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Water Rights Activist Will Stand Inside To Accept Award; If Necessary, However, She Will Stand Outside with Protesters
Leave it to the unsinkable Maude Barlow to protest an award she's about to receive.
The national chairperson for one of the nation's biggest citizen activist groups, The Council of Canadians, is indeed grateful for the Citation of Lifetime Achievement that she'll accept at the Canadian Environment Awards in Toronto tonight for her work in raising awareness about the growing global water crisis. However, she says that should there be demonstrators outside the gala protesting Shell - activists who argue the presence of the oil company and award sponsor is a travesty against the global climate change fight - she will show her solidarity by joining them arm-in-arm.
As one of the few energy companies in support of the Kyoto Accord, Barlow notes Shell has made some progressive strides, but she still has some major concerns, among them being its coal-bed methane operations in Northern B.C. and its history in Nigeria.
"I will support the demonstrators outside if they are there. I don't see it as a choice: You can go inside and accept the award but at the same time make a statement, which is what I'll do," says the author of Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis And The Coming Battle For The Right To Water. "You can be critical of these corporations and advance the work together. I think I'll be doing inside-outside support."
Barlow plans to address several hackle-raising subjects during her acceptance speech. The main ones include the danger of the corporate takeover of water systems and the government's enthusiastic plans to sell off Canadian water resources to an already thirsty U.S. - adding the Bush administration and the Pentagon have been getting advice from Lockheed Martin, the world's largest weapons manufacturer, on how to appropriate water from sources outside of its borders.
Barlow also wants Canada to recognize water as a fundamental human right at the United Nations, and she doesn't buy Ottawa's argument to the contrary, saying she can't imagine a more willing vendor than the Harper government.
"Our government says if water is a human right, we'll be forced to sell it to Americans, which is crazy," Barlow said.
"A human right is for people who are dying, it's not to provide golf courses or swimming pools to wealthy people. It's just an excuse: The real reason Canada is opposing the right to water at the UN is because in NAFTA, we have supported water as a tradeable good. And it would be a true contradiction - which I think would be great, but they don't think would be great - if we were to say it was a right."
The lack of potable water is an emergency for many parts of the globe, says Barlow, and an award ceremony such as this is an opportunity for her to get the word out that this predicament could reach Canadians sooner than they might think.
"The Earth is kind of like an apple that's green in some parts, but it has brown spots where it's drying up. We have to have this image in our minds," she said. "We have to live differently. We have to grow our food differently. We have to stop assuming technology is going to solve everything, because it isn't. We have to protect our public water systems. This, to me, is an emergency that equals climate change any day. I do what I can to sound the alarm and get this information out to the world."
Going against the flow
Below are Maude Barlow's tips on what you can do to save water:
Don't buy bottled water, says Barlow. "It's a scam. It's sitting in plastic, which is made up of fossil fuels and chemicals. Go back to regulated and tested tap water. Last year, we put something like 200 billion litres of water in plastic bottles around the world. Ninety-five per cent of those did not get recycled. This is insane. It's not acceptable."
Notify your provincial and federal politicians that you support the campaign for a National Water Act - which would set national water standards, map out ground water supplies and ban the commercial export of water (www.RightToWater.ca).
Use low-flow showerheads, washing machines and dishwashers.
© 2008 Metro News
13 Comments so far
Show AllAnd even if I weren't a Canadian, I would still say...Bravo, Maude Barlow!!! Could she be cloned?
"In North America, it takes approximately 4,500 gallons of water a day to feed the average meat eater. It takes 300 gallons of water a day to feed a vegan."
Any idea what the cost of dairy products is?
In North America, it takes approximately 4,500 gallons of water a day to feed the average meat eater. It takes 300 gallons of water a day to feed a vegan. Eating meat wastes water and pollutes the environment.
How to appropriate water from sources outside of its borders?! That sounds indistinguishable from armed robbery to me. Canadians had better hope the Iraqis et al keep fighting them over there so you don't have to fight them over here.
Lockheed Martin is no doubt being paid big consulting fees for its expertise in pre-emptive water "procurement". Can't you just hear US Defense Secretary Gates saying that the revenues from selling the water will pay for the cost of the "procurement".
"the Bush administration and the Pentagon have been getting advice from Lockheed Martin, the world's largest weapons manufacturer, on how to appropriate water from sources outside of its borders."
Since when is Lockheed Martin in the water business?
What next? Soon they'll be trying to corporatize and sell us the air we breathe. Now there's a terrific capitalist venture for you!
Now that the Bush regime has put our money in the pockets of the corporations, the next step is for those corporations to control water rights and corner the market on water, not just bottled water, but your local water supply. If you think gas is expensive, wait and see what you will be paying for water.
Enron was ready to pounce on water rights about the time the company unraveled. Although Enron no longer exists, only a few of the criminals employed by Enron that robbed millions of people blind are in jail, the rest of them are out there postured to control as much of the world's water suply as possible.
Tardy is this, given the June 3rd articles have already been posted for some hours now, but will post anyway.
Firstly, I, a dualised Cdn citizen and presently residing in southeastern Quebec since banktruptcy wipe-out in 1999 in the USA and due to the widespread and feverish replacement of hi-tech professionals of U.S. citizenship, a room being more attractive to me than park benches or cardboard boxes in alleyways, well, very good article. I am very glad to see that Ca has a good or excellent organisation of the likes of The Council of Canadians (not politicians, but real Canadians and humans of truly honourable character and actions; even if the dishonourable govt refuses to LISTEN to sane Cdns and denies us real justice, and so on).
" andersdl June 2nd, 2008 12:58 pm
Now that the Bush regime has put our money in the pockets of the corporations, the next step is for those corporations to control water rights and corner the market on water, not just bottled water, but your local water supply. If you think gas is expensive, wait and see what you will be paying for water."
I'm not sure if 'our money' refers to only the tax dollars of Americans, or also those of Cdns, for Cdn's are actually having their tax dollars hijacked for the same purposes; only, it's or they're indirectly provided through the dishonourable and also criminal (quasi-Nazi, in junior, yet and still real manner or form anyway) Cdn govt.
As for the price, cost of water when buying it, small quantities, like one-litre (quart in the U.S., I guess) and small bottles has long been more expensive than motor vehicle fuel; while I think quantities of one gallon and larger (jugs) works out to less than the cost of fuel. I don't think we yet pay more than maybe $3 for a gallon jug of water here, while paying, presently, over $5 for the equivalent of a U.S. gallon of fuel; around $1.36 per litre, 4 litres per gallon, minus 7.2 oz for anyone wishing do do precise gallon-price calculation. For home use, people seem to normally buy the large jugs of water, which I think are around 10gal.
We, at home, have an artesian well, no city or municipal services being provided for us [fortunate] folks, though still taxed for schools and properties (relatively low, given we have no municipal services and are rural); yet preferring to pay for services ourselves and directly to non-govt parties or businesses. People living where muncipal services are provided have little choice, but the people on this street, where I'm residing, and if not all residents of Hatley Township, Quebec, are doing fine without municipal services, and I prefer the idea of living this way. It's expensive, at first, for a septic tank and artesian well, but only at first; after which some cleaner or emptier of septic tanks has to come one, maybe two times a year, and we only have to pay for the salt-like crystals used for the filtering of the water from the artesian well (lousy, imo, for I preferred the pure water, only it drove my mother luny and due to the metals, iron and/or copper, causing staining of chrome surfaces; but I've become accustomed to the water, just that it's "bummer" tasteless, ... damn; I preferred water-stained chrome with richer water for human health).
I bought a one-litre bottle of water one time and just re-fill it with our own well's water; perhaps not a good idea if the elements of the plastic contaminate the water. I don't see any degradation of the plastic though, so maybe it's not contaminating the water (?).
Anyway, and for the smallest bottled water sold in stores, I think these are still less in cost than fuel is, but one-litre bottles even reach around $2, if not more, while fuel is around $1.36 per litre. The price of bottled water hasn't noticeably increased, I think anyway. Am not sure, for I only buy this when I really have no choice, which is very seldom.
We can all do that once and then re-use the bottle for either well or municipally supplied (and treated, and regulated) water, so why people don't do this for small quantities is ODD. Why pay when the municipal water is regularly reported to be as safe and sometimes safer?!
=============================
" zoya June 2nd, 2008 2:00 pm
...
Since when is Lockheed Martin in the water business?
andersdl June 2nd, 2008 2:24 pm
Lockheed Martin is no doubt being paid big consulting fees for its expertise in pre-emptive water "procurement". ..."
zoya,
There's the answer to your question. Everyone should, by now, know that the U.S.A. wars for NATURAL RESOURCES, and everyone should know by young childhood that WATER IS A VERY IMPORTANT NATURAL RESOURE.
Duh.
Tardy is this, given the June 3rd articles have already been posted for some hours now, but will post anyway.
Firstly, I, a dualised Cdn citizen and presently residing in southeastern Quebec since banktruptcy wipe-out in 1999 in the USA and due to the widespread and feverish replacement of hi-tech professionals of U.S. citizenship, a room being more attractive to me than park benches or cardboard boxes in alleyways, well, very good article. I am very glad to see that Ca has a good or excellent organisation of the likes of The Council of Canadians (not politicians, but real Canadians and humans of truly honourable character and actions; even if the dishonourable govt refuses to LISTEN to sane Cdns and denies us real justice, and so on).
" andersdl June 2nd, 2008 12:58 pm
Now that the Bush regime has put our money in the pockets of the corporations, the next step is for those corporations to control water rights and corner the market on water, not just bottled water, but your local water supply. If you think gas is expensive, wait and see what you will be paying for water."
I'm not sure if 'our money' refers to only the tax dollars of Americans, or also those of Cdns, for Cdn's are actually having their tax dollars hijacked for the same purposes; only, it's or they're indirectly provided through the dishonourable and also criminal (quasi-Nazi, in junior, yet and still real manner or form anyway) Cdn govt.
As for the price, cost of water when buying it, small quantities, like one-litre (quart in the U.S., I guess) and small bottles has long been more expensive than motor vehicle fuel; while I think quantities of one gallon and larger (jugs) works out to less than the cost of fuel. I don't think we yet pay more than maybe $3 for a gallon jug of water here, while paying, presently, over $5 for the equivalent of a U.S. gallon of fuel; around $1.36 per litre, 4 litres per gallon, minus 7.2 oz for anyone wishing do do precise gallon-price calculation. For home use, people seem to normally buy the large jugs of water, which I think are around 10gal.
We, at home, have an artesian well, no city or municipal services being provided for us [fortunate] folks, though still taxed for schools and properties (relatively low, given we have no municipal services and are rural); yet preferring to pay for services ourselves and directly to non-govt parties or businesses. People living where muncipal services are provided have little choice, but the people on this street, where I'm residing, and if not all residents of Hatley Township, Quebec, are doing fine without municipal services, and I prefer the idea of living this way. It's expensive, at first, for a septic tank and artesian well, but only at first; after which some cleaner or emptier of septic tanks has to come one, maybe two times a year, and we only have to pay for the salt-like crystals used for the filtering of the water from the artesian well (lousy, imo, for I preferred the pure water, only it drove my mother luny and due to the metals, iron and/or copper, causing staining of chrome surfaces; but I've become accustomed to the water, just that it's "bummer" tasteless, ... damn; I preferred water-stained chrome with richer water for human health).
I bought a one-litre bottle of water one time and just re-fill it with our own well's water; perhaps not a good idea if the elements of the plastic contaminate the water. I don't see any degradation of the plastic though, so maybe it's not contaminating the water (?).
Anyway, and for the smallest bottled water sold in stores, I think these are still less in cost than fuel is, but one-litre bottles even reach around $2, if not more, while fuel is around $1.36 per litre. The price of bottled water hasn't noticeably increased, I think anyway. Am not sure, for I only buy this when I really have no choice, which is very seldom.
We can all do that once and then re-use the bottle for either well or municipally supplied (and treated, and regulated) water, so why people don't do this for small quantities is ODD. Why pay when the municipal water is regularly reported to be as safe and sometimes safer?!
Tardy is this, given the June 3rd articles have already been posted for some hours now, but will post anyway.
Firstly, I, a dualised Cdn citizen and presently residing in southeastern Quebec since banktruptcy wipe-out in 1999 in the USA and due to the widespread and feverish replacement of hi-tech professionals of U.S. citizenship, a room being more attractive to me than park benches or cardboard boxes in alleyways, well, very good article. I am very glad to see that Ca has a good or excellent organisation of the likes of The Council of Canadians (not politicians, but real Canadians and humans of truly honourable character and actions; even if the dishonourable govt refuses to LISTEN to sane Cdns and denies us real justice, and so on).
" andersdl June 2nd, 2008 12:58 pm
Now that the Bush regime has put our money in the pockets of the corporations, the next step is for those corporations to control water rights and corner the market on water, not just bottled water, but your local water supply. If you think gas is expensive, wait and see what you will be paying for water."
I'm not sure if 'our money' refers to only the tax dollars of Americans, or also those of Cdns, for Cdn's are actually having their tax dollars hijacked for the same purposes; only, it's or they're indirectly provided through the dishonourable and also criminal (quasi-Nazi, in junior, yet and still real manner or form anyway) Cdn govt.
As for the price, cost of water when buying it, small quantities, like one-litre (quart in the U.S., I guess) and small bottles has long been more expensive than motor vehicle fuel; while I think quantities of one gallon and larger (jugs) works out to less than the cost of fuel. I don't think we yet pay more than maybe $3 for a gallon jug of water here, while paying, presently, over $5 for the equivalent of a U.S. gallon of fuel; around $1.36 per litre, 4 litres per gallon, minus 7.2 oz for anyone wishing do do precise gallon-price calculation. For home use, people seem to normally buy the large jugs of water, which I think are around 10gal.
We, at home, have an artesian well, no city or municipal services being provided for us [fortunate] folks, though still taxed for schools and properties (relatively low, given we have no municipal services and are rural); yet preferring to pay for services ourselves and directly to non-govt parties or businesses. People living where muncipal services are provided have little choice, but the people on this street, where I'm residing, and if not all residents of Hatley Township, Quebec, are doing fine without municipal services, and I prefer the idea of living this way. It's expensive, at first, for a septic tank and artesian well, but only at first; after which some cleaner or emptier of septic tanks has to come one, maybe two times a year, and we only have to pay for the salt-like crystals used for the filtering of the water from the artesian well (lousy, imo, for I preferred the pure water, only it drove my mother luny and due to the metals, iron and/or copper, causing staining of chrome surfaces; but I've become accustomed to the water, just that it's "bummer" tasteless, ... damn; I preferred water-stained chrome with richer water for human health).
I bought a one-litre bottle of water one time and just re-fill it with our own well's water; perhaps not a good idea if the elements of the plastic contaminate the water. I don't see any degradation of the plastic though, so maybe it's not contaminating the water (?).
Anyway, and for the smallest bottled water sold in stores, I think these are still less in cost than fuel is, but one-litre bottles even reach around $2, if not more, while fuel is around $1.36 per litre. The price of bottled water hasn't noticeably increased, I think anyway. Am not sure, for I only buy this when I really have no choice, which is very seldom.
We can all do that once and then re-use the bottle for either well or municipally supplied (and treated, and regulated) water, so why people don't do this for small quantities is ODD. Why pay when the municipal water is regularly reported to be as safe and sometimes safer?!
There are several excellent books on water rights - and wrongs. One is simply entitled THIRST. It describes how corporations are trying to take over the water supply and sell it as a ommodity, which much of the world cannot afford. Water should be a 'common' - for all to use as is air. Human life does not exist without water - local control and non-profit status of water should be maintained; water should not be subject to the bottom line of corporations!
Meanwhile, back in Texas...
On Public Citizen:
http://www.citizen.org/cmep/Water/us/bulksales/texas/
T. Boone Pickens in Texas
The notorious oilman has acquired land overlying the Ogallala aquifer and wants to pump and sell as much as 200,000 acre-feet of groundwater annually to one of Texas' metropolitan centers.
A new undertaking by Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens is even more disconcerting. Pickens has been acquiring acreage overlying the Ogallala aquifer with hopes that he could pump and sell the as much as 200,000 AFY of water to one of the state's metropolitan centers – El Paso, Lubbock, San Antonio, or Dallas-Fort Worth. Ogallala is already severely depleted. The West Texas farmers rely on the aquifer for water. The aquifer's minimal recharge rate of less then one AFY means that its users are mining fossil water that will not be replenished.
Pickens projects that his prices would be adjusted according to the distance the water has to be pumped: El Paso would pay $1,400 per acre-foot, Dallas would pay $800, San Antonio – more than $1000. Although building a pipeline will be expensive, an estimated $1-$2 billion, these prices are still very high.
The Panhandle Conservation District sanctions extraction up to one AFY per acre of land. Pickens and his partners currently own water rights for 150 acres and are seeking rights for 50 more. This could translate into pumping as much as 65 billion gallons of water a year. The conservation district attempted to reduce the planned extraction amount by half but was not able to because Pickens' pumping level was equal to that of the Canadian River Authority, a public water supplier that has already been granted an approval to pump. Pickens argued that by law, both had to be treated equally. If Pickens lines up a buyer, financing would come and unprecedented amounts of groundwater would begin to be sold for colossal profits.