14 DAY TRIAL // Because in recent years worldwide carbonated drinks have decreased, the Coca Cola franchise has moved a large part of its activities in the bottling of tap water sector. The “Dasani” brand is owned by the company, which has managed to keep up its international sales at very high levels, among other producers that “suffer” from the indifference of a more health-aware public. Knowing the risks that carbonated drinks imply, which have already spawned some urban myths, more and more people are now consuming only bottled water or sodas that have no acid added.
Environmentalists accused Coca Cola of duplicity – the factory made a commitment to reducing its impact on the environment, yet its actions differ from the over-optimistic statements it previously released. As an example, the Indian city of Kaladera, which housed a Coca Cola production facility, forced the company to relocate it, due to widespread concern that the enormous amounts of water that were extracted from the soil were damaging the surrounding ecosystems.
The Ground Water Board, supported by the vast majority of the population, asked that the installation be removed from the area, putting a $16 million dent in the company's budget. Despite its assuring the people that the situation was not serious, and although it invested funds in water cleaning projects, Coca Cola was “expelled” from the area. However, that didn't stop the company from registering increasing sales in the whole country, as well as in China.
What has upset social activists is the fact that Coca Cola advertises its products via a James Bond commercial. That in itself wouldn't be half bad, if the movie wasn't about water shortages throughout Bolivia. It's a bit hypocritical for the company to use such a commercial, when it has lobbied against a California bill that would have forced it to disclose exactly how much water it's drawing from the soil of all countries in which it has production facilities.
Nevertheless, based on the American people's reaction to the famous movie series, it's highly unlikely that sales will drop. Many people will continue drinking the stuff only because “James Bond does.” Moreover, their health will continue being jeopardized.