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.

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.

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.

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.
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GPT-4o mini · Answer

The fairest and most effective counterclaim in response 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 addresses a critical need for bottled water in areas where safe drinking water is unavailable. It highlights that banning bottled water could have serious consequences for public health and safety, particularly in emergencies or in under-resourced areas. This argument effectively broadens the discussion beyond environmental concerns to encompass human necessity and public welfare.