWBw=/0x0:2828x1598/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:2828x1598):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708845/FK161129_Two_TowersHoffman20161212.png 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/NW2kaWJfk_fOI5Iy74Fvg96Y464=/0x0:2828x1598/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:2828x1598):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708845/FK161129_Two_TowersHoffman20161212.png 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/02ib4lCUBzOKp6NzjSOmWQDT8tk=/0x0:2828x1598/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:2828x1598):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708845/FK161129_Two_TowersHoffman20161212.png 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="" data-upload-width="2828" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/GOcTld0XgzGJSlxUhhlSxrYHNSA=/0x0:2828x1598/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:2828x1598):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708845/FK161129_Two_TowersHoffman20161212.png" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jo6UF_xV6FRg0KjS_kopytQIWZ4=/0x0:2828x1598/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:2828x1598):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708845/FK161129_Two_TowersHoffman20161212.png 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3l-r1CcUo_xwOQv0EJ_PfVqQL6U=/0x0:2828x1598/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:2828x1598):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708845/FK161129_Two_TowersHoffman20161212.png 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hQoENN5uIerdirO5lazXcN5_L_o=/0x0:2828x1598/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:2828x1598):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708845/FK161129_Two_TowersHoffman20161212.png 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CAc3VgmJ1RHqLFbuDkP30plrbGw=/0x0:2828x1598/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:2828x1598):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708845/FK161129_Two_TowersHoffman20161212.png 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WUUFRwYnlCHoFkyeZZ4frEgDgtE=/0x0:2828x1598/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:2828x1598):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708845/FK161129_Two_TowersHoffman20161212.png 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/yiLWHfEExoB1Ke69TsSLP-1JiqY=/0x0:2828x1598/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:2828x1598):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708845/FK161129_Two_TowersHoffman20161212.png 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/bcYblUHGHx-3Yuf8-AiE_Wmm1L0=/0x0:2828x1598/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:2828x1598):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708845/FK161129_Two_TowersHoffman20161212.png 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0Xzew8zWJmSgDngjRNWlDXTfFBw=/0x0:2828x1598/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:2828x1598):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708845/FK161129_Two_TowersHoffman20161212.png 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/kMJ3iKZQsQQ74i0H_7VkB4b8y6k=/0x0:2828x1598/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:2828x1598):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708845/FK161129_Two_TowersHoffman20161212.png 1920w" /></picture></span></span> <figcaption><span class="e-image__meta">The Two Towers chimney in the Mariana Arc, 2006.</span></figcaption> <span class="e-image__meta"><cite>Schmidt Ocean Institute</cite></span></figure> </div> <hr class="p-entry-hr" /> <p>If seamounts — mountains bereft of volcanic violence or chaotic chemistry — are oases of life, active undersea volcanic environments are far more hostile.</p> <p>Their geologic architecture is more alien and ephemeral, says Phillips. The Aegean Sea’s Kolumbo submarine volcano, for example, features a giant cauldron filled with deoxygenated, corrosive water — surrounded by steep walls of crumbling rock. “It’s like Mordor; it just looks wild,” he says.</p> <p>At the Lost City Hydrothermal Field in the Atlantic are spiraling columns of rock and pillars of frozen lava. Seeping hydrothermal fluids have created shimmering, reflective, teal-tinted pools <a href="http://www.lostcity.washington.edu/files/kelley.2007.pdf">suspended in the sea</a>.</p> <p>But even here, life finds a way. Microbes resistant to high temperatures and extreme pH levels form the basis of food chains. They gobble up hydrogen, iron, sulfur, carbon dioxide, methane, and other compounds that escape from chimney-like hydrothermal vents or fissure-like seeps, converting them into energy.</p> <p>Most animals cannot handle the conditions of active volcanic or hydrothermal systems, including many sponges and coral. But some hardy crustaceans and fish survive. These places are less biodiverse than seamounts overall, says Victorero, but are home to creatures that are more specialized — and just plain weird.</p> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708615/seep_octopus.jpeg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1626094816_5714_2815" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22708615,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WCXoG5Ejf2jC0ji_KDTreN7NRas=/0x0:3840x2160/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:3840x2160):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708615/seep_octopus.jpeg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/eu-9Y66snKCmj2-B0YLneOUiUA0=/0x0:3840x2160/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:3840x2160):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708615/seep_octopus.jpeg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zxgffD-fAlhcwIuyuC9F3p7B1go=/0x0:3840x2160/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:3840x2160):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708615/seep_octopus.jpeg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RZV2mbISOjpZ15wYD22SfOVeX1U=/0x0:3840x2160/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:3840x2160):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708615/seep_octopus.jpeg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YtRHodf__h5n1eCpbEWyqQ_v1iU=/0x0:3840x2160/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:3840x2160):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708615/seep_octopus.jpeg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ueVyW4ylMcl-qKS277bxZa_90lQ=/0x0:3840x2160/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:3840x2160):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708615/seep_octopus.jpeg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xcaxQkmqTY6TYrvpzyWHsd0G7oU=/0x0:3840x2160/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:3840x2160):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708615/seep_octopus.jpeg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Lj2M5BjKFtxIKRKsfnu9CKpl2QI=/0x0:3840x2160/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:3840x2160):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708615/seep_octopus.jpeg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pJD5GXy36iKkGliJ5eoaYU7STOo=/0x0:3840x2160/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:3840x2160):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708615/seep_octopus.jpeg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="" data-upload-width="3840" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PJvrjyPe7u55X_pg-cjChF3rPAg=/0x0:3840x2160/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:3840x2160):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708615/seep_octopus.jpeg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/kUBQII_3jVvJI_p0ElvLnrV5xWY=/0x0:3840x2160/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:3840x2160):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708615/seep_octopus.jpeg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/EqXECIkpTFdxP09VXTWAKVWT8lk=/0x0:3840x2160/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:3840x2160):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708615/seep_octopus.jpeg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XBkS43BtGqSyzDsO42t1lcfolww=/0x0:3840x2160/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:3840x2160):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708615/seep_octopus.jpeg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UeCc3acRXZ3xTjyZu6nxGj34_oU=/0x0:3840x2160/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:3840x2160):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708615/seep_octopus.jpeg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/cGhrNomrbQ7OHmjBJfYZ8lEJJUs=/0x0:3840x2160/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:3840x2160):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708615/seep_octopus.jpeg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ylAhqRxcTTHYZxAwKmb1jIk7e9o=/0x0:3840x2160/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:3840x2160):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708615/seep_octopus.jpeg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8iY7-MNLaq7_Y3I-fkwn01FoQ_8=/0x0:3840x2160/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:3840x2160):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708615/seep_octopus.jpeg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gNTDAcl30ezEWJPqc4z7FZlGfwM=/0x0:3840x2160/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:3840x2160):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708615/seep_octopus.jpeg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9eaZMW-D7tLBMF9OidPQ5Fiwcrk=/0x0:3840x2160/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:3840x2160):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708615/seep_octopus.jpeg 1920w" /></picture></span></span> <figcaption><span class="e-image__meta">An octopus seen at Blake Ridge Seep, 2019.</span></figcaption> <span class="e-image__meta"><cite><a class="ql-link" href="https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/image-gallery/welcome.html#cbpi=/explorations/19deepsearch/logs/apr29/media/img3.html" target="_blank">Ivan Hurzeler and DEEP SEARCH 2019 via NOAA</a></cite></span></figure> <p>Despite forming one of Earth’s most expansive habitats, more than 96 percent of seamounts have not been studied, says Victorero.</p> <p>Using satellite-based radar surveys, which can <a href="https://tos.org/oceanography/article/the-global-seamount-census">detect mile-high bumps</a> on the seafloor, scientists have determined “there’s something on the order of 30,000 seamounts around the world,” according to Phillips. The total could be <a href="https://tos.org/oceanography/article/the-global-seamount-census">closer to 100,000</a>.</p> <p>Crewed submersibles have paid a visit to some of these way-down habitats, but surveying them in detail is usually done from a ship — though manually piloted robots and <a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/nasa-submarines-searching">autonomous underwater vehicles</a> have given scientists valuable close-up views.</p> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708148/FK161129SuBastian_Preparing_for_a_chimney_sample.png"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1626094816_7790_2816" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22708148,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/k33WgjUHOUCrUetLbiZTpK5Ujac=/0x0:2816x1580/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:2816x1580):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708148/FK161129SuBastian_Preparing_for_a_chimney_sample.png 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5z5MoZ0xA9_kIXb7UfyyfEU1gt4=/0x0:2816x1580/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:2816x1580):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708148/FK161129SuBastian_Preparing_for_a_chimney_sample.png 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nb_3iewM5h6_sgaZV3VOAml12S8=/0x0:2816x1580/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:2816x1580):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708148/FK161129SuBastian_Preparing_for_a_chimney_sample.png 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3a8dUe3OuGQk6UDxmPbmO3U3PmI=/0x0:2816x1580/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:2816x1580):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708148/FK161129SuBastian_Preparing_for_a_chimney_sample.png 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/by-qz1LZ2d9spBP23toG6pU1GEE=/0x0:2816x1580/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:2816x1580):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708148/FK161129SuBastian_Preparing_for_a_chimney_sample.png 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vmZROP_GpyyWLHFt6MWM0AXuwtc=/0x0:2816x1580/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:2816x1580):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708148/FK161129SuBastian_Preparing_for_a_chimney_sample.png 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/np_N15yFLmRsq4o3AJKjK8eYMqw=/0x0:2816x1580/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:2816x1580):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708148/FK161129SuBastian_Preparing_for_a_chimney_sample.png 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/IRkugjQrgao96JIrVMYSN5KojfQ=/0x0:2816x1580/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:2816x1580):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708148/FK161129SuBastian_Preparing_for_a_chimney_sample.png 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wh22652cjGgHuWRW63g1LFKazRo=/0x0:2816x1580/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:2816x1580):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708148/FK161129SuBastian_Preparing_for_a_chimney_sample.png 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="" data-upload-width="2816" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VtyqhoZQVbJZGCjXDv5lRjBNAo4=/0x0:2816x1580/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:2816x1580):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708148/FK161129SuBastian_Preparing_for_a_chimney_sample.png" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hguFWHAIKoucDiQgL_Wmh88-c0I=/0x0:2816x1580/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:2816x1580):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708148/FK161129SuBastian_Preparing_for_a_chimney_sample.png 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Lwr4MvuhXx8IPoCUxGREaW9TFec=/0x0:2816x1580/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:2816x1580):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708148/FK161129SuBastian_Preparing_for_a_chimney_sample.png 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/i2JFFMCfnBqs5qDufZb9hUjVMz8=/0x0:2816x1580/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:2816x1580):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708148/FK161129SuBastian_Preparing_for_a_chimney_sample.png 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZAgzWhfSVWs0RUubwyknR_b1yDQ=/0x0:2816x1580/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:2816x1580):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708148/FK161129SuBastian_Preparing_for_a_chimney_sample.png 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hLWe-K_8xkim417AT92xCMAVhek=/0x0:2816x1580/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:2816x1580):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708148/FK161129SuBastian_Preparing_for_a_chimney_sample.png 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/R2M1dL0TTABpcPpDu0hEnUIpyq8=/0x0:2816x1580/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:2816x1580):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708148/FK161129SuBastian_Preparing_for_a_chimney_sample.png 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SiXTx8hcqYsOziWwNNhQpLk_gok=/0x0:2816x1580/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:2816x1580):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708148/FK161129SuBastian_Preparing_for_a_chimney_sample.png 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/qqBdhr0mw5ffdi2nCwOB_m3MwpY=/0x0:2816x1580/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:2816x1580):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708148/FK161129SuBastian_Preparing_for_a_chimney_sample.png 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/AJQnEqEtlpGyo9bLoAb3f8tpCV4=/0x0:2816x1580/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:2816x1580):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708148/FK161129SuBastian_Preparing_for_a_chimney_sample.png 1920w" /></picture></span></span> <figcaption><span class="e-image__meta">A remotely piloted vehicle, SuBastion, prepares for a chimney sample in the Mariana Arc.</span></figcaption> <span class="e-image__meta"><cite>Schmidt Ocean Institute</cite></span></figure> <p>Seamounts and active volcanic and hydrothermal systems are incredibly difficult, time-consuming, and expensive to reach. With the training and cutting-edge technology needed to run one of these expeditions, visiting an underwater volcano “is almost like visiting another planet,” says Chadwick.</p> <p>Remotely operated underwater vehicles, though revolutionary to ocean science, have limited fields of view. Like a climber only ever seeing the part of the mountain right in front of them at any given time, these robots are likewise restricted to seeing or sensing only what is in their immediate vicinity. “You’re using a microscope to explore a gymnasium,” says Phillips. “There’s a lot that you’re going to miss.” Most major zoological discoveries happen serendipitously, like the chance sighting by an ROV of a sprawling <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=66960X1516588&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nationalgeographic.com%2Fanimals%2Farticle%2Fdeep-sea-octopus-nursery-discovered-animals-news&referrer=vox.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vox.com%2F22557690%2Funderwater-volcanoes-seamounts-biodiversity-life-deep-sea-mining" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank" has-subtag="true" data-cdata='{"rewritten_url":"https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516588\u0026xs=1\u0026url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/deep-sea-octopus-nursery-discovered-animals-news\u0026referrer=vox.com\u0026sref=https://www.vox.com/22557690/underwater-volcanoes-seamounts-biodiversity-life-deep-sea-mining\u0026xcust=___vx__p_22321731__m_m-placeholder__s_s-placeholder__t_w__c_c-placeholder__r_r-placeholder__d_d-placeholder","subtag_max_length":50,"subtag_delim_length":3,"subtag_key":"xcust","subtag_data":{"id":"66960X1516588","xs":"1","url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/deep-sea-octopus-nursery-discovered-animals-news","referrer":"vox.com","sref":"https://www.vox.com/22557690/underwater-volcanoes-seamounts-biodiversity-life-deep-sea-mining","xcust":"___vx__p_22321731__m_m-placeholder__s_s-placeholder__t_w__c_c-placeholder__r_r-placeholder__d_d-placeholder"},"encode_subtag":false}'>octopus nursery</a> off the California coast in 2018.</p> <p>Underwater volcanoes are “absolutely everywhere,” says Julie Huber, a marine microbiologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. “And we’ve barely looked at any of them.”</p> <p>Researchers like Huber want to know how these enigmatic ecosystems work — and so do astrobiologists. Space is a hostile place, yet our solar system contains moons with <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/specials/ocean-worlds/">surprisingly warm subsurface oceans</a>. “We want to find weird life in the universe,” says Chadwick, but “there’s a lot of weird life we don’t know about on our own planet.” The more we learn about deep-sea life here, the better prepared we’ll be when searching for off-world aquatic organisms.</p> <div class="c-float-right"> <aside><q>“There’s a lot of weird life we don’t know about on our own planet” —Bill Chadwick</q></aside> </div> <p>What we do know about undersea volcanoes in our own oceans is that they already <a href="https://www.nespmarine.edu.au/seamount-resources-balancing-exploitation-and-conservation">provide plenty of food</a> for people — one of the many reasons there is widespread concern about overfishing these areas. Their microbes, too, support scientific ventures on dry land: Pyrococcus, a type of deep-sea vent microbe, has an enzyme that can be used to copy DNA with remarkable accuracy, a process used to <a href="https://discoverysedge.mayo.edu/2020/03/27/the-science-behind-the-test-for-the-covid-19-virus/">detect elusive viruses</a> and amplify cryptic DNA at <a href="https://genome.cshlp.org/content/1/2/107.full.pdf">archaeological sites</a> and <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24534110">crime scenes</a>.</p> <p>Many of these habitats also have <a href="https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/bioindicators-using-organisms-to-measure-environmental-impacts-16821310/">indicator species</a>, such as corals, which can provide valuable information about the health of the seas.</p> <p>Warmer, more acidic, less oxygenated seas — our future thanks to climate change — are <a href="https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/9/25/20881595/ipcc-report-ocean-cryosphere-2019">anathema to most life</a>. Seamounts <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1439-0485.2010.00400.x">could actually provide</a> <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989416300440">a refuge</a> for a diaspora of marine life as the climate crisis intensifies, says Victorero. Should shallower waters become too toasty for certain critters, some researchers suspect that these animals may be able to hang about in communities that remain relatively unharmed — for the time being — on the lower, deeper slopes of underwater volcanoes.</p> <p>Meanwhile, a commercial fishing technique known as <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-57202758">bottom trawling</a>, which <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2018.00098/full">dates back to the 14th century</a>, continues to tear up parts of the deep today. Giant, weighted nets bulldoze across the seafloor, including seamounts, catching large quantities of fish and shellfish. A wealth of research has shown that bottom trawling not only <a href="http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1405454111">annihilates</a> <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0924796315002328">huge</a> <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/faf.12431">swaths</a> of biodiverse habitats — unleashing <a href="https://www.vox.com/22335364/climate-change-ocean-fishing-trawling-shrimp-carbon-footprint">massive amounts of carbon</a> in the process — but that those habitats can <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/114/31/8301">take decades to recover</a>, if they recover at all.</p> <p>The US, or any other coastal nation, can essentially fish however it wishes within its national waters, an area up to 200 nautical miles from its shores. But what happens in international waters is another story, explains Matthew Gianni, cofounder of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition.</p> <p>At the turn of the millennium, deep-sea fishing on the high seas was regulated by a series of regional treaties that provided only minimal regulations in much of the world’s open waters. Some stretches — the North Pacific, South Pacific, and Southern Indian Ocean — were completely unregulated, says Gianni. Fortunately, he notes, through sustained scientific research and intensive conservationist efforts, <a href="http://www.savethehighseas.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Protecting-Global-Ocean-Seamounts-final-web.pdf">roughly three-quarters</a> of international waters are formally off-limits or provisionally closed to bottom trawling today.</p> <p>Countries largely adhere to these regulations, making this not only a <a href="https://brill.com/view/book/edcoll/9789004391567/BP000026.xml">success story</a> — albeit one still in progress — but potentially a model that other efforts focused on seafloor conservation can emulate. As conservationists work to expand protections for biodiversity hot spots, including seamounts, however, they’re wary of another potential problem: deep-sea mining.</p> <p>The seafloor is packed with <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/09/mountains-hidden-deep-sea-are-biological-hot-spots-will-mining-ruin-them">valuable</a> <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/01/20000-feet-under-the-sea/603040/">metals</a>: cobalt, copper, gold, zinc, manganese, and nickel, all currently used in an array of electronics. These materials are found in potato-sized, rocky-metallic nodules on the ocean floor, in hydrothermal vents, and within the crusts of seamounts. And companies want to get them.</p> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708430/Konkrecje_na_dnie_oceanu.jpeg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1626094816_8342_2817" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22708430,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_sGrtQA6eLuJSCaAr_zXFuwohzk=/0x0:1024x768/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1024x768):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708430/Konkrecje_na_dnie_oceanu.jpeg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BrAJgPQOms4e2JOA8PlKi7d5ZwU=/0x0:1024x768/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1024x768):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708430/Konkrecje_na_dnie_oceanu.jpeg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/icqDmS5pkC-UEzG_2nedA2fvaJ8=/0x0:1024x768/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1024x768):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708430/Konkrecje_na_dnie_oceanu.jpeg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0lJwTogOxa0yclXfWIoXOlrugnc=/0x0:1024x768/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1024x768):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708430/Konkrecje_na_dnie_oceanu.jpeg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZepuVmu4w8hH_BRfMf3Nhahucrk=/0x0:1024x768/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1024x768):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708430/Konkrecje_na_dnie_oceanu.jpeg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UhqB3X26otS7GiVc_E1EeZNnLI0=/0x0:1024x768/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1024x768):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708430/Konkrecje_na_dnie_oceanu.jpeg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Z0J6xrO6cWT5DlPMda_YMKtp9Xg=/0x0:1024x768/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1024x768):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708430/Konkrecje_na_dnie_oceanu.jpeg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3YOGcxqvWVBD9WUgpMHgbABpVqI=/0x0:1024x768/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1024x768):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708430/Konkrecje_na_dnie_oceanu.jpeg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/38-xBqqyAgKxQOHuTlhN2KSiwlk=/0x0:1024x768/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1024x768):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708430/Konkrecje_na_dnie_oceanu.jpeg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="" data-upload-width="1024" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tko0C_E10vMeGx8xOro8U-aqaF4=/0x0:1024x768/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1024x768):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708430/Konkrecje_na_dnie_oceanu.jpeg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gKzBhmn1JzNl1VKV-ZDAShMmUZ8=/0x0:1024x768/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1024x768):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708430/Konkrecje_na_dnie_oceanu.jpeg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/oiEH9VVyUctZQGYGuvyq7zfte4o=/0x0:1024x768/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1024x768):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708430/Konkrecje_na_dnie_oceanu.jpeg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ceQBgPCwr7XfXihd52iiYsl7rqg=/0x0:1024x768/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1024x768):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708430/Konkrecje_na_dnie_oceanu.jpeg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KxTGm2WjhuKD7zWyxTdehZA7PGk=/0x0:1024x768/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1024x768):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708430/Konkrecje_na_dnie_oceanu.jpeg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/O2HDddPTOvT18fjElmhgFmkO2rQ=/0x0:1024x768/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1024x768):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708430/Konkrecje_na_dnie_oceanu.jpeg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/P4Sc_NDv4DsFwLHPZ4eH3qHJS9M=/0x0:1024x768/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1024x768):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708430/Konkrecje_na_dnie_oceanu.jpeg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mAB7zz6FeyD3TwZfJZ3i8F_G3uM=/0x0:1024x768/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1024x768):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708430/Konkrecje_na_dnie_oceanu.jpeg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/K4pnBvmyDRboqbGnNG8SdlUp7RE=/0x0:1024x768/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1024x768):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708430/Konkrecje_na_dnie_oceanu.jpeg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zXkHU5MlHlSydu2oEjI23z0IrXw=/0x0:1024x768/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1024x768):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22708430/Konkrecje_na_dnie_oceanu.jpeg 1920w" /></picture></span></span> <figcaption><span class="e-image__meta">Manganese nodules on the seabed.</span></figcaption> <span class="e-image__meta"><cite><a class="ql-link" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manganese_nodule#/media/File:Konkrecje_na_dnie_oceanu.JPG" target="_blank">Abramax / Wikimedia Commons</a></cite></span></figure> <p>Deep-sea mining doesn’t yet exist in practice. The technology required to extract metals from these environments (such as chipping or strip-mining valuable chunks off the seafloor and sucking them up to a floating rig) is still in prototype phase and somewhat <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-56921773">prone to fail</a>.</p> <p>For now, we simply don’t know the potential scale of deep-sea mining’s effects, from the removal of parts of the seafloor itself to the release of toxic metals into the water column. And because of the dearth of data about deep-sea ecosystems more generally, a growing number of ecologists and environmentalists are understandably <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2018.00053/full">nervous</a>.</p> <p>Although active hydrothermal vents generally recover quickly from being damaged, many inactive seamounts don’t, says Victorero, as evidenced by bottom trawling. That style of fishing removes living things, whereas strip-mining seamounts’ crusts would remove their rocky underplating, potentially causing even more destruction. And destroying these common waypoints for creatures may disrupt the flow of life through the ocean, says Tunnicliffe, the deep-sea biologist.</p> <p>Many ecologists and environmentalists <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/20/cook-islands-manager-of-worlds-biggest-marine-park-says-she-lost-job-for-backing-sea-mining-moratorium">advise caution</a>, urging that mining <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/environmentalists-call-norway-stop-plans-deep-sea-mining-2021-04-12/">not proceed</a> until we learn more. (Sir David Attenborough, perhaps the world’s best-known naturalist, is among the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/mar/12/david-attenborough-calls-for-ban-on-devastating-deep-sea-mining">critics warning about deep-sea mining’s impact</a> on both biodiversity and the climate.)</p> <p>Last month, a group of more than 300 scientists and policy experts representing 44 countries <a href="https://www.seabedminingsciencestatement.org/">called for a pause</a> to prevent deep-sea mining work from moving from exploration to exploitation. The European Parliament called for a <a href="https://deeply.thenewhumanitarian.org/oceans/articles/2018/02/01/european-parliament-calls-for-a-moratorium-on-deep-sea-mining">moratorium</a> on deep-sea mining in 2018 until the risks are better understood, and earlier this year, BMW, Volvo, Samsung, and Google called <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/google-bmw-volvo-samsung-sdi-sign-up-wwf-call-temporary-ban-deep-sea-mining-2021-03-31/">for a similar pause</a>.</p> <p>Ultimately, deep-sea mining hasn’t gotten off the ground because it’s not yet economically viable. “They’re not going to do if it they don’t make money,” says Cornel de Ronde, a geologist at GNS Science in New Zealand. But it may one day prove profitable, de Ronde adds.</p> <p>As with international fishing regulations, nations can more or less mine within their national waters with impunity. But most of the world’s seamounts, active volcanoes, hydrothermal vents, and oceanic plains are in international waters, which could, theoretically, be regulated through <a href="https://www.un.org/bbnj/">new international treaties</a>. That’s an opportunity — if reasonable regulations can be agreed to and followed.</p> <p>No company can “just go out to the high seas and say, ‘I wanna mine the seamount,’” says Kristina Gjerde, a high-seas policy adviser with the International Union for Conservation of Nature. “You actually have to get permission.”</p> <p>In this case, permission would come from the International Seabed Authority, or ISA, a group of <a href="https://www.isa.org.jm/about-isa">168 members</a> — 167 countries plus the European Union — that arbitrates where in the high seas deep-sea mining can take place. (Largely because of <a href="https://www.voanews.com/usa/why-hasnt-us-signed-law-sea-treaty">conservative</a> <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2017/05/u-s-ratification-of-the-law-of-the-sea-convention/">opposition</a> to international treaties and organizations, the US is <a href="https://www.isa.org.jm/member-states">not part of the ISA</a>.)</p> <p>This autonomous body operates under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and has to date given out <a href="https://isa.org.jm/exploration-contracts">31 exploration contracts</a> to 22 contractors for deep-sea mining. These contracts permit survey work: testing mining equipment on a small scale, assessing the mineral content and grade of sites, and collecting environmental information in the claim area. The ISA has not yet awarded any contracts to conduct full-on mining operations in international waters, but there’s concern among conservationists and ecologists that the ISA could do so without proper regulatory oversight.</p> <p>Mining entities that wish to explore or extract polymetallic nodules need to submit environmental impact reports, explaining how their work will or won’t damage, say, the seamounts they want to target. But the ISA lacks an internal scientific committee that can verify the accuracy of those reports, according to Gianni. Like much of the ISA’s data and decision-making processes, these reports are not made available for independent, external review by scientists.</p> <p>“It’s not going to be a well-regulated industry if it’s not open,” says Victorero, the marine macroecologist. The ISA did not return a request for comment.</p> <p>Industry proponents say that mining cannot be seen exclusively as an ecological threat. For example, several metals found in the seafloor can be used in low-carbon technologies, such as electric car batteries, wind turbines, and solar panels.</p> <p>Campaigners and scientists have been formally negotiating with the ISA since 2017 to develop regulations and protocols for any future exploitation contracts. The ISA now has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/30/deep-sea-mining-could-start-in-two-years-after-pacific-nation-of-nauru-gives-un-ultimatum">two years to finalize deep-sea mining regulations</a>, after the island nation of Nauru (which has partnered with the Canadian metals company DeepGreen) recently gave the UN an ultimatum: They <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/30/deep-sea-mining-could-start-in-two-years-after-pacific-nation-of-nauru-gives-un-ultimatum">officially declared</a> their intentions to conduct deep-sea mining operations. As is a state’s legal right, Nauru is permitted to commence deep-sea mining in 2023 under whatever regulations — rigorous or otherwise — are in place by then.</p> <p>Ideally, says de Ronde, there would be compromise. For example, perhaps only seamounts with unique biological species or that seem to be more vital waystations for meandering life would be off-limits for mining.</p> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22709041/FK161129_Control_Room_Crew2_12_12_2016.jpg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1626094816_1061_2818" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22709041,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TJnHkQJirWV48TTLOozVaLiG_yc=/0x0:5760x3840/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:5760x3840):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22709041/FK161129_Control_Room_Crew2_12_12_2016.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YoBA0URVa5Vq8haoRnKOMg-_bUA=/0x0:5760x3840/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:5760x3840):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22709041/FK161129_Control_Room_Crew2_12_12_2016.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/W9bA32CQRJ7UiwJUrPn5iXSODS0=/0x0:5760x3840/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:5760x3840):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22709041/FK161129_Control_Room_Crew2_12_12_2016.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7si8bnw7CITspCWF6eqP2BCCCOY=/0x0:5760x3840/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:5760x3840):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22709041/FK161129_Control_Room_Crew2_12_12_2016.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gc35WYk3UXzeVovYjqVqk36-26Y=/0x0:5760x3840/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:5760x3840):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22709041/FK161129_Control_Room_Crew2_12_12_2016.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1vEaWy1lqGGg4TDBvQwblSj31co=/0x0:5760x3840/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:5760x3840):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22709041/FK161129_Control_Room_Crew2_12_12_2016.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/w_c60WvSCs3on4zkRnedYN1cVQ0=/0x0:5760x3840/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:5760x3840):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22709041/FK161129_Control_Room_Crew2_12_12_2016.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QegSefKmj7PAdaIe8okQRorvuQU=/0x0:5760x3840/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:5760x3840):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22709041/FK161129_Control_Room_Crew2_12_12_2016.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_C6bzeomkCZ0R7I9IYMPqMaeEnA=/0x0:5760x3840/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:5760x3840):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22709041/FK161129_Control_Room_Crew2_12_12_2016.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="" data-upload-width="5760" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6Xtv9OKkgoU0ggAvaLTSsLUze8Q=/0x0:5760x3840/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:5760x3840):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22709041/FK161129_Control_Room_Crew2_12_12_2016.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/y6DyX9OY9M4GhAkdB4pJtY1eX78=/0x0:5760x3840/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:5760x3840):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22709041/FK161129_Control_Room_Crew2_12_12_2016.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5wIfcomBuVWkfuX13iF_V9nXJbk=/0x0:5760x3840/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:5760x3840):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22709041/FK161129_Control_Room_Crew2_12_12_2016.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UqL0ECDvSFY4rGUh9BH36K4NdDU=/0x0:5760x3840/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:5760x3840):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22709041/FK161129_Control_Room_Crew2_12_12_2016.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/NaCXZf6jqPLJN4TvKg2Sh6gkfM4=/0x0:5760x3840/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:5760x3840):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22709041/FK161129_Control_Room_Crew2_12_12_2016.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xyRoj4U5dl6cyePPcuGDuhegs2g=/0x0:5760x3840/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:5760x3840):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22709041/FK161129_Control_Room_Crew2_12_12_2016.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tbu0QpZIDAsbsLozuWptVrtxCFE=/0x0:5760x3840/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:5760x3840):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22709041/FK161129_Control_Room_Crew2_12_12_2016.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/n1z2a73cQ03kui2YEwAwp8pf1p4=/0x0:5760x3840/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:5760x3840):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22709041/FK161129_Control_Room_Crew2_12_12_2016.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5ZKAuwyti29zzFbbJjuz1FA4MRA=/0x0:5760x3840/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:5760x3840):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22709041/FK161129_Control_Room_Crew2_12_12_2016.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mHWX_GuDT7NURkQ31ER7jC9b5HE=/0x0:5760x3840/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:5760x3840):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22709041/FK161129_Control_Room_Crew2_12_12_2016.jpg 1920w" /></picture></span></span> <figcaption><span class="e-image__meta">The Mariana Arc exploration crew in their control room.</span></figcaption> <span class="e-image__meta"><cite>Schmidt Ocean Institute</cite></span></figure> <p>To really know which seamounts deserve unequivocal protection, they need to be comprehensively studied. But we don’t need to know absolutely everything, says Tunnicliffe; just enough to properly model things.</p> <p>Scientific research gets a <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/arecibos-collapse-sends-dire-warning-to-other-aging-observatories/">financial pittance from most governments</a>, however. Politicians have been reticent to boost deep-sea expeditions in the name of discovery alone. If the deep-sea mining industry was serious about protecting the sea, it would be investing a lot more in funding ecological and environmental research, says Victorero.</p> <p>One strategy that may prove fruitful, says Tunnicliffe, is improving efforts to showcase the wonders of the deep to the general public. The US government’s <a href="https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/about.html">Okeanos Explorer</a>, for example, is a popular vessel probing the depths and sharing what it finds.</p> <p>If such discoveries are shared more broadly, it may change how we see the castles of the deep, from the Mariana Arc to the <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/can-scientists-map-entire-seafloor-2030-180978004/">Sur Ridge seamount</a> off the California coast and beyond, encouraging those in power to fund more expeditions — and protect them from future threats.</p> <p>“Once you shine a light on any of these ecosystems,” says Tunnicliffe, “you’re just going: ‘Oh my God, it’s just so beautiful!’ It hits part of you that is your soul.”</p> <br /> <br /> source <a href="https://www.vox.com/22557690/underwater-volcanoes-seamounts-biodiversity-life-deep-sea-mining">https://www.vox.com/22557690/underwater-volcanoes-seamounts-biodiversity-life-deep-sea-mining</a>

vox Undersea volcanoes are home to more life than we know

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The spiritual bankruptcy of bottled water

<figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696074/1_Water1.jpg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1626094817_5124_79686" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22696074,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nCAwUJ3EzTZlOhhYhhoPjvyjF0s=/0x0:1500x1320/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1320):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696074/1_Water1.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/IkAJEmrNdg0E4uHZj8UBg0jqOE4=/0x0:1500x1320/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1320):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696074/1_Water1.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/iFIxC8k0ACOCbcTwoGAnNRvjp-E=/0x0:1500x1320/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1320):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696074/1_Water1.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/f7OFk-foas9gI4yUTjdXvHBIAmc=/0x0:1500x1320/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1320):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696074/1_Water1.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WFtJWRkfA6Ki-aCh4Ho-p6TdH_8=/0x0:1500x1320/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1320):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696074/1_Water1.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_jSNbWnYVq1zjGYW2kEpJrwtcTI=/0x0:1500x1320/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1320):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696074/1_Water1.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lnLCE54f2k_fT0X8M-YvpcUxZKc=/0x0:1500x1320/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1320):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696074/1_Water1.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wEOGRUFQXJwsEh4n73xOlR5Od4o=/0x0:1500x1320/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1320):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696074/1_Water1.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VwL-fIcA_63Mo1wvNv-3cA3epAg=/0x0:1500x1320/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1320):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696074/1_Water1.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="Text: “If you grew up in the US, you might recognize these bottles. The labels conjure the sublime beauty and abundance of America’s outdoors.” Drawing of bottled water with a bubble on one that reads: “Ice Mountain, the brand extracted from springs in Michigan, was ‘inspired by the glaciers that once covered the northern US’”" data-upload-width="1500" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/liu0VTgVrlYK04ZBS4euP9OfRlg=/0x0:1500x1320/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1320):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696074/1_Water1.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/uO4j-nwuCNMG0-nTY0NOArbo6mg=/0x0:1500x1320/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1320):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696074/1_Water1.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SLw5JlDSRF3Sfe3Q897H4a3G5aY=/0x0:1500x1320/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1320):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696074/1_Water1.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7dpg9YtxIesbg2vcrpGHCta2inQ=/0x0:1500x1320/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1320):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696074/1_Water1.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/57nUXZ5IS7-KyVV32e4IZQfzwzo=/0x0:1500x1320/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1320):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696074/1_Water1.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/aa2l3-jnd6HKmf6Um7dZOw4eyME=/0x0:1500x1320/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1320):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696074/1_Water1.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QEc4NM6rHie-tCd42rijxEjCZAA=/0x0:1500x1320/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1320):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696074/1_Water1.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zjMsZ-KAWJSs8AtXhUIBfue3zP8=/0x0:1500x1320/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1320):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696074/1_Water1.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jOLreZlWJll7T74NCygKPOylJ50=/0x0:1500x1320/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1320):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696074/1_Water1.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/M8hjfetJfhCHOQGpASugQ1Gp87Y=/0x0:1500x1320/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1320):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696074/1_Water1.jpg 1920w" /></picture></span></span></figure> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696080/2_water_graphic.jpg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1626094817_3980_79687" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22696080,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4F61gSbLBxdMfKGpAmX3Y-9HRQI=/0x0:1500x1548/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1548):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696080/2_water_graphic.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LusD3mbo8NWLfGRbNcBr8Nn1tyc=/0x0:1500x1548/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1548):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696080/2_water_graphic.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-_1KyEjnakp3OxtKOu8CbTTVYPE=/0x0:1500x1548/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1548):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696080/2_water_graphic.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/uZ5Sj9KzSGZQs9AythYqvvP0C_w=/0x0:1500x1548/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1548):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696080/2_water_graphic.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-A5vfG-6YJSTSK7TFgGHm96PtV8=/0x0:1500x1548/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1548):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696080/2_water_graphic.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/uRziD0B56yrWDBdfKAqw0LfpuRs=/0x0:1500x1548/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1548):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696080/2_water_graphic.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3zK7eALnl0DZW4VMODDlBPx9InQ=/0x0:1500x1548/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1548):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696080/2_water_graphic.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/v9TW_XhW1JatuPBLhisqmmp6qXU=/0x0:1500x1548/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1548):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696080/2_water_graphic.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fUt9BwEgnfjv558h-LwGQkBu-mk=/0x0:1500x1548/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1548):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696080/2_water_graphic.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="Text: “Bottled water consumption, in the US and globally, has grown dramatically in the last decade. Americans drank the equivalent of 342 standard individual bottles per person in 2020, up from approximately 210 bottles in 2010.” with a drawing of charts that illustrate this, using water droplets to represent 10 bottles.&nbsp;" data-upload-width="1500" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wcv12LcUWyk12VBl8MLvb7feNYM=/0x0:1500x1548/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1548):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696080/2_water_graphic.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JX0UmzelqMLCaggYXSr0pIxP1gs=/0x0:1500x1548/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1548):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696080/2_water_graphic.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7bj6Zm5LuaJ8y_SXIj92jVk96Mg=/0x0:1500x1548/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1548):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696080/2_water_graphic.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Pju4Az9ydafWRPliVgQeahpCe0U=/0x0:1500x1548/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1548):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696080/2_water_graphic.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YuPTG3weG0YADNLSgSzGYThsvoA=/0x0:1500x1548/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1548):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696080/2_water_graphic.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YfkRV2ec1FGZMHL1m95jFEwFdqI=/0x0:1500x1548/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1548):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696080/2_water_graphic.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/oAXgjHflqcgPUuSy0e13-Q1u1wA=/0x0:1500x1548/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1548):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696080/2_water_graphic.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KmJNOo5yLZfanaynNH8r1PxHSTM=/0x0:1500x1548/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1548):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696080/2_water_graphic.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HVjXv2uyOMkM3FzT11xnfWBug7w=/0x0:1500x1548/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1548):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696080/2_water_graphic.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Si-n4cahf642-REpWdRmV7s7YVE=/0x0:1500x1548/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1548):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696080/2_water_graphic.jpg 1920w" /></picture></span></span></figure> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696084/3_Water_spring.jpg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1626094817_4407_79688" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22696084,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BgbaRHazNoIdCLCf2_L2eqcHu7k=/0x0:1500x4620/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x4620):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696084/3_Water_spring.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zBh3Mswl-nJQ3-zAEEVmD7x3oBQ=/0x0:1500x4620/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x4620):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696084/3_Water_spring.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PkQ01aI0DfVRdVTWxD2kGjiej7c=/0x0:1500x4620/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x4620):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696084/3_Water_spring.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lmhxlGp7zxwYFsPF6-ge-LVoS-Q=/0x0:1500x4620/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x4620):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696084/3_Water_spring.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Ej3SCJcuxb5g8kv4qZlnHbgh-h4=/0x0:1500x4620/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x4620):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696084/3_Water_spring.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TrsJ2YHGPf3q9wUOYCkFK7uN5yU=/0x0:1500x4620/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x4620):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696084/3_Water_spring.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7wNwVHi4fpihnuLeoirnX9zq6qg=/0x0:1500x4620/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x4620):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696084/3_Water_spring.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/i83KtYL9_eCSnpCNTq6pMcJTrII=/0x0:1500x4620/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x4620):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696084/3_Water_spring.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YF2uJYpg4MnkACACi7SqzCjAczk=/0x0:1500x4620/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x4620):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696084/3_Water_spring.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="“A lot of bottled water, like Coke’s Dasani, comes from the tap. But some, like Arrowhead, is pumped directly from natural springs. Called spring water, this allows companies to sell the idea of nature and purity. And drinkable water is far from available to everyone. In 2016, the year that Michigan declared a state of emergency over Flint’s lead-contaminated water, bottled water outsold soda.&nbsp; The more we distrust the water from our faucets, the more bottled water we consume.”" data-upload-width="1500" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1M65T_ryVC6TuUr3qMiw1ow_hq8=/0x0:1500x4620/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x4620):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696084/3_Water_spring.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UXaLEvd1nGxrVNp067Rn660ggAw=/0x0:1500x4620/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x4620):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696084/3_Water_spring.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/T5J0QpBUOhR57u4acphuaqPHtqA=/0x0:1500x4620/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x4620):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696084/3_Water_spring.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PHfysHimmvW2G2cIr4CasEsCrWk=/0x0:1500x4620/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x4620):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696084/3_Water_spring.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Qrgm57sWh6mImKI_qkd4qLU8ZjA=/0x0:1500x4620/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x4620):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696084/3_Water_spring.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/dhitNiweTkvGOtDbMRYL1HvDQ_s=/0x0:1500x4620/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x4620):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696084/3_Water_spring.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gHAPW-5mHhvhJzEGhQdnzjB9zfw=/0x0:1500x4620/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x4620):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696084/3_Water_spring.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QWMb_LdluQVOQ4ESE-E3Cp18XmI=/0x0:1500x4620/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x4620):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696084/3_Water_spring.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8AlobOLuNzVdC-NAgLarkg9OKRo=/0x0:1500x4620/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x4620):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696084/3_Water_spring.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tb_QXXctQV9l8CEBIx12gsIN74A=/0x0:1500x4620/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x4620):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696084/3_Water_spring.jpg 1920w" /></picture></span></span></figure> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696091/4_water_pet.jpg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1626094817_4248_79689" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22696091,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KZAHQsnGAW87a-d05vKXUgVTHYQ=/0x0:1500x2430/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2430):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696091/4_water_pet.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/54rOR5WO7JAkn-RH0oF0dcoJ_6M=/0x0:1500x2430/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2430):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696091/4_water_pet.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UpzrQkzLONoEXrhkXTE1dsu3fMg=/0x0:1500x2430/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2430):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696091/4_water_pet.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lK1mc15iO_y3epBkZLp-gmFoq2I=/0x0:1500x2430/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2430):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696091/4_water_pet.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HS6cjjmMV3H3SQZ8V_aKD15huyI=/0x0:1500x2430/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2430):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696091/4_water_pet.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CCpCE798mDCFcMZ42s8l2aj-eTo=/0x0:1500x2430/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2430):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696091/4_water_pet.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/B2AAV_X-VhyDuM00Whaj9x4uzPs=/0x0:1500x2430/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2430):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696091/4_water_pet.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4V7v7aQiunNQdJdUrpx_8AP3_k0=/0x0:1500x2430/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2430):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696091/4_water_pet.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HwxrYGijAe1dOUZ22R6onrcnAZA=/0x0:1500x2430/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2430):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696091/4_water_pet.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="“Bottled water wasn’t inevitable. It became a viable business opportunity after the invention of the PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottle in 1973.&nbsp; Lightweight, unbreakable bottles revolutionized the beverage industry, making it possible to easily ship billions of individually packaged drinks.&nbsp;The health-conscious consumer was on the rise, too. Marketers warned people that they were at risk of dehydration, so they’d better always have bottled water on hand.”" data-upload-width="1500" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/90xau5EKHVGSGZtjj4KEJwVJ0oU=/0x0:1500x2430/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2430):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696091/4_water_pet.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BUsmcudaJi1oLPGL-fmCEzPVUFE=/0x0:1500x2430/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2430):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696091/4_water_pet.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/aaYtH8crrOTJ9rSUF0HnYPC17Pg=/0x0:1500x2430/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2430):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696091/4_water_pet.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZCkK3_wOL1IdRAXn0aCnUPrl-wU=/0x0:1500x2430/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2430):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696091/4_water_pet.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5IVK-ngGx21_dkgW3-9ka98wjk8=/0x0:1500x2430/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2430):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696091/4_water_pet.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/aJcCPilFubfF38fmVd_g7sKUczk=/0x0:1500x2430/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2430):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696091/4_water_pet.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/n84szA1l10kDbZLMHXJ8Z57TFUg=/0x0:1500x2430/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2430):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696091/4_water_pet.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Ev831endxtrDKldMMPONSD8NDp0=/0x0:1500x2430/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2430):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696091/4_water_pet.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PuDowSuBNkEW2oCWUH8_vIULlik=/0x0:1500x2430/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2430):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696091/4_water_pet.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3ikkIvr9gYXR1nXKvD-tSFfITPo=/0x0:1500x2430/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2430):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696091/4_water_pet.jpg 1920w" /></picture></span></span></figure> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696108/5_water_landfill2.jpg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1626094817_8319_79690" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22696108,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KF4jEzQuNk-iliup0b-CBS5fqNY=/0x0:1500x1926/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1926):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696108/5_water_landfill2.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9ioEFhsZnYauhpo_3BlFoovqb2M=/0x0:1500x1926/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1926):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696108/5_water_landfill2.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/eGzqItYCutHOiE8ngwP0qhrml8U=/0x0:1500x1926/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1926):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696108/5_water_landfill2.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DzdIOJrpXZUWrv-jFb9zwlst0mc=/0x0:1500x1926/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1926):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696108/5_water_landfill2.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JXN64y9jgCtc08Ei9xdJ1uOv1OY=/0x0:1500x1926/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1926):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696108/5_water_landfill2.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/av1bX6tAHbfbVybdwTouYN7VQxs=/0x0:1500x1926/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1926):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696108/5_water_landfill2.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LhkIRtFZ8X--Ej-PhYUf1XsZoms=/0x0:1500x1926/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1926):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696108/5_water_landfill2.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-fgO6MSqe1CpNk6Qw3M22yOYL1c=/0x0:1500x1926/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1926):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696108/5_water_landfill2.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3zPMJ_CJBI5OlRYXkcLSzroZZ9g=/0x0:1500x1926/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1926):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696108/5_water_landfill2.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="“Americans now buy an unfathomable 75 billion plastic water bottles per year, according to the Beverage Marketing Corporation, and that number grows by billions more each year. The vast majority of them end up in landfills. Bottled water companies make pledges to use more recycled plastic, but it’s nowhere near enough to offset the growth of plastic waste.” Drawing of a garbage dump." data-upload-width="1500" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jZDgk5pCuGQCax6fWPLQs8YTSyk=/0x0:1500x1926/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1926):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696108/5_water_landfill2.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/a4z3amKx5yMTldT-jTNw97T-d14=/0x0:1500x1926/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1926):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696108/5_water_landfill2.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vmesJQHdHLNo9Hciu8vEYVcGEoM=/0x0:1500x1926/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1926):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696108/5_water_landfill2.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/eSpd1NHbs_p-n2zyvZaJZTNh47c=/0x0:1500x1926/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1926):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696108/5_water_landfill2.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wAeXftHlEoRdIxvmWQEpJkIfuOI=/0x0:1500x1926/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1926):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696108/5_water_landfill2.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KscaBr7qKj4Z3smSWSw0duuyK1Q=/0x0:1500x1926/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1926):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696108/5_water_landfill2.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BNAdrz6ZnUn3aMX6yPJg3kLI4kY=/0x0:1500x1926/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1926):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696108/5_water_landfill2.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7d6KoOM1xszO3-4y0PhurlsU6gY=/0x0:1500x1926/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1926):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696108/5_water_landfill2.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/H1kylc1fX6q5lmEL6utMQr_YFSE=/0x0:1500x1926/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1926):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696108/5_water_landfill2.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7FmzVCl2aOIPhW181I_RzkjpURE=/0x0:1500x1926/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1926):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696108/5_water_landfill2.jpg 1920w" /></picture></span></span></figure> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696111/6_water_coastlines.jpg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1626094817_4932_79691" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22696111,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vvU_KpN23ieAjMSAm9hJe5IghT8=/0x0:1500x1188/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1188):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696111/6_water_coastlines.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LE2iYCbQuRAxovdQwY9cvYvyOfA=/0x0:1500x1188/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1188):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696111/6_water_coastlines.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fwOREqEf0N11D_LGk7pO-cQh-NE=/0x0:1500x1188/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1188):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696111/6_water_coastlines.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/enc6p9sFJz4U4WRsIxZ9OI-DaH0=/0x0:1500x1188/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1188):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696111/6_water_coastlines.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ccpnR3Droo5DKnKPtXLiWYJNU9s=/0x0:1500x1188/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1188):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696111/6_water_coastlines.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/X3Mh0S0WLKGtWo68a1N1K6JvjxM=/0x0:1500x1188/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1188):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696111/6_water_coastlines.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/a4_lVuWkaf4PDRRmTY9-C-v5X3M=/0x0:1500x1188/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1188):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696111/6_water_coastlines.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nvSHVHk_yFIn1NmilVv-xU8wGRQ=/0x0:1500x1188/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1188):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696111/6_water_coastlines.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/EyGr-fma5uFn80IdUvvR-GT6GjA=/0x0:1500x1188/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1188):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696111/6_water_coastlines.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="“About 8 million metric tons of plastic enters the ocean per year, most of it trapped along coastlines, buried in sediment, and elsewhere in the ocean that is not well known.” Image: the earth’s oceans from space." data-upload-width="1500" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/GZHZUqccpH53867DP4C7f2T4kBw=/0x0:1500x1188/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1188):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696111/6_water_coastlines.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/yc14dDHKvdG-TG9lb6qys5J01pE=/0x0:1500x1188/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1188):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696111/6_water_coastlines.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/g1EbXjD9F7MkH5iGt2LnNScHyTQ=/0x0:1500x1188/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1188):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696111/6_water_coastlines.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/df5ifAkkBx9XRA8UOWbZf_lI3mQ=/0x0:1500x1188/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1188):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696111/6_water_coastlines.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ckk1ZfHkNkOSF9ZCQY5lQ2yuvFc=/0x0:1500x1188/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1188):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696111/6_water_coastlines.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/qu3rrrJSqH2VVCOG-qPZVj2Taqg=/0x0:1500x1188/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1188):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696111/6_water_coastlines.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/muiHk-CuEw4CcVZyg7nfxgEdclo=/0x0:1500x1188/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1188):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696111/6_water_coastlines.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CDDMON-yA9JpTz6bkpGd7FMAHmQ=/0x0:1500x1188/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1188):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696111/6_water_coastlines.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ituMO-8o_noFEIyyTb22kNFR5ww=/0x0:1500x1188/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1188):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696111/6_water_coastlines.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/g446Gez-mJ4lks09P9t9daNqnT4=/0x0:1500x1188/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1188):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696111/6_water_coastlines.jpg 1920w" /></picture></span></span></figure> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696113/7_water_faucet.jpg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1626094817_8775_79692" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22696113,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/sk84vthvMdsoFjit_0fow4MoTmc=/0x0:1500x2492/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2492):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696113/7_water_faucet.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/GLYXsIEeu3LIhyceGIHPfCX58do=/0x0:1500x2492/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2492):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696113/7_water_faucet.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CoFiW8a0xbxM-SLPl0QsLf_HMSo=/0x0:1500x2492/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2492):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696113/7_water_faucet.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0rmA4ZnuOs1dLsInbKH0XnkYBJ4=/0x0:1500x2492/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2492):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696113/7_water_faucet.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/AaHempRvW10O64Ry9xecFRLMjsY=/0x0:1500x2492/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2492):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696113/7_water_faucet.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/66bjo5PqbCKrY2KPrYmSBXfGcOM=/0x0:1500x2492/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2492):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696113/7_water_faucet.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/oPpUUIVQoUiCgCldRxBXYG2qlm4=/0x0:1500x2492/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2492):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696113/7_water_faucet.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ls0rjI3BtvSfNoVvNYQ7EYka-c8=/0x0:1500x2492/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2492):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696113/7_water_faucet.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RMfGbMIot56DOApC3h-lXzu66D8=/0x0:1500x2492/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2492):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696113/7_water_faucet.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="“The problem goes even deeper than plastic; it’s about who owns our water. During the Flint water crisis, the city’s majority-Black residents were paying some of the highest bills in the country for poisoned water.&nbsp;A few hours away, Nestlé, the Swiss multinational that until recently owned America’s most iconic spring water brands, was pumping water for its Ice Mountain label virtually for free.” Drawing of a faucet pouring black water over Detroit." data-upload-width="1500" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zbNkJBO-xB32t3MD04ZGxvw-FdY=/0x0:1500x2492/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2492):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696113/7_water_faucet.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ODt8ua_2K8FwlIHg46u68UJp5Yg=/0x0:1500x2492/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2492):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696113/7_water_faucet.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DfUiicR21IwMayhvQIhhVdW2Kdw=/0x0:1500x2492/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2492):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696113/7_water_faucet.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Y_evVUKTf1KJ0N0HJX5TOsdystM=/0x0:1500x2492/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2492):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696113/7_water_faucet.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7BCyzHrs2Wa55jZFu-ejsJtTmQg=/0x0:1500x2492/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2492):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696113/7_water_faucet.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/yppAH2KnTmQ5VxGIZelVFVboyp8=/0x0:1500x2492/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2492):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696113/7_water_faucet.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XCdJsmgVH0LQ0a2lPO-3V69MZSw=/0x0:1500x2492/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2492):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696113/7_water_faucet.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6J1UMsE8mT-zFIIdk6hezmrGoHo=/0x0:1500x2492/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2492):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696113/7_water_faucet.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/OrNiVX7QxTtt8W4Roc25AVrQLAQ=/0x0:1500x2492/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2492):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696113/7_water_faucet.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/K-DAYhVRkFyLECnFZ1CJiwRrAMo=/0x0:1500x2492/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2492):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696113/7_water_faucet.jpg 1920w" /></picture></span></span></figure> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696117/8_water_treaty.jpg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1626094817_5488_79693" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22696117,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ffXKC_pnwrVreGzjc2Svas_7CGc=/0x0:1500x1089/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1089):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696117/8_water_treaty.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5jly8zKG14DPz8qSpGb5h1IWT_k=/0x0:1500x1089/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1089):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696117/8_water_treaty.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-xLduqKDxGFoosAIZiWyA6PU5b8=/0x0:1500x1089/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1089):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696117/8_water_treaty.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/07mUBBiccnBxjL2sWHS-Zys7snE=/0x0:1500x1089/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1089):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696117/8_water_treaty.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0DCYBk38p7Kjo5xiggg8A3G-0IM=/0x0:1500x1089/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1089):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696117/8_water_treaty.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XtZIsOJpeQ55bscvQkOrT5q3oqc=/0x0:1500x1089/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1089):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696117/8_water_treaty.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TMkj1ZII4YI4nrvAWKN2oK4Vqkc=/0x0:1500x1089/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1089):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696117/8_water_treaty.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JQLUYmMrj33w9e_TNEaD7tTWmVE=/0x0:1500x1089/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1089):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696117/8_water_treaty.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_O_fapJwqmtyuF6g7ajOLCAwi3w=/0x0:1500x1089/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1089):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696117/8_water_treaty.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="“Indigenous communities have often led the fight to protect ecosystems from corporate control.” Drawing of a person reading a newspaper with the headline: “1836 treaty puts Michigan tribes at center of Nestle water bid”" data-upload-width="1500" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zK3K6P7c1j80FOOHEeiHBoSh6Ds=/0x0:1500x1089/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1089):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696117/8_water_treaty.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/uCnkh2j4OW15DFKYIIHcTFAufCw=/0x0:1500x1089/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1089):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696117/8_water_treaty.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Ft-iDSEG-CZdFMXiW06WsctVfp0=/0x0:1500x1089/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1089):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696117/8_water_treaty.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gpFjfdrhTMc-T2sJExsxm-Svzbo=/0x0:1500x1089/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1089):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696117/8_water_treaty.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/d7a1t7xvFwiDTM3DBhig8TUmx48=/0x0:1500x1089/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1089):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696117/8_water_treaty.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/19mln3sZGMe7Z6876WEQCta29vU=/0x0:1500x1089/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1089):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696117/8_water_treaty.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/g9wS6NNQWc0zizY6LjBqBhfKxvc=/0x0:1500x1089/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1089):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696117/8_water_treaty.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/yENmhnPESlEZC6eCv8nWfdJr6DI=/0x0:1500x1089/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1089):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696117/8_water_treaty.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/eCXwyJ27WskNsCjKmmRlPgzcaFM=/0x0:1500x1089/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1089):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696117/8_water_treaty.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PtGaxEJe1Q6251nt4bLzZE9prRg=/0x0:1500x1089/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1089):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696117/8_water_treaty.jpg 1920w" /></picture></span></span></figure> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696133/9_water_beaver1.jpg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1626094817_102_79694" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22696133,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TTe0eLO0_eKtb6RXZYBGdCuXop0=/0x0:1500x2261/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2261):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696133/9_water_beaver1.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/dhPPu2xzgXWCBLE9Sxs5FV1vZrg=/0x0:1500x2261/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2261):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696133/9_water_beaver1.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/aB0EudOFriAkx_7oq5PV4NDEKqI=/0x0:1500x2261/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2261):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696133/9_water_beaver1.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zDtqvC8OX01dKF0aR0iR497WBzk=/0x0:1500x2261/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2261):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696133/9_water_beaver1.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-qiwVLjX0bT2YJlDi5wYneol_2g=/0x0:1500x2261/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2261):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696133/9_water_beaver1.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vyFZCR_slJTzPEt2GrHqLOR3zfQ=/0x0:1500x2261/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2261):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696133/9_water_beaver1.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MTSs0Hn9YXvJUEGNPOgMLOaYQzc=/0x0:1500x2261/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2261):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696133/9_water_beaver1.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RtnALYztvGDN0V7whiQBWDKVhM0=/0x0:1500x2261/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2261):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696133/9_water_beaver1.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/n6OIbqgV7m2Dj3kxC7JV4c_vshw=/0x0:1500x2261/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2261):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696133/9_water_beaver1.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="A man saying “What is important is not the value of the resource solely, whether that be water, whether that be plants, whether that be fish. It’s also the relationship that we as tribal people have with those resources.” label: Frank Beaver, the natural resources department director for the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, and a member of the Grand Traverse Band." data-upload-width="1500" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CpOw3zG_vskUpDALqM5P2Hwj3kE=/0x0:1500x2261/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2261):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696133/9_water_beaver1.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CS6B54NEulutDkF1QPoAoUDZuaE=/0x0:1500x2261/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2261):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696133/9_water_beaver1.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6k4ARaFGRdOVaTOI76Iw-yR8FmI=/0x0:1500x2261/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2261):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696133/9_water_beaver1.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PYJpcwfhK4qJIzgqZBSD2FFjxz8=/0x0:1500x2261/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2261):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696133/9_water_beaver1.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5wO2Q7ZmKaxxf4KBNwF6K3aFRZU=/0x0:1500x2261/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2261):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696133/9_water_beaver1.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gTlBO0FB81pQxSUhgZ8Xfq3eYTw=/0x0:1500x2261/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2261):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696133/9_water_beaver1.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/EL1XLnZPbfIaMl4TLSrAjPm74V8=/0x0:1500x2261/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2261):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696133/9_water_beaver1.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JZfu7bTsQdSnhBhKaZu7hkzVN8w=/0x0:1500x2261/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2261):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696133/9_water_beaver1.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/twHG2DEjxsVb0Kcu_m4MRSnnG3A=/0x0:1500x2261/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2261):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696133/9_water_beaver1.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/I4tuSVTYESqUvZsQ9PPKEcNBcMs=/0x0:1500x2261/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2261):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696133/9_water_beaver1.jpg 1920w" /></picture></span></span></figure> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696632/10_water_triton.jpg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1626094817_2594_79695" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22696632,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1Xh8Y-JyNj21n2Wnf4N35_oT1Cs=/0x0:1500x2501/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2501):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696632/10_water_triton.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fDv558Z44gbIkI56APfHJprS0BI=/0x0:1500x2501/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2501):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696632/10_water_triton.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6uE3ishK08eVGVRIwnQK0aHJA44=/0x0:1500x2501/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2501):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696632/10_water_triton.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KJI7MThrpV-X-TmLzzgc89R5UTk=/0x0:1500x2501/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2501):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696632/10_water_triton.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jgbnXi-1WwRDlv0HRO-l8aHNONs=/0x0:1500x2501/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2501):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696632/10_water_triton.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Xpwx60EZIHenb0olLsCq4vbbrtA=/0x0:1500x2501/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2501):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696632/10_water_triton.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1_TuXtM5YK6FRSlJKxcde54pBhw=/0x0:1500x2501/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2501):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696632/10_water_triton.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/oPkPu4_YX5Z9wCzrWMPiZxD7lt0=/0x0:1500x2501/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2501):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696632/10_water_triton.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5RRfd6MCicGVVEgUn_nv2xk3mrU=/0x0:1500x2501/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2501):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696632/10_water_triton.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="“Commodifying water can be seen as a kind of desecration. Nestlé’s North American water brands were recently sold to private equity firms and given a new name: BlueTriton Brands, named for an ancient Greek god of the sea.&nbsp;BlueTriton’s water operation is extraordinarily unpopular with the people of Michigan. More than 80,000 people submitted public comments against the corporation’s plan to pump more water, compared to only 75 in favor. In 2018, the state gave them a permit anyway.”" data-upload-width="1500" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zEkHeAdIVwqPw4n1dT-Lq-JdXmM=/0x0:1500x2501/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2501):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696632/10_water_triton.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZuBFKr7GICFdHQ0WdU1zoWo9ul0=/0x0:1500x2501/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2501):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696632/10_water_triton.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YHBc83QvtgEzoPA-KVnKxJHpEsA=/0x0:1500x2501/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2501):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696632/10_water_triton.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/GYtwj_7cuVIR3qIU6BVvin3ohis=/0x0:1500x2501/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2501):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696632/10_water_triton.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QDsxlMH0EhfEfhehLRUobtQqhYs=/0x0:1500x2501/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2501):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696632/10_water_triton.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/yGtj8u52_G_sklyXz7fgXYMUXQc=/0x0:1500x2501/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2501):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696632/10_water_triton.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/oTSrCiud7Yh-SRsZ0G_RWqmcgek=/0x0:1500x2501/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2501):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696632/10_water_triton.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6CCQucHHVn9V7mznxz27Cf38w6M=/0x0:1500x2501/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2501):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696632/10_water_triton.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/79lPjL_iOXH5Vzg3t8Fr_eD80Yg=/0x0:1500x2501/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2501):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696632/10_water_triton.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XoSWYL6K-WLkjVmFiEr3C3jCjOI=/0x0:1500x2501/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2501):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696632/10_water_triton.jpg 1920w" /></picture></span></span></figure> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696633/11_water_beaver2.jpg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1626094817_579_79696" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22696633,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/T06fPGfSko5TqLAReAIgD0C16hU=/0x0:1500x954/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x954):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696633/11_water_beaver2.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1LcWW8GrxbDOqkB-VXQK4oFzVWY=/0x0:1500x954/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x954):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696633/11_water_beaver2.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/he9Rmn0ZyK8deECijJ96fr6jnBI=/0x0:1500x954/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x954):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696633/11_water_beaver2.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xlPydiewTDU4IfoDiDOnzTNPzLI=/0x0:1500x954/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x954):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696633/11_water_beaver2.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fiOH42aGu8k08b5ctFAbNv0g1bo=/0x0:1500x954/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x954):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696633/11_water_beaver2.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xaAC8KX6lAGA9fc1bjROjX6HFuE=/0x0:1500x954/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x954):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696633/11_water_beaver2.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RRMnaUJTkwhjYRGctNw6ntLqMhI=/0x0:1500x954/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x954):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696633/11_water_beaver2.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KjCXBRJYHN3odM7D28Vs-xLF0C8=/0x0:1500x954/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x954):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696633/11_water_beaver2.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vM6nnyEed1MdeRbT8DrjgPdjF_4=/0x0:1500x954/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x954):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696633/11_water_beaver2.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="“When capitalism and democracy disagree,” Beaver says, “it seems like democracy loses a lot and capitalism wins.”&nbsp;" data-upload-width="1500" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1ZAgJMNWM4kDC916HN_2hKDtgSM=/0x0:1500x954/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x954):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696633/11_water_beaver2.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/c_gesB8xSk6Gvc319kFPnGSvuSQ=/0x0:1500x954/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x954):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696633/11_water_beaver2.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6kRkJTdZ4D8wVmgxquxakljn2eE=/0x0:1500x954/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x954):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696633/11_water_beaver2.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7aFlM9kR_o1AlVXG32bDAZsu6pQ=/0x0:1500x954/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x954):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696633/11_water_beaver2.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Cxr3wJY5ALI2sEHoLGpd9GM2cVk=/0x0:1500x954/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x954):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696633/11_water_beaver2.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/m77vzAlW5ZO3uMBJpl2-L4DUaIM=/0x0:1500x954/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x954):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696633/11_water_beaver2.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/IJj9Qocm0VIpnelYyKnygEQrYqY=/0x0:1500x954/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x954):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696633/11_water_beaver2.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/INgghrVbICOp7wmaSH_pL3wCai8=/0x0:1500x954/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x954):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696633/11_water_beaver2.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/I5hu_qLftVXNOYvTJx69HcQeGxM=/0x0:1500x954/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x954):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696633/11_water_beaver2.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jZHlKXrfRlnnG3-6sgQFGZ3FUa8=/0x0:1500x954/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x954):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696633/11_water_beaver2.jpg 1920w" /></picture></span></span></figure> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696637/12_water_flint1.jpg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1626094817_2976_79697" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22696637,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5cxahLIUnWv1o11X95yutSxz2Zc=/0x0:1500x2205/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2205):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696637/12_water_flint1.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/z4KaMd2Y4Bcj4VTODGeAZQL7bjA=/0x0:1500x2205/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2205):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696637/12_water_flint1.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MvZMhhDMhjn1uA5Tn2BqJD9ZeIQ=/0x0:1500x2205/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2205):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696637/12_water_flint1.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0RykTi9sf51_t_O-blGBPJCzuQc=/0x0:1500x2205/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2205):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696637/12_water_flint1.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YQ9Sf4mwqHsqB5uZ-A0lfjt8cHE=/0x0:1500x2205/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2205):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696637/12_water_flint1.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/C5_FsmuW7Sht_sWSx02iYKVB0W4=/0x0:1500x2205/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2205):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696637/12_water_flint1.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mCW978f5ueRzxXSRii17khbUxRw=/0x0:1500x2205/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2205):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696637/12_water_flint1.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fyRWDzwe5jRn3qeGMbLPxBiFF04=/0x0:1500x2205/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2205):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696637/12_water_flint1.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XzNASbj3jOyxxOo9Btp8DHSBIOo=/0x0:1500x2205/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2205):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696637/12_water_flint1.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="“Flint had no democratic representation because they’d been placed under emergency financial management by the state. That was when the city started sourcing water from the corrosive Flint River, which led to the water crisis.&nbsp;&nbsp;“I had water coming out my tap looking like straight Hennessy,” remembers Flint resident and organizer Nayyirah Shariff. “I had rashes. A lot of folks didn’t know that city council was powerless.”&nbsp;" data-upload-width="1500" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/emfrbb6w9Rsa5BCkGqVAOY3pq_I=/0x0:1500x2205/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2205):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696637/12_water_flint1.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2uWCo4npzMKnrHqi3kgdkR4yx-I=/0x0:1500x2205/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2205):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696637/12_water_flint1.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XzkFuf1dVFc7oyDCUoQnWy6hjPw=/0x0:1500x2205/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2205):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696637/12_water_flint1.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZCjcSHQ81UkGfIR91vAFQEW1nJ0=/0x0:1500x2205/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2205):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696637/12_water_flint1.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/u0YA3SSRm-4iaj_VyuZVHxj3mj0=/0x0:1500x2205/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2205):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696637/12_water_flint1.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/qGNG0aSOWFeDBe8NMzxkvyUXJec=/0x0:1500x2205/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2205):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696637/12_water_flint1.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Mvy5srPaQvlqTWUYrxhC5EwSU-o=/0x0:1500x2205/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2205):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696637/12_water_flint1.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/60ELsP2Ml9fxWbuaaKicPx7rXog=/0x0:1500x2205/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2205):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696637/12_water_flint1.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HyKQmj8hI5u1JKduNraLWdTx2x4=/0x0:1500x2205/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2205):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696637/12_water_flint1.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lEf9vRzwuCesqNhmmCR1Ee1NT4o=/0x0:1500x2205/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x2205):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696637/12_water_flint1.jpg 1920w" /></picture></span></span></figure> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696641/13_water_bottledcrisis.jpg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1626094817_7212_79698" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22696641,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/irSpoxrXeAKhNnkf0852DB9xz2c=/0x0:1500x1065/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1065):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696641/13_water_bottledcrisis.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0zkKa9WqD_IEP_pt4RXnLN4gx9U=/0x0:1500x1065/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1065):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696641/13_water_bottledcrisis.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ajNBVQzEn3eWDKkZg0YS32x-w4A=/0x0:1500x1065/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1065):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696641/13_water_bottledcrisis.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/GKLhVN5g2xD-uO1GlH8lZ6Ewk8E=/0x0:1500x1065/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1065):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696641/13_water_bottledcrisis.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/W3r4dx52dMrVX_hkXTPw_FiyKkA=/0x0:1500x1065/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1065):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696641/13_water_bottledcrisis.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/P4otlY-Ng_doVqVDAfadMoJeEwo=/0x0:1500x1065/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1065):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696641/13_water_bottledcrisis.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wjfIxslEgwMYxELJb5MP4awvViU=/0x0:1500x1065/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1065):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696641/13_water_bottledcrisis.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/aOoT4UWhOiIM1IzHi3h4a41wKs8=/0x0:1500x1065/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1065):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696641/13_water_bottledcrisis.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1gaavKgLHcmWKqgz6qyWVuNNX1E=/0x0:1500x1065/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1065):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696641/13_water_bottledcrisis.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="“Bottled water has a way of making itself seem like the natural solution in times of crisis, and Flint became dependent on it. Companies including Nestlé, Coke, and Pepsi donated millions of bottles to the city, and the state paid to provide residents free bottled water.”" data-upload-width="1500" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mQijCfJq-ee8dFE8cSqXYmYP4Z0=/0x0:1500x1065/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1065):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696641/13_water_bottledcrisis.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RbSsoNlKuiLcXjsKmD9zIDFPIxA=/0x0:1500x1065/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1065):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696641/13_water_bottledcrisis.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CzlcBPQR8JT9IhXk2bsjEdOVqR0=/0x0:1500x1065/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1065):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696641/13_water_bottledcrisis.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lfRVQnaF8wi5WGDF1mV1TMDGbKs=/0x0:1500x1065/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1065):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696641/13_water_bottledcrisis.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PCEGjbjYF7h3vuZx4UcH_97Jpis=/0x0:1500x1065/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1065):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696641/13_water_bottledcrisis.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wk-sTmclpLv0kALWCsagFN0n0AQ=/0x0:1500x1065/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1065):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696641/13_water_bottledcrisis.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/FZcMdfLBTuRYi379qfQi4crF_PM=/0x0:1500x1065/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1065):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696641/13_water_bottledcrisis.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Cx3nl5ukHFgMknXMyItXgMXgWJE=/0x0:1500x1065/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1065):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696641/13_water_bottledcrisis.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WLWLRo5cjuIs4yUB_jwlj1v1DGs=/0x0:1500x1065/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1065):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696641/13_water_bottledcrisis.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lSeeYXBuTNtqMNyvsS4_rm9reNg=/0x0:1500x1065/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1065):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696641/13_water_bottledcrisis.jpg 1920w" /></picture></span></span></figure> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696642/14_water_flint2.jpg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1626094817_2796_79699" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22696642,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BM1PeWPcoFDmgbGU8hzk5wc-KGg=/0x0:1500x1938/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1938):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696642/14_water_flint2.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5ci-HPCW3oyhN_4s-pi7noEeG0Y=/0x0:1500x1938/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1938):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696642/14_water_flint2.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/cQgymP4Q7DBBkkblxhAmeDN7W_c=/0x0:1500x1938/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1938):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696642/14_water_flint2.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fP7ypWQGLgOTOWy9PGMutWWZUr8=/0x0:1500x1938/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1938):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696642/14_water_flint2.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/GQpDn1Rbk8HJXFRt6Z_Ex9q-Q8Y=/0x0:1500x1938/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1938):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696642/14_water_flint2.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/eWkQT3ajJwCbnmd6hFc4Ad3Jn_Y=/0x0:1500x1938/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1938):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696642/14_water_flint2.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/kZvZnpiP5tlTFORXCFsrgvEtJ20=/0x0:1500x1938/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1938):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696642/14_water_flint2.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7yOY0n1fEDOPgGtZQh5kyWKn_c8=/0x0:1500x1938/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1938):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696642/14_water_flint2.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Spx-_pK7P21j0j6NYqN27MwMAsE=/0x0:1500x1938/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1938):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696642/14_water_flint2.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="“We were advocating for cisterns and water buffaloes. The governor decided that this was what our recovery was going to look like. And it was extremely insulting,” Shariff says.&nbsp;" data-upload-width="1500" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ji3I_fDWn8zsLfiWZeyk2JY3AjQ=/0x0:1500x1938/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1938):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696642/14_water_flint2.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rrlMhWuUOidmdapyNU1dPFJuGJc=/0x0:1500x1938/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1938):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696642/14_water_flint2.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SfvjzwthleivtehDxGTxqhO1uEs=/0x0:1500x1938/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1938):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696642/14_water_flint2.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Mibt_n0a5LSKosGaDdoNgPhkEMY=/0x0:1500x1938/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1938):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696642/14_water_flint2.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RwyEKlLo-elid-XRwkV3btsYXL0=/0x0:1500x1938/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1938):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696642/14_water_flint2.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lMh4DbJPUOw2yTLbcRdmh74479I=/0x0:1500x1938/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1938):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696642/14_water_flint2.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Xpswu8Pq7yoO8lLa7rxi4MATl4g=/0x0:1500x1938/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1938):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696642/14_water_flint2.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8xs9dLvFY8_oj5MVF5LsA9IJAcI=/0x0:1500x1938/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1938):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696642/14_water_flint2.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/qqsLBi2Af-aWqKYU2vyxJ7oA4Ro=/0x0:1500x1938/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1938):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696642/14_water_flint2.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/o4WNBE3LScHxL98509wH9XdmaEM=/0x0:1500x1938/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1938):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696642/14_water_flint2.jpg 1920w" /></picture></span></span></figure> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696644/15_water_peter.jpg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1626094817_9826_79700" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22696644,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/yN3o-P_vMfdwk0qdHbSvbkGz0Gg=/0x0:1500x1559/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1559):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696644/15_water_peter.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HJzhbApUNRks0JoDXdQwLS4m938=/0x0:1500x1559/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1559):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696644/15_water_peter.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/t8RjJFwRPEGk7_DN9rQc8Z__IpE=/0x0:1500x1559/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1559):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696644/15_water_peter.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HRUk7O6vadjN3WwoUhWaEHh8WSk=/0x0:1500x1559/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1559):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696644/15_water_peter.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/q7ec1nGxLSuHZMnzAbAXzeCTMUQ=/0x0:1500x1559/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1559):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696644/15_water_peter.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jNSOx19OMDMjLLWbxqoi3yIdH1c=/0x0:1500x1559/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1559):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696644/15_water_peter.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/B9OpqNHLs6qHGiEpBqCNaoFelB0=/0x0:1500x1559/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1559):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696644/15_water_peter.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/T_YhJcRZgXF1tIvXgVCu5ndts0Y=/0x0:1500x1559/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1559):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696644/15_water_peter.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/az9aANLJrlKQCD0eK0hyNt2soac=/0x0:1500x1559/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1559):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696644/15_water_peter.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="““Failure to invest in our public water system has contributed to the loss of trust in that system,” says water expert Peter Gleick from The Pacific Institute. “And in the meantime, the bottled water industry capitalizes on that lack of trust.”&nbsp;&nbsp;" data-upload-width="1500" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fUt0qtkEnexBEm1O7AQpAF-mTxE=/0x0:1500x1559/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1559):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696644/15_water_peter.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2n2jeZfzZLg1tRn8LALh0nS7fBU=/0x0:1500x1559/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1559):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696644/15_water_peter.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pLwIirLJpuzDNwrJKP0zAwY9Knw=/0x0:1500x1559/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1559):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696644/15_water_peter.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0fktlgfHkAl9FsXnl6EoPAdd1H8=/0x0:1500x1559/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1559):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696644/15_water_peter.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/h-uFc8f0CIXMrk-pwsmMFJEwaP4=/0x0:1500x1559/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1559):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696644/15_water_peter.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WFbiYU5IO3t1AnlSboaBltV5Nak=/0x0:1500x1559/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1559):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696644/15_water_peter.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/OpgFD40V5CsDoHK8YGa33LcqmoA=/0x0:1500x1559/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1559):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696644/15_water_peter.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/EUFMr1nlzmxt5AZ5Nvrv1epetO8=/0x0:1500x1559/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1559):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696644/15_water_peter.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SVCQWHvqt4GLobOGU1a0eUnOfCA=/0x0:1500x1559/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1559):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696644/15_water_peter.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/j4YVy33ZGew8LfgtJ83rByPX4vg=/0x0:1500x1559/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x1559):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696644/15_water_peter.jpg 1920w" /></picture></span></span></figure> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696646/16_water_final.jpg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1626094817_38_79701" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22696646,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/c0Ze0Y5UQumn7miNfVXYpO14Kbw=/0x0:1500x3024/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x3024):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696646/16_water_final.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Vxg7wCGNlEJqIifcGKBXACeg4gI=/0x0:1500x3024/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x3024):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696646/16_water_final.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RObDqKdeytwDsuhQI_leTfIqZno=/0x0:1500x3024/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x3024):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696646/16_water_final.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0Vxmg-c0irnD4l_UKLLOYgYTgO0=/0x0:1500x3024/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x3024):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696646/16_water_final.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LSZXuT5Nb97kJRllBIqiiCNxjjI=/0x0:1500x3024/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x3024):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696646/16_water_final.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WUvmYC8cJgycXgJlnpoq0nnZlIk=/0x0:1500x3024/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x3024):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696646/16_water_final.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2wHe8oXil-MKpnrxrtFoeeNhSnA=/0x0:1500x3024/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x3024):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696646/16_water_final.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/cOdMhIEIB_ThPaPR6vc4PtvGkYA=/0x0:1500x3024/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x3024):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696646/16_water_final.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/sBOdhwrPdnti2_s-EWF8WTwDzxM=/0x0:1500x3024/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x3024):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696646/16_water_final.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="Bottled water alone isn’t responsible for our plastic crisis or the breakdown in local water systems. But it has fundamentally redefined our relationship with this essential, finite resource. 23. “Nobody owns water,” says Michigan-based environmental lawyer Jim Olson. “If you own land, you do not own the water.” Yet by taking water and selling it back to us, bottled water makers have staked a claim on what belongs to us all." data-upload-width="1500" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/kOmmTs08t9dq6wf3faDxmB8BmPg=/0x0:1500x3024/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x3024):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696646/16_water_final.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/bpUX48L2AC49oZ_B2iqwUltBdOo=/0x0:1500x3024/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x3024):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696646/16_water_final.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lCa0PeMqK9BSkmyVaAV2FGB5BMk=/0x0:1500x3024/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x3024):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696646/16_water_final.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZYpYXZuC6RE_OkjASFzpov1oMWU=/0x0:1500x3024/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x3024):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696646/16_water_final.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/yTi168FNHXSu90nhCZzMB9ragms=/0x0:1500x3024/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x3024):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696646/16_water_final.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/30DEVVCN3PDR-N46lNohFWjjwj4=/0x0:1500x3024/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x3024):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696646/16_water_final.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ySbQTHoHzPVUmzWLJi3YPy2_7Fs=/0x0:1500x3024/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x3024):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696646/16_water_final.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/g4AGXkBr6qHyfZVwPAyPSz1MnG8=/0x0:1500x3024/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x3024):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696646/16_water_final.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/iziINSgF1ik1Hge7qQ2sfBBzOaY=/0x0:1500x3024/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x3024):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696646/16_water_final.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/oFdIWHOvanFDHwIb738RXBuMLMA=/0x0:1500x3024/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:1500x3024):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696646/16_water_final.jpg 1920w" /></picture></span></span></figure> <hr class="p-entry-hr" /> <p>Sources:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.icemountainwater.com/faq">Frequently Asked Questions</a>, Ice Mountain Water</li> <li>“<a href="https://www.beveragemarketing.com/news-detail.asp?id=654">Bottled Water, Unbowed by the Covid-19 Crisis, Grows Again in 2020,</a>” Beverage Marketing Corporation, May 2021</li> <li>“<a href="https://bottledwater.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/2019BWstats_BMCarticle_BWR_JulyAug2020_lowres.pdf">Bottled Water 2019: Slower but Notable Growth</a>,” by John G. Rodwan, Jr.</li> <li><a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/plastic-water"><em>Plastic Water: The Social and Material Life of Bottled Water</em></a>, by Gay Hawkins, Emily Potter, and Kane Race, MIT Press</li> <li>“<a href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/bottled-water-everywhere-keeping-it-safe">Bottled Water Everywhere: Keeping it Safe</a>,” US Food and Drug Administration</li> <li>“<a href="https://www.beveragemarketing.com/news-detail.asp?id=438">Bottled Water Becomes Number-One Beverage in the U.S.</a>,” Beverage Marketing Corporation, March 2017</li> <li>“<a href="https://napcor.com/news/4970-2/">NAPCOR Releases 2019 PET Recycling Report</a>,” National Association for PET Container Resources</li> <li><a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=66960X1516588&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.penguinrandomhouse.com%2Fbooks%2F550935%2Fwhat-the-eyes-dont-see-by-mona-hanna-attisha%2F&referrer=vox.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vox.com%2Fthe-goods%2F2021%2F7%2F12%2F22554546%2Fbottled-water-michigan-waste-flint-plastic" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank" has-subtag="true" data-cdata='{"rewritten_url":"https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516588\u0026xs=1\u0026url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/550935/what-the-eyes-dont-see-by-mona-hanna-attisha/\u0026referrer=vox.com\u0026sref=https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2021/7/12/22554546/bottled-water-michigan-waste-flint-plastic\u0026xcust=___vx__p_22318587__m_m-placeholder__s_s-placeholder__t_w__c_c-placeholder__r_r-placeholder__d_d-placeholder","subtag_max_length":50,"subtag_delim_length":3,"subtag_key":"xcust","subtag_data":{"id":"66960X1516588","xs":"1","url":"https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/550935/what-the-eyes-dont-see-by-mona-hanna-attisha/","referrer":"vox.com","sref":"https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2021/7/12/22554546/bottled-water-michigan-waste-flint-plastic","xcust":"___vx__p_22318587__m_m-placeholder__s_s-placeholder__t_w__c_c-placeholder__r_r-placeholder__d_d-placeholder"},"encode_subtag":false}'><em>What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City</em></a>, by Mona Hanna-Attisha, One World</li> <li>“<a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/flint-water-crisis/2016/02/16/study-flint-paid-highest-rate-us-water/80461288/">Flint residents paid America’s highest water rates</a>,” <em>Detroit Free Press</em>, by John Wisely, February 2016</li> <li>“<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/03/599207550/michigan-oks-nestl-water-extraction-despite-over-80k-public-comments-against-it">Michigan OKs Nestlé Water Extraction, Despite 80K+ Public Comments Against It</a>,” NPR, by Bill Chappell, April 2018</li> <li><a href="https://islandpress.org/books/bottled-and-sold"><em>Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water</em></a><em>,</em> by Peter Gleick, Island Press</li> <li>“<a href="https://www.mlive.com/news/2017/06/nestle_waters_michigan_tribes.html">1836 treaty puts Michigan tribes at center of Nestle water bid</a>,” MLive, by Garret Ellison, June 2017.</li> <li>“<a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/347/6223/768">Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean</a>,” Science, February 2015.</li> </ul> <div> <div> <div class="c-entry-sidebar"> <figure class="e-image"><span class="e-image__inner"><span class="e-image__image" data-original="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22694038/GettyImages_162761880.jpg"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1626094817_8196_79702" data-cdata='{"asset_id":22694038,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hQPehkn1TcMqLEFFdYBdKdI5KDE=/0x0:4800x3554/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:4800x3554):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22694038/GettyImages_162761880.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7dvab1UD1ZvLgtxm81wAsZPic24=/0x0:4800x3554/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:4800x3554):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22694038/GettyImages_162761880.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_ntb6uO1AMYDh7o0FZ0euwibyjM=/0x0:4800x3554/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:4800x3554):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22694038/GettyImages_162761880.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WBTM7F3UF5l5mEL36HOfrA6RyvM=/0x0:4800x3554/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:4800x3554):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22694038/GettyImages_162761880.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TYktI3sH7KtOphiEyVw4kmhw9r0=/0x0:4800x3554/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:4800x3554):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22694038/GettyImages_162761880.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wkWq8mI7JqLS5S25oNQ0HV-_i0A=/0x0:4800x3554/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:4800x3554):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22694038/GettyImages_162761880.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Mk-Fdg-m0IYULjA2Hh04x00939s=/0x0:4800x3554/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:4800x3554):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22694038/GettyImages_162761880.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QDu8HZqHUbMrlr-fkV-oVwc2cy8=/0x0:4800x3554/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:4800x3554):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22694038/GettyImages_162761880.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Vc1j0gYUEkJlcivvZtCB6ESD-_M=/0x0:4800x3554/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:4800x3554):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22694038/GettyImages_162761880.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="" data-upload-width="4800" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/A3wTkvp2KxrKrSz0b075xcQhZtQ=/0x0:4800x3554/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:4800x3554):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22694038/GettyImages_162761880.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nCBIL_KpBiGAY9iIEnIMRbkWH6A=/0x0:4800x3554/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:4800x3554):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22694038/GettyImages_162761880.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Wo3OEdzTc1Dt7rOAnTr-stbm3R0=/0x0:4800x3554/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:4800x3554):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22694038/GettyImages_162761880.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/OmJr_X49y-tc5QCWWqmWig9sEG0=/0x0:4800x3554/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:4800x3554):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22694038/GettyImages_162761880.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wPEYtH0_rygsrrmQ65LfasCmSFA=/0x0:4800x3554/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:4800x3554):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22694038/GettyImages_162761880.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ydWLa2lgnDH8nEjiOPqXEAyN8OA=/0x0:4800x3554/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:4800x3554):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22694038/GettyImages_162761880.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/B6cXmXEzSMU0Eo8XA5V1ZyYfTw4=/0x0:4800x3554/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:4800x3554):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22694038/GettyImages_162761880.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UiObaMM4vmpDMsnckYVWzKvZjWo=/0x0:4800x3554/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:4800x3554):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22694038/GettyImages_162761880.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5Ps8-1zrleXI4p_C6rqOmmCQk9A=/0x0:4800x3554/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:4800x3554):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22694038/GettyImages_162761880.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nsMUK4HXvaD1hlpKd57V6W42xic=/0x0:4800x3554/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:4800x3554):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22694038/GettyImages_162761880.jpg 1920w" /></picture></span></span></figure> <p>The acquisition of stuff looms large in the American imagination. What is life under consumerism doing to us?</p> <p>Read more from <a href="https://www.vox.com/e/22321774" data-analytics-viewport="related-story" data-analytics-link="related-story">The Goods’ series</a>.</p> </div> </div> </div> <br /> <br /> source <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2021/7/12/22554546/bottled-water-michigan-waste-flint-plastic">https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2021/7/12/22554546/bottled-water-michigan-waste-flint-plastic</a>

vox The spiritual bankruptcy of bottled water

Sources: Frequently Asked Questions , Ice Mountain Water “ Bottled Water, Unbowed by the Covid-19 Crisis...

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UK's PM To "Restore Our Freedoms" After Covid Lockdown

<div class="ins_instory_dv"> <div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="UK's PM To 'Restore Our Freedoms' After Covid Lockdown" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/2021-04/hs3mfqu_boris-johnson_625x300_28_April_21.jpg" title="UK's PM To 'Restore Our Freedoms' After Covid Lockdown" /></div> </div> <p>Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set Monday to confirm "Freedom Day" next week with the lifting of most pandemic curbs in England, but will urge caution with experts worried the government is moving too fast.</p> <p>Johnson was due to hold an afternoon news conference confirming that the government's tests have been met to allow a full reopening of the economy on July 19, doing away with the final measures of a months-old lockdown.</p> <p>But with Britain now averaging more than 30,000 daily cases of the fast-spreading Delta coronavirus variant, scientists are fretting that the ending of measures such as mandatory mask-wearing spells trouble.</p> <p>And the government's decision to allow more than 60,000 football fans to attend Sunday's European Championship final between England and Italy has added to the fears, after near-total flouting of distancing rules.</p> <p>Johnson, however, insists the time is right to move from legally enforced rules to personal responsibility, and use the summer months to prepare for a potentially more damaging wave of Covid-19 in the winter.</p> <p>"We are tantalisingly close to the final milestone in our roadmap out of lockdown, but the plan to restore our freedoms must come with a warning," he said in remarks previewing the announcement.</p> <p>"While the phenomenal vaccine rollout has offered every adult some protection against the virus, and the crucial link between cases, hospitalisations and deaths is weakened, the global pandemic is not over yet.</p> <p>"Cases will rise as we unlock, so as we confirm our plans today, our message will be clear," Johnson said.</p> <p>"Caution is absolutely vital, and we must all take responsibility so we don't undo our progress, ensuring we continue to protect our NHS (National Health Service)."</p> <p>While infection rates have jumped, deaths remain relatively stable in Britain after a mass vaccination campaign, and right-wing media are acclaiming July 19 as "Freedom Day".</p> <p>But there are signs the campaign is petering out, with take-up rates among younger adults waning.</p> <p>Sarah Clarke, a board member of the UK's Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, said there had been a 60 percent increase in ICU admissions over the past week and "we have over 500 patients being admitted per day into intensive cares".</p> <p>"I would absolutely err on the side of extreme caution," she told Times Radio about Johnson's plan to end rules on masks and social distancing in England.</p> <p>Keeping the public safe is "not sustainable if we all decide to take our masks off and think that the vaccine programme no longer applies".</p> <p>The UK's other nations -- Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland -- set their own health policy and are moving more cautiously.</p> <br /> <br /> source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/uks-pm-boris-johnson-to-restore-our-freedoms-after-covid-lockdown-2484795">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/uks-pm-boris-johnson-to-restore-our-freedoms-after-covid-lockdown-2484795</a>

news world UK's PM To "Restore Our Freedoms" After Covid Lockdown

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set Monday to confirm "Freedom Day" next week with the lifting of most pandemic curbs in Englan...

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Nepal's Supreme Court Orders Appointment Of Sher Bahadur Deuba As Prime Minister

<div class="ins_instory_dv"> <div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="Nepal's Supreme Court Orders Appointment Of Sher Bahadur Deuba As Prime Minister" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/2021-07/jfp09jv8_sher-bahadur-deuba-650_625x300_12_July_21.jpeg" title="Nepal's Supreme Court Orders Appointment Of Sher Bahadur Deuba As Prime Minister" /></div> <p class="ins_instory_dv_caption sp_b">Sher Bahadur Deuba, 74, has served as the prime minister on four occasions.</p> </div> <b class="place_cont">New Delhi:</b> <p>In a landmark verdict, Nepal's Supreme Court on Monday directed President Bidya Devi Bhandari to appoint Nepali Congress chief Sher Bahadur Deuba as prime minister by Tuesday and reinstated the dissolved House of Representatives for the second time in five months.</p> <p>A five-member Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana issued the verdict stating that President Bidya Devi Bhandari's decision to dissolve the lower house upon a recommendation of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli was an unconstitutional act, delivering a major blow to the veteran Communist leader who was preparing for snap polls.</p> <p>The bench issued a mandamus to appoint Sher Bahadur Deuba as the Prime Minister by Tuesday.</p> <p>Sher Bahadur  Deuba, 74, has served as the prime minister on four occasions.</p> <p>The court also ordered summoning a new session of House of Representatives at 5 PM on July 18.</p> <p>Chief Justice Rana also said that the bench has concluded that party whip does not apply when lawmakers take part in the voting to elect new Prime Minister as per Article 76(5) of the Constitution.</p> <p>The bench comprising four other senior-most justices -- Dipak Kumar Karki, Mira Khadka, Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada, and Dr Ananda Mohan Bhattarai -- had concluded hearings in the case last week.</p> <p>President Bidya Devi Bhandari had dissolved the 275-member lower house for the second time in five months on May 22 at the recommendation of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and announced snap elections on November 12 and November 19.</p> <p>Last week, the Election Commission had announced the schedule for mid-term elections despite the uncertainty over polls.</p> <p>As many as 30 petitions, including one by the opposition alliance led by the Nepali Congress, were filed against the dissolution of the House by the President.</p> <p>A petition was filed by the Opposition parties' alliance with the signature of 146 lawmakers demanding the reinstatement of the lower house of Parliament and the appointment of Deuba as the prime minister.</p> <p>Nepal plunged into a political crisis on December 20 last year after President Bhandari dissolved the House and announced fresh elections on April 30 and May 10 at the recommendation of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, amidst a tussle for power within the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP).</p> <p>On February 23, the top court reinstated the dissolved House of Representatives, in a setback to embattled Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli who was preparing for snap polls.</p> <p>K P Sharma Oli, who is currently heading a minority government after losing a trust vote in the House, has repeatedly defended his move to dissolve the House of Representatives, saying some leaders of his party were attempting to form a "parallel government". </p> <br /> <br /> source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/nepals-supreme-court-orders-appointment-of-sher-bahadur-deuba-as-prime-minister-2484780">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/nepals-supreme-court-orders-appointment-of-sher-bahadur-deuba-as-prime-minister-2484780</a>

news world Nepal's Supreme Court Orders Appointment Of Sher Bahadur Deuba As Prime Minister

Sher Bahadur Deuba, 74, has served as the prime minister on four occasions. New Delhi: In a landmark verdict, Nepal's Supreme Court...

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