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[ 28 October 2007: Message edited by: Cueball ]
Sven, one thing I noticed when I lived on the west coast, was that it was harder to find water fountains in shopping malls. I was very suspicious this was an attempt to get people to buy drinks.
I believe that in south america, multinational soft drink corporations have invested a lot of resources to make tap water harder to drink. Read more about it here: Latin American Tap Water
Don't bottle it and no one will buy it. It's that simple.
I have provided you an excellent source. Don't be lazy and combative at the same time.
Excellent observation.
[ 28 October 2007: Message edited by: Frustrated Mess ]
Because this forum is called "environmental justice," not "Conservatives with composters".
May I remind you that you're on a left-wing, anti-oppression web site? You're trolling in this thread and taking the discussion off course. The reason people are talking about "corporate control of water" is because we see the big picture and would like to talk about it without being trolled with these stupid questions that we've already answered and that you're not bothering to read or acknowledge.
Once again, Sven, this is yet ANOTHER forum on babble where you should consider yourself a guest and act accordingly. Are you getting the pattern here in the "walking the talk" forums? You've been asked to stay out of the feminism forum and the aboriginal issues forum and the anti-racism forum for trolling. Don't push it in this forum.
[ 28 October 2007: Message edited by: Michelle ]
He's not riling me up and he has given me a lot of opportunity to plug Barlow's very important book. I swear it is worthwhile even for those who think they know it all. It is more of a hair raiser than anything by Stephen King.
[ 28 October 2007: Message edited by: Frustrated Mess ]
This is going far too far. I'd gladly sign my name to what Sven has posted. He's not arguing against any of the goals of the environmental movement; he's arguing about ways and means. This is entirely legitimate.
[ 28 October 2007: Message edited by: Stephen Gordon ]
I'm sure you would. Have you read Barlow's book? It also puts the lie to that nonsense about neo-liberalism being good for the poor.
Interestingly, the global water corporations used the same phony arguments about how altruistic they are to get a buy-in from international institutions for water privatization in poor nations.
Apparently the poor, without access to clean water, required market discipline, the rich, who waste water on a grand scale, do not need.
Again, I highly recommend the book.
[ 28 October 2007: Message edited by: Frustrated Mess ]
GIVE THE POOR MONEY
First of all, I'm agreeing with you regarding the fundamental issue (bottled water doesn't make environmental sense). I'm only taking issue with the unfounded assertion that corporations "control" water.
"Stupid questions"? Com'on, Michelle. It's a "stupid" to question whether corporations "control" water?
I've been asked to stay out of the feminism forum? This was discussed here in some detail and your response there was:
I think the following exchange highlights a fundamental difference of approach:
That all being said, I'll sit out and read how this thread progresses.
Not yet, but they want to. Canada is one of the motherload fresh water nations behind Brazil, Russia and possibly China. World shortage of water coming our way, and the corporate jackals want to make an immoral killing on water exports by making Canadian water a commodity and therefore subject to trade rules under GATT and NAFTA. And those corporate jackals will create a situation where people with the money can afford to buy water and those without money will be SOL, like Africans who can't afford everything from electricity to AIDS drugs to bottled water as it is now. Hands off the water, because it's a basic human right. Bolivians asked Bechtel Corporation, "Who can own the rain?"
Okay, maybe it is. I'm just getting peeved that threads like this always have to be put back to first principles by people like Sven who don't bother reading what other people post, but just keep repeating questions people have already answered again and again. Like, hello, we've answered the fucking question, can we move on now?
Maybe the answer isn't convincing.
That would be fine if he even bothered addressing the answer. But he hasn't bothered. He just keeps repeating the question despite people answering it. It's clear trolling.
LTJ, that's completely unhelpful. There's no need to dehumanize people.
You're such a fucking cunt. What is it, that time of the month or something?
Haha...Just kidding. You're really not a cunt on her period. That was just a typo. So sorry.
For what? To buy from corporations what they once had for free? And why don't they have water for free anymore? Because it has been diverted for industrial agriculture producing mono-crops under the auspices of imposed liberalization for their own good.
I think all economists should be forced to live at least ten years in the slums and ghettos with their "miracles".
Theory is fine in ivory towers but in the real world it is killing people. One child, in fact, every minute.
Any bottled water we have right now should be immediately sent to where it is needed the most.
And as far as giving bottled water to FN reserves in Canada, we, the public need to pressure the governments to ensure that FNs have clean water running from their taps now.
[ 28 October 2007: Message edited by: 1234567 ]
[ 28 October 2007: Message edited by: 1234567 ]
awwwwwwwwwwwwwww, somebody's in a pout cause their war mongering spam isn't allowed, poor baby.
I seem to recall a controversy concerning B.C.'s major university, UBC, and it's drinking fountains. It was probably a plumbing problem within the buildings that, many claimed, delivered undrinkable water.
Not surprisingly, some spoke of conspiracy when talking of the beneficiaries of that situation and the tardiness in resolving it.
Speaking of water fountains...
I don't know about anyone else, but being the germphobe that I am, the thought of using public water fountains makes me ill. I wish there was a way of making public taps available, where people merely fill up their water containers, as opposed to public water fountains where people's mouths and spit flow directly into the fountain. There's always some joker who has to stick their mouth right on the metal.
All public washrooms have them (although....eew). Baby wipes would take care of most germs there.
Every floor of most office buildings have them, as do most every food court that I've ever been to.
Yes, there are generally taps in cafeterias, but they're not available to the customers. If you work in the cafeteria, then sure. I'm not just talking about schools anymore, though. I'm just talking general, publicly available water taps the way you see public fountains, when you're walking downtown, say. Of course, in Toronto there's also a dearth of public washrooms too. (Not that this is a huge issue for me - I avoid public washrooms like the plague, which I'm pretty sure is lurking on every surface in them.)
Most of the time I see fountains where people drink directly from them. Which, as I was saying - eww.