Question

Use the passage to answer the question. Bottled water is the number one packaged product in the United States, outselling even bottled soda. Only about 30 percent of water bottles are recycled, and most of the rest end up in the ocean, where they break down into microplastics and poison sea life. The only solution to this problem is to ban plastic water bottles. A student is developing a counterclaim to this argument. Which counterclaim is the fairest and most effective? (1 point) Responses Bottled water, soda, and juice all contain the chemical dihydrogen oxide, and their bottles are all made with polyethylene terephthalate. Bottled water, soda, and juice all contain the chemical dihydrogen oxide, and their bottles are all made with polyethylene terephthalate. If people want bottled water, they should be able to get all they want of it, and not allowing businesses to sell it will hurt them greatly. If people want bottled water, they should be able to get all they want of it, and not allowing businesses to sell it will hurt them greatly. There are places where tap water is not drinkable, and in these places, bottled water is distributed in emergency situations and is a lifesaver. There are places where tap water is not drinkable, and in these places, bottled water is distributed in emergency situations and is a lifesaver. Soda and juice bottles are actually more harmful to the environment if they are not recycled and banning these as well would not be practical. Soda and juice bottles are actually more harmful to the environment if they are not recycled and banning these as well would not be practical. Skip to navigation

Answer 1

The fairest and most effective counterclaim to the argument for banning plastic water bottles is: "There are places where tap water is not drinkable, and in these places, bottled water is distributed in emergency situations and is a lifesaver."

This counterclaim acknowledges the necessity of bottled water in certain situations, highlighting that a complete ban may not take into account the needs of individuals in areas where safe drinking water is not available. It provides a practical perspective on the essential role of bottled water in emergencies while also addressing the health and safety implications of a ban.