SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
A screenshot from The Story of Stuff's new video, The Story of Water: Who Controls the Way We Drink?
'The Story of Water': New Video From Story of Stuff Team Delivers Short, Beautiful Smackdown of Water Privatization
"We know what really happens when a city turns over this precious resource to corporations"
Jun 17, 2019
Water is a public good and belongs in public hands.
That's the message from a new video, The Story of Water: Who Controls the Way We Drink?, which highlights how profit-driven corporate entities leave a trail of broken promises--as well as higher costs and exacerbated inequality--when they snatch up public water systems.
"It doesn't have to be this way," says the video, which was produced by The Story of Stuff Project in partnership with Corporate Accountability.
Success stories from Philadelphia, South Bend, Indiana, and Baltimore show how municipalities can utilize different strategies to dodge privatization.
Watch the video, narrated by Baltimore Mayor Bernard C. "Jack" Young , below:
The Story of Stuff is also encouraging U.S. residents to pressure their lawmakers to back the WATER Act, which would boost public water infrastructure as well as water justice.
The progressive group calls the proposed legislation "the most comprehensive approach to improving our water systems proposed in decades." It would, among other things, create a $35 billion a year trust fund to support clean drinking water for all.
"Drinking water--safe, clean, affordable drinking water--is a human rights issue," said lead sponsor Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.) earlier this year. "There is not a human being who can live on this Earth without water, and we are treating it as if it's a luxury."
Corporate Accountability echoed that message on Monday.
"Access to clean water is a human right," the group said in a tweet. "Let's keep it that way. Keep our public water systems away from private corporations!"
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Water is a public good and belongs in public hands.
That's the message from a new video, The Story of Water: Who Controls the Way We Drink?, which highlights how profit-driven corporate entities leave a trail of broken promises--as well as higher costs and exacerbated inequality--when they snatch up public water systems.
"It doesn't have to be this way," says the video, which was produced by The Story of Stuff Project in partnership with Corporate Accountability.
Success stories from Philadelphia, South Bend, Indiana, and Baltimore show how municipalities can utilize different strategies to dodge privatization.
Watch the video, narrated by Baltimore Mayor Bernard C. "Jack" Young , below:
The Story of Stuff is also encouraging U.S. residents to pressure their lawmakers to back the WATER Act, which would boost public water infrastructure as well as water justice.
The progressive group calls the proposed legislation "the most comprehensive approach to improving our water systems proposed in decades." It would, among other things, create a $35 billion a year trust fund to support clean drinking water for all.
"Drinking water--safe, clean, affordable drinking water--is a human rights issue," said lead sponsor Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.) earlier this year. "There is not a human being who can live on this Earth without water, and we are treating it as if it's a luxury."
Corporate Accountability echoed that message on Monday.
"Access to clean water is a human right," the group said in a tweet. "Let's keep it that way. Keep our public water systems away from private corporations!"
Water is a public good and belongs in public hands.
That's the message from a new video, The Story of Water: Who Controls the Way We Drink?, which highlights how profit-driven corporate entities leave a trail of broken promises--as well as higher costs and exacerbated inequality--when they snatch up public water systems.
"It doesn't have to be this way," says the video, which was produced by The Story of Stuff Project in partnership with Corporate Accountability.
Success stories from Philadelphia, South Bend, Indiana, and Baltimore show how municipalities can utilize different strategies to dodge privatization.
Watch the video, narrated by Baltimore Mayor Bernard C. "Jack" Young , below:
The Story of Stuff is also encouraging U.S. residents to pressure their lawmakers to back the WATER Act, which would boost public water infrastructure as well as water justice.
The progressive group calls the proposed legislation "the most comprehensive approach to improving our water systems proposed in decades." It would, among other things, create a $35 billion a year trust fund to support clean drinking water for all.
"Drinking water--safe, clean, affordable drinking water--is a human rights issue," said lead sponsor Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.) earlier this year. "There is not a human being who can live on this Earth without water, and we are treating it as if it's a luxury."
Corporate Accountability echoed that message on Monday.
"Access to clean water is a human right," the group said in a tweet. "Let's keep it that way. Keep our public water systems away from private corporations!"
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.