Blue Gold

02005-02-05 | Uncategorized | 3 comments

Music: Danca dos Escravos – Egberto Gismonti

Global consumption of water is doubling every 20 years, more than twice the rate of human population growth. According to the United Nations, more than one billion people on earth already lack access to fresh drinking water. If current trends persist, by 2025 the demand for fresh water is expected to rise to 56 percent more than the amount that is currently available.

The above title link leads to PDF of a paper by Maude Barlow from the Council of Canadians, and the IFG Committee on the Globalization of Water. And if that doesn’t get your attention this might:

The wars of the next century will be about water.
Ismail Serageldin, Vice-President of the World Bank

2025 – that’s only decades from now. Also check out the book Blue Gold: The Fight to Stop the Corporate Theft of the World’s Water by Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke.

A real-life thriller about the corporate takeover of our most basic resource. Increasingly, transnational corporations are plotting to control the world’s dwindling water supply. In England and France, where water has already been privatized, rates have soared and water shortages have been severe. The major bottled-water companies: Perrier, Evian, Naya, and now Coca-Cola and PepsiCola, head one of the fastest growing and least regulated industries, buying up fresh water rights and drying up crucial reserves. Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke, two of the most active opponents to this trend, show how the corporate giants act in their own interest and how, contrary to received wisdom, water flows uphill to the wealthy who can afford it.

In other words, if you think terrorism based on faith was bad, just wait until people have to fight for such a basic resource as water. Damn I new seeing Nestle on every bottle was not a good sign. Click here for all of my Nestle posts.

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3 Comments

  1. Carol

    Thanks to caring people like you with the vision to see the “inevitable” perhaps we can make it the “might have been.”
    We seem to let everything get concentrated under central management, combining products, schools, government, companies, etc. It isn’t always so great. We also pass on our responsibilities. I remember on the farm when we had to have a windcharger and Delco Generator to provide electricity . We had a cistern to collect rain water and stock dams for the animals.
    Now we have have an “unending” supply of water piped infrom the Missouri River and to places farther and farther from the river. So much more efficient. We assume it will be there for drinking , navigation, fishing, the wildlife, entertainment, etc. oh yes, and elecricity….forever. The fights are so far only vocal, but it isn’t working as planned. The river is way down and it’s silting in places like it didn’t care that we are in charge of it.

    Reply
  2. Panj

    “””Thanks to caring people like you with the vision to see the “inevitable” perhaps we can make it the “might have been.”””
    How wonderfully put Carol!!!

    Reply
  3. Carol

    Thank you, Panj.

    Reply

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