The Privatization of Water

[Evil Dynovac]

http://www.icij.org/water/report.aspx?sID=ch&rID=58&aID=58

An interesting read where water treatment has been privatized in Canada and the results. If you hit The Water Baron's home page you will find articles on privatizing water treatment all over the world. The general concensus is that it's just not working.

I am fearful of the privatization of essential services such as water, electricity, health care, and food inspection. Things that are intrinsic to life shouldn't be sold for profit.

 

[vveerrgg]

i totally agree...... where can we petition to have this stopped reversed or changed so that it stays in the governments' hands.

cause ultimately us and our kids are going to pay for these mistakes.

 

[Evil Dynovac]

The only thing that can be done is to stand up and be heard whenever one of these deals is being brokered. There is usually some kind of announcement when our municiple government is having talks with one of the Big Water companies. The article mentioned Toronto's citizens protesting which broke the talks down.

I have realised that a well written letter to your councillor can go a long way.

 

[pr0nstar]

I'm glad Angela isn't missing anymore.

 

[Ditto Much]

Certain things I want in control of the government. Water is one of them.



(I do support bulk water exports though)

 

[vveerrgg]

Originally posted by pr0nstar
I'm glad Angela isn't missing anymore.

i'm sure she's having a tall glass of water right now thinking....

"privatizing water really would suck"

 

[Ditto Much]

Originally posted by vveerrgg
i'm sure she's having a tall glass of water right now thinking....

"privatizing water really would suck"

lol

 

[Evil Dynovac]

Bulk water exports... Hmm... I would support sending water to countries who need it, developing countries. NOT to the US, who has plenty of water and are merely wasteful.

GRR!!! The more I'm reading about this stuff the angrier it makes me. These Water Barons (Vivendi, Suez, RWE Thames) call water a comodity! Disgusting! They make more money per year than many third world countries, and it is in these third world countries where they are pressuring governments to privatize. Then they cut off water to the people who cannot pay. Cholera and other diseases are now on the rise in these countries.

This report covers the world water scene in general.

http://www.icij.org/water/report.aspx?sID=ch&rID=44&aID=44

The story of the city of Cochabamba is covered in (the movie) The Corporation. United Utilities bought ALL the water from the government (who was corrupt.) People were forbidden to use the wells on their own property. It became illegal to collect rainwater because that was part of the bargain. Eventually there were riots, people killed, and the whole city came under mob rule. The company that bought the water was run out of the city.

What kind of Montgomery Burns Evil Madman do you have to be in order to write up a contract that says you control the rain?

 

[Ditto Much]

Originally posted by Evil Dynovac
Bulk water exports... Hmm... I would support sending water to countries who need it, developing countries. NOT to the US, who has plenty of water and are merely wasteful.

We import fruits from desert regions and thus we spead up the desertification process. By replacing this water from the region that consumes the fruit we are simply balancing the water. Europe should be shipping water to africa, Canada should be shipping water to the US, Mexico and several other countries. Just to balance consumption of fruit (its almost entirely water by weight).



Short term I think we are going to have to face the issue.

 

[Dr Funk MD]

Originally posted by Evil Dynovac
The story of the city of Cochabamba is covered in (the movie) The Corporation. United Utilities bought ALL the water from the government (who was corrupt.) People were forbidden to use the wells on their own property. It became illegal to collect rainwater because that was part of the bargain. Eventually there were riots, people killed, and the whole city came under mob rule. The company that bought the water was run out of the city.

What kind of Montgomery Burns Evil Madman do you have to be in order to write up a contract that says you control the rain?

I got to see that part before the roof caved it. I was disgusted by it. Rain water?! When a company has enough power to stop such simple personal freedoms like collecting rainwater then some thing is severely wrong. What's next? The grocery store charging a surcharge every time you grow your own tomatoes?

On a related note, I don't know if anyone is still talking about this but I remember a few years ago there was talk of making water a commodity market and creating a per barrel price, like oil, for water. Canada would stand to become a very rich country but it's still pretty disgusting.

 

[OhNo!]

Originally posted by vveerrgg
i totally agree...... where can we petition to have this stopped reversed or changed so that it stays in the governments' hands.

cause ultimately us and our kids are going to pay for these mistakes.

i hope to god you never have children verg...

 

[deep]

Water will become a commodity for some places in the world in the near future...Michael Klare's treatment of it in Resource Wars is eye opening. Not to mention how this conflict might synergize with existing regional conflicts in places like the Middle East.

 

[el presidente Highsteppa]

I wonder if the bottom would fall out of the market if the technology for desalinization and the ability to purify the water completely became available.

 

[Neo-Marxist]

It won't stop because it's the right thing to do. People never do the right thing. Reversing this trend would mean admitting market ideology doesn't work in certain circumstances.

 

[Evil Dynovac]

Originally posted by el presidente Highsteppa
I wonder if the bottom would fall out of the market if the technology for desalinization and the ability to purify the water completely became available.

God that would be awesome. Technology would be doing what people envisioned of it, a source of clean water, clean power, cheap food.

 

[Boss Hog]

Having said all this who here is doing 10 loads of laundry a week, running the dishwasher 3 times a week, watering their lawn for an hour once a week in the summer, leaving the taps running while they multi-task, and so on? Canadians in general, that's who.

I don't agree with the privatization but our culture seriously needs a boot in the head to learn some moderation.

 

[AdRiaN]

Originally posted by Evil Dynovac
I am fearful of the privatization of essential services such as water, electricity, health care, and food inspection. Things that are intrinsic to life shouldn't be sold for profit.

You mention food inspection, but what about food production? Why should private individuals and corporations be allowed to sell food at a profit? What makes food different than water, electricity, or health care?

In addition, the privatization of water in Canada does not suggest a greedy free-for-all. An essential service can be privately owned but still regulated by the government to serve the public interest. The question of ownership and operation of these assets is an important one that should not be ignored simply because the word "private" pops up.

 

[Evil Dynovac]

Yeah Adrian, except it's not working like that. Read the reports I put up. Hamilton's water treatment has gone to shit and they've had the worst sewage back-ups in history. These companies are privatizing the rain in third world countries for christ sake!

We simply cannot trust an organisation that is built for profit (a corporation) to run an operation that requires so much safety precautions. The bottom line and public health are proven to be mutially exclusive. Government agencies can police these companies, but this kind of action takes months and years for our courts to straighten out.

A private company in the water business see's their water as a comodity whereas public citizens see water as an intrinsic right to life. That difference in philosophy is what is causing cholera and disease in private water countries.

 

[Boss Hog]

I agree. Maybe taxing overconsumers is a better way to deal with it. People would think twice about a 15 minute shower just because it feels nice.

 

[OTIS]

Re: Re: The Privatization of Water

Originally posted by AdRiaN
the privatization of water in Canada does not suggest a greedy free-for-all.

Yes it does, the ONLY ONES lobbying for the privatization of the commons is private industry. This is a prime example of how the commercial sector is looking to instigate the sell-off of public assets to "create opportunities" for growth. We've seen it time & time again. All over the world. In every case around the world where water was privatized, the result was an increase in cost in the hundreds of percent, draconian laws to keep them there, and a reduction in service. Bolivia, Mexico, Argentena, Brazil know well of this neo-liberal policy whcih basically destroyed their common infastructure by opening it up to economic rape by international interests.

The notion of this this makes me want to kill.

 

[LivingRoomPornstar]

oh Adrian, always the Devil's Aardvark.

 

[LivingRoomPornstar]

I would expect the price to go up with privatization, as corporations are certainly not going to run at a large deficit in order to be responsible to their shareholders. Beyond that, when providing these resources, you never how much the services are being subsidized with the proceeds from your taxes.

I'll agree with Darryl and Rob based on the information however...forget that this is a necessary resource...it just hasn't been managed responsibly in the past...I would be hard convinced that the company wouldn't abuse the opportunity...at least until I was able to take a look at the business model.

Dan

 

[JESuX]

Originally posted by Evil Dynovac
http://www.icij.org/water/report.aspx?sID=ch&rID=58&aID=58

I am fearful of the privatization of essential services such as water, electricity, health care, and food inspection. Things that are intrinsic to life shouldn't be sold for profit.

I don't know if you saw my "take this, dalton" thread... I went to a pre-budget discussion meeting for the government of ontario last weekend. About 40 average people were randomly selected to inform the government how we felt about certain issues: one of which was privatization or leasing of government owned/controlled businesses and services.

If it eases your nerves a bit, I can tell you that it was the concensus of the room that we didn't want privatization of ANYTHING anymore... (Esp. the LCBO! haah!)

The meeting lasted all day and was tape recorded, and a stenographer was present... the results of which are being compiled to be presented to Dalton himself and the rest of his cabinet. The findings are also being published on the gov't of ontario website... I'll keep everyone posted with fresh info as I encounter it.

All in all, it was a great day... Very empowering, and I was bursting with pride when I left.

 

[OTIS]

Re: Re: The Privatization of Water

Originally posted by JESuX


If it eases your nerves a bit, I can tell you that it was the concensus of the room that we didn't want privatization of ANYTHING anymore... (Esp. the LCBO! haah!)

GIRL! BAAYUM Yo'Self!
.

 

[JESuX]

Re: Re: Re: The Privatization of Water

Originally posted by OTIS
GIRL! BAAYUM Yo'Self!
.

Haha, you should have seen some of the other shit the room came up with. who would have thought that people ranging in age from 20-70 would all have a majority agreeance on legalizing weed and prostitution in order to generate new revenue to eliminate the defecit?!

The other common theme of the day was very clear: RAISE CORPORATE TAXES!!!