Connect with us

News

Marginalized Families Spend More on Bottled Water Due to Poor Water Infrastructure

Published

on

Bottled water is the nation’s #1 bottled beverage. The average cost of bottled water consumption for a family of four, with the assumption that each person drinks 47 gallons a year, is between $250 to $2,700 a year. The tap water equivalent cost is 23.5 cents per person. As highlighted by CounterPunch in November 2023, low-income families spend more on bottled water than other households, according to a Consumer Reports survey from 2019.

Households that earn less than $25,000 a year spend around $15 a month on single-use water bottles. Households with an annual income of between $25,000 and $49,000 spend $12 a month, and households earning above $50,000 spend $10 a month. 

The Consumer Reports survey found that Black households spent an average of $19 a month on bottled water, Hispanic households spent $18, and white households spent $9. 

Advertisement

Other research has found that adults with higher incomes drank more tap water than bottled water. Most of the water consumed by Black and Hispanic households, immigrants, and those with less than a high school degree is bottled water. 

In 2017, US Gallup conducted a poll that found that 80 percent of nonwhite respondents are concerned about drinking polluted water. Fifty-six percent of white respondents also shared that concern. When looking at socioeconomic status, 75 percent of those making less than $50,000 were worried about consumption of water pollution compared to 56 percent percent of those earning over $75,000.

These discrepancies in public opinion reflect how low-income households have been disproportionately impacted by the worsening of US public water infrastructure. 

Health scholar Asher Rosinger indicated that “higher-income adults drink bottled water for convenience, whereas lower-income adults may drink bottled water because of tap water access issues.” Bottled water companies have been known to target their advertising in Black and Hispanic communities for this reason. 

Advertisement

This issue is linked with economic and environmental injustice because there are areas—notably, Flint, Michigan—where tap water is undrinkable due to industrial contamination or water system failure. Therefore, some households may be paying double for water because they pay a monthly water bill, despite not drinking their tap water, in addition to purchasing bottled water to drink.

In 2015, CounterPunch found that for those households paying double, costs amounted to around $1,000 to $5,000 per year to fulfill both drinking and cooking needs with bottled water. This can reach up to 12 percent of a household’s income for poor families in the US.

As Jafee explained in his article, “The social groups who on average can least afford to pay for a constant supply of bottled water are precisely those who tend to trust their tap water the least, who are targeted by the industry’s advertising, and who spend the highest percentage of household income to buy packaged water.”

There has been no corporate media coverage about the disproportionate costs of bottled water for low-income and minority households. However, CNN and AP News both recently reported on the Biden administration using $58 billion of federal funds for water infrastructure improvements across the country.

Advertisement

Source: Daniel Jaffee, “The Real Cost of Bottled Water,” CounterPunch.org, November 30, 2023. 

Student Researcher: Olivia Rosenberg (North Central College) 

Faculty Evaluator: Steve Macek (North Central College)

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Money

‘How cute are these’, parents cry as they clear shelves of Home Bargains shoes for kids selling for just £3

Published

on

'We need these!' cry Home Bargains shoppers over £4 Polar Express slippers ready for Christmas

SHOPPERS are racing to Home Bargains to grab “amazing” slippers for kids selling for a dirt-cheap price.

A thrifty buyer shared her steal deal with a bargain-hunting Facebook group, claiming the identical clos are sold for £10 on the internet.

Parents are racing to Home Bargains to grab these 'amazing' slippers

1

Parents are racing to Home Bargains to grab these ‘amazing’ slippersCredit: facebook/ExtremeCouponingandBargains

Home Bargain is selling kids’ clog slippers with fur lining for just £3.

Advertisement

Savvy parents are clearing the shelves of the retailer to buy pairs of the footwar for their tods after spotting the bargain deal.

Posting a picture of the proud discovery on the popular Facebook page Extreme Couponing and Bargains, the savvy customer wrote: “Selling just for £3 at Home Bargains.

“Identical to the ones that sell for £10 online.”

The post wracked up hundreds of likes and comments with many group members tagging pals to talk about the superb deal.

Advertisement

One user said: “I need to get these amazing pairs as soon as possible.”

While another said: “How cute are these.”

A third wrote: “Going tomorrow first thing in the morning to grab these.”

Do bear in mind that when prices are reduced by this much it’s usually in order for stores to clear excess stock, so availability will vary from store to store.

Advertisement

It’s always best to phone ahead to your local shop to check what they have available to avoid disappointment.

I’m a bargain hunter & I’ve found a secret website to get cheap clothes – I nabbed a Topshop coat for £16 & boots for £7

You can find your nearest Home Bargains store using the locator tool on the website.

It always pays to compare prices so you know you’re getting the best deal.

Prices can also vary day to day and by what deals are on at the time, plus remember you might pay for delivery if you’re ordering online.

Advertisement

You can compare prices on platforms like Google Shopping.

How to save money at Home Bargains

Knowing when to pick up products is one way to save money at Home Bargains.

Visiting your local branch at the right time of day, week and year can help you pick up bargains from as little as 69p.

We spoke to Tom Church, a shopping expert who reveals the best times to visit the store to bag a bargain.

Advertisement

Also join any shopper bargain Facebook groups such as Extreme Couponing and Bargains, as people love to share the news when they have bagged a cheap deal.

Be sure to look out for seasonal stock too, like most retailers, Home Bargains shashes its prices after big public holidays such as Christmas and Easter.

How to bag a bargain

SUN Savers Editor Lana Clements explains how to find a cut-price item and bag a bargain…

Advertisement

Sign up to loyalty schemes of the brands that you regularly shop with.

Big names regularly offer discounts or special lower prices for members, among other perks.

Sales are when you can pick up a real steal.

Retailers usually have periodic promotions that tie into payday at the end of the month or Bank Holiday weekends, so keep a lookout and shop when these deals are on.

Advertisement

Sign up to mailing lists and you’ll also be first to know of special offers. It can be worth following retailers on social media too.

When buying online, always do a search for money off codes or vouchers that you can use vouchercodes.co.uk and myvouchercodes.co.uk are just two sites that round up promotions by retailer.

Scanner apps are useful to have on your phone. Trolley.co.uk app has a scanner that you can use to compare prices on branded items when out shopping.

Bargain hunters can also use B&M’s scanner in the app to find discounts in-store before staff have marked them out.

Advertisement

And always check if you can get cashback before paying which in effect means you’ll get some of your money back or a discount on the item

Source link

Continue Reading

Travel

City named best budget friendly autumn getaway has hot weather and costs less than £170 for a week-long hotel stay

Published

on

Marrakech has good weather during the autumn months with little rain and average temperatures of 19C

AN Autumn break can be a good choice for holidaymakers looking to chase the sun, with many destinations offering warmer weather, fewer crowds, and cheaper prices. 

One city has been found to offer the best bargain holiday deal for this time of year, and that’s Marrakech. 

Marrakech has good weather during the autumn months with little rain and average temperatures of 19C

4

Marrakech has good weather during the autumn months with little rain and average temperatures of 19CCredit: Stone – Getty
El Badi Palace features intricate mosaics and its rooftop has views of the Atlas Mountains

4

Advertisement
El Badi Palace features intricate mosaics and its rooftop has views of the Atlas MountainsCredit: Getty – Contributor

The fourth largest city in Morrocco has become increasingly popular with tourists over the years. 

And it’s now been crowned Most Budget Friendly Autumn Getaway 2024 by DiscoverCars.com.

In the car rental company’s latest report cities were scored on a number of factors: 

  • Average cost of a week-long hotel stay

Read more on autumn breaks

  • Average cost of car rental for a week
  • Number of affordable restaurants
  • Average rainfall in millimetres
  • Average temperature in September, October and November
  • Average daylight hours during these months. 
Up-and-coming holiday hotspot has £2 beers, £30 hotels & is 3 hours from UK

Marrakech scored best for average rainfall, with just 25mm during September, October and November. 

It also came up top for the longest daylight hours, with an average of nine hours during Autumn

Advertisement

While the average flight cost to Marrakech Airport is on the pricier side (£253), the average cost of a week-long hotel stay was just £168. 

Its average temperature was one of the highest at 19C. 

Here are some of the cheapest things you can get up to in the city. 

Visit Bahia Palace for its stunning Moroccan architecture 

Nestled in the heart of Marrakech is Bahia Palace – a 19th century building decorated with stunning paintings and mosaics. 

Advertisement

The palace was set up by Si Moussa, grand vizir of the sultan, for his personal use, and named after one of his wives. 

Its gardens are particularly popular, with orange and banana trees, cypress trees, hibiscus plants and jasmine shading the walkways. 

Entry to the palace is free. 

Grab a cheap bite to eat at Jemaa el-Fnaa

Jemaa el-Fnaa is the main square and market place in Marrakech’s medina quarter. 

Advertisement

There are plenty of restaurants dotted around the square serving local delicacies like tagine, brochettes (skewered kebabs), fried fish and couscous.  

Prices are very cheap – you can have a hearty meal for just £9-13.

Explore the iconic El Badi Palace 

El Badi Palace is a ruined palace commissioned by the sultan Ahmad al-Mansur of the Saadian dynasty a few months after his accession in 1578. 

Budget Friendly Autumn Getaways 2024

Advertisement

There were 18 budget friendly cities that made the list:

  1. Marrakech
  2. Seville
  3. Lisbon
  4. Madrid
  5. Barcelona
  6. Venice
  7. Budapest
  8. Rome
  9. Florence
  10. Bruges
  11. Prague
  12. Copenhagen
  13. Dubrovnik
  14. Berlin
  15. Vienna
  16. Edinburgh
  17. Paris
  18. Amsterdam

For the full report, visit the DiscoverCars.com website.

The Bahia Palace gardens have orange and banana trees, cypress trees, hibiscus plants and jasmine shading the walkways

4

The Bahia Palace gardens have orange and banana trees, cypress trees, hibiscus plants and jasmine shading the walkwaysCredit: Getty
As well as places to eat, Jemaa el-Fnaa has lots of markets where you can pick up a bargain

4

As well as places to eat, Jemaa el-Fnaa has lots of markets where you can pick up a bargainCredit: Alamy

The palace features intricate mosaics, marble columns, gold-topped ceilings, and onyx, and its rooftop terrace offers views of the skyline, Atlas Mountains, and resident storks. 

Advertisement

Entry for adults is 100 MAD (£7.75), and for children 30 MAD (£3.02).

Source link

Continue Reading

News

Sophie Turner’s Joan is just Sansa Stark with shoulder pads

Published

on

Sophie Turner's Joan is just Sansa Stark with shoulder pads

As Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones, Sophie Turner excelled as a pure soul in a morally depraved medieval universe. In lightweight but enjoyable biopic Joan, she portrays another underdog heroine once again travelling to a bygone era. Sporting a Bananarama haircut, she plays real-life 1980s jewel chief Joan Hannington, Thatcher-era London’s so-called “Criminal Godmother.”

Turner’s Hannington is Sansa with an EastEnders accent and a fashion upgrade – rather than princess frocks, it’s pastel blouses and mammoth shoulder pads.

But her Joan is also a hot streak of contradictions under the clobber and the eye makeup. She’s a loving mum but someone who will endanger her future with her daughter by stealing a car so that she can visit the child in foster care (an actual incident detailed in Hannington’s memoir, I Am What I Am: The True Story of Britain’s Most Notorious Jewel Thief). And while Turner puts great effort into playing her as an oppressed woman with a heart of gold, Joan is undeniably enthusiastic about her descent into criminality.

SNOWED IN PRODUCTIONS FOR ITV AND ITVX JOAN EPISODE 1 Pictured:SOPHIE TURNER as Joan and MIA MILLICHAMP-LONG as Kelly This image is under copyright and can only be reproduced for editorial purposes in your print or online publication. This image cannot be syndicated to any other third party. Copyright ITV For further information please contact: Patrick.smith@itv.com 07909906963
Turner’s character is both an enthusiastic criminal and a doting mother (Photo: Snowed In Productions/ITV)

Joan is part giddy heist, part social drama, and the two genres combine unevenly in a series that feels torn between escapism and the desire to be something grittier.

Turner’s character is introduced as a frightened victim of an abusive criminal boyfriend, Gary (Nick Blood), who does a runner after falling out with the wrong people. Joan is left to answer for his deeds and when gangsters break in and threaten her, she puts her daughter into care and flees from the seaside town of Herne Bay in Kent to London, where she eventually bags a job selling expensive necklaces to posh women. There, she finds another calling: pinching the jewels by swallowing them whole and retrieving the stash with the help of an olive oil laxative (a scene that mercifully takes place off-camera).

Advertisement

Turner is best when playing Joan as a female version of George Clooney in Ocean’s Eleven. Charming and with a knack for accents, she disarms her pervy boss at the jewellers – but rather than submit to his advances, she gulps down those diamonds from the stock room and pegs it. Later, she falls in with charming antique dealer Boisie (Frank Dillane), a cad with useful underworld connections.

Frank Dillane as charming antique dealer and Joan’s boyfriend Boisie (Photo: Snowed In Productions/ITV)

Where Turner struggles and Joan stutters is when it tries to go all Ken Loach. Turner struggles to get under the skin of a woman brought up in care and betrayed by all the men in her life – she lacks the acting heft. These scenes are a box-ticking exercise – it’s as if they have been included simply because they feature in Hannington’s memoir, rather than out of any genuine desire to explore Joan’s traumas.

Joan also fails to lay the groundwork for the character’s transformation into a natural-born criminal. She is introduced as the lead character in a dour kitchen sink drama. But when she overhears a posh woman nattering to a pal in a London park, she can effortlessly mimic the accent and eventually wangle her way into that jewellers job. Her display of chameleonic powers arrives completely out of the blue.

Switching between these japes and scenes of dark social realism is disconcerting, though the drama does a great job evoking 1980s London. Outrageous fashions, naff music (The Style Council feature early on), and retro cars conjure visions of fluffy dice and ZX Spectrums. It’s a fantasy version of the decade – but one which Joan explores with gusto. It’s when it tries to be bleak and realistic that the wheels come off.

‘Joan’ continues tomorrow at 9pm on ITV1

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Money

Labour could scrap criminal prosecutions for failing to pay BBC licence fee

Published

on

Labour could scrap criminal prosecutions for failing to pay BBC licence fee

CRIMINAL prosecutions for failing to pay the BBC licence fee could be scrapped by Labour.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is understood to be “concerned” by the disproportionate number of women being punished.

Criminal prosecutions for failing to pay the BBC licence fee could be scrapped by Labour

2

Criminal prosecutions for failing to pay the BBC licence fee could be scrapped by LabourCredit: PA
Lisa Nandy is understood to be 'concerned' by the disproportionate number of women being punished

2

Advertisement
Lisa Nandy is understood to be ‘concerned’ by the disproportionate number of women being punishedCredit: Rex

And there is agreement between Ms Nandy and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood that taxpayers should not have to fork out for the “administrative burden”.

Almost 1,000 Brits are prosecuted every week for ignoring the £169.50 annual fee.

Seventy per cent are women.

They are more likely to be poorly paid, coping with single families or taking charge of household bills — and also more likely to be at home when investigators call.

Advertisement

But last night an insider said prosecutions will continue until at least 2027, when the BBC’s Royal Charter is due for renewal.

Ministers will then meet Beeb bosses to “explore options” for new funding models.

These are set to include decriminalisation.

Last year half a million people stopped paying as they opted for US-based subscription services instead.

Advertisement

At the same time former Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer branded criminal prosecutions “morally indefensible in modern times”.

A TV Licensing spokesman said: “We have a duty to enforce the law.

BBC Licence Fee FROZEN for two years – but households face bigger bills for four more years

“But we have made considerable efforts to help people get licensed and offer help and support.

“Our focus on collecting the licence fee fairly and efficiently.”

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

News

Strictly 'fix' row erupts as first elimination sparks fury among fans

Published

on

Strictly 'fix' row erupts as first elimination sparks fury among fans


Strictly Come Dancing viewers have been left outraged after the first elimination of the series saw a fan-favourite booted off the show

Source link

Continue Reading

Money

We found a mundane mug gathering dust in a loft for 20 years – now it’s sold for £13,500 due to unique detail

Published

on

We found a mundane mug gathering dust in a loft for 20 years - now it's sold for £13,500 due to unique detail

A MUNDANE ceramic mug left inside a loft for 20 years has been sold at an auction for a whopping £13,500 because of one unique detail.

The 87-year-old souvenir cup was designed by British artist Eric Ravilious for Wedgwood to mark the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937.

The pale yellow lower band and green detailing from a collection of five Ravilious 1937 Wedgwood coronation mugs sold for £13,500

3

The pale yellow lower band and green detailing from a collection of five Ravilious 1937 Wedgwood coronation mugs sold for £13,500Credit: SWNS
The 87-year-old souvenir cup was designed by British artist Eric Ravilious for Wedgwood to mark the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937

3

Advertisement
The 87-year-old souvenir cup was designed by British artist Eric Ravilious for Wedgwood to mark the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937Credit: SWNS
The collection of five Ravilious 1937 Wedgwood coronation mugs

3

The collection of five Ravilious 1937 Wedgwood coronation mugsCredit: SWNS

It is said to be a rare example because of its unique yellow and green detailing which had sat undisturbed in a box in the vendor’s loft since the late 1990s.

Adapted from a previous version intended to mark King Edward VIII taking the throne before his abdication, the design features celebratory fireworks and the royal coat of arms.

The mug was given an estimate of £800 when it went under the hammer at Gildings Auctioneers in Market Harborough, Leics earlier this week.

Advertisement

But it smashed its estimate and sold to a private buyer for £13,500 – more than 16 times its guide price.

Gildings director Will Gilding said: “We’re thrilled to achieve this astonishing result for this very special mug which although highly collectable, is still intrinsically just a mundane household item.

“We were unable to find any other examples of this particular colourway, which also has a slightly differently shaped rim to the other mugs in the sale, so this one may well be unique.

“As a result, we knew it had the potential to soar far beyond its guide price.

Advertisement

“But for the hammer to go down at £13,500 is truly remarkable and just goes to show the magic that can happen when two determined collectors identify a must-have treasure.”

The cup was from a collection of five of Ravilious’s 1937 Wedgwood coronation mugs – and was kept inside an attic for 20 years.

Three of the mugs in more commonly seen but still sought-after turquoise, blue and pink-based colourways sold for £270, £360 and £2,700 respectively.

Coin expert shows exact detail on 1993 penny that makes it worth over $50,000 ahead of auction

Another blue version made for the planned coronation of Edward VIII fetched £480.

Advertisement

Born in 1903, Eric Ravilious was a highly regarded Sussex-based painter, designer, book illustrator and wood engraver.

He is best known for his modernist watercolour interpretations of English landscapes and World War II scenes, some of which are displayed in the Imperial War Museum in London.

In December 1939 Ravilious became an official World War Two war artist with the rank of Honorary Captain in the Royal Marines.

On September 2, 1942, he joined one of three aircraft dispatched on a search and rescue mission for a plane that had failed to return to RAF Kaldadarnes in Iceland.

Advertisement

The aircraft he boarded also failed to return, and he and the four-man crew were recorded as lost in action four days later, making him the first of three British war artists to die in active service during World War Two.

Will added: “This vanishingly rare example of a striking design by a renowned artist who suffered a tragic wartime death was sold in very good condition given its age and ceramic nature.

“Such is the power of its scarcity, and the demand for works by Ravilious, this high quality but relatively inexpensive souvenir has taken on a previously unimagined value several decades later.

“When I brought the gavel down, I think everyone in the room felt like we needed a cup of tea to calm us all down – not least the buyer – but in a slightly more affordable mug.”

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2024 WordupNews.com