With the population of the world doubling every 20 years the amount of drinking water and access to this commodity is becoming more and more valuable. I wrote recently about corporations in the United States buying up vast amounts of aquifers, only to cut off the water to the people of the local community's. Selling the water in bottles for outrageous profits while the community's dry and become ghost towns. Well the greedy American corporations have not stayed inside the United States but have branched out to other parts of the world to rape and pillage third world countries as well. Capitalizing on the poor and venerable something that corporate America does quite well. Profit comes first!
It is projected by the year 2025 the demand for fresh water is expected to rise by 56 percent, which is more than what fresh water is available on earth.
Monsanto, Bechtel, and other global multinationals are seeking control of world water systems and supplies. The World Bank recently adopted a policy of water privatization and full-cost water pricing. This policy will only keep poorer people from being able to afford for profit water. There are many grass root campaigns engaged in battle to stop the corporations from privatizing the world's water. Bechtel Enterprises was contracted to manage the water system in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Then the World Bank required Bolivia to privatize their water than Bechtel raised the water prices. The people of the city went on strike there was civil unrest for 4 months, many people were killed including the water rights leaders, finally tired of the unrest the Bolivian government forced Bechtel out of Cochambamba.
Bechtel Group Inc., has a long history of environmental abuses, now holds contracts with the city of San Francisco to upgrade the city's water system. Bechtel is working side by side with government workers in a privatization move that many fear will lead to an eventual take-over of San Francisco's water system. People should be outraged with this attack on every one of our right's to have water; it is a right of survival. If these companies are allowed to acquire water rights over our water systems only the rich and powerful will have access to water and the rest of us will be left to die, that is unless you have enough cash.
Governments are signing away their control over domestic water supplies by participating in trade treaties such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and in institutions such as the World Trade Organization (WTO). These agreements give transnational corporations the unprecedented right to the water of signatory companies
Monsanto plans to earn revenues of $420 million and a net income of $63 million by 2008 from its water business in India and Mexico. Monsanto estimates that water will become a multibillion-dollar market in the coming decades.
Are we going to allow these corporations to deprive a fundamental human right to have access to water? I would hope not. I think we need to contact our elected representatives and demand that water remain a free non-tradable good. Every human being deserves to have drinking water no matter where you live no matter how little or how much money you have.
The shameless actions of corporations knows no limits, we should stop these bastards before they gain full control of any more water systems or aquifers. No one owns the water. All living things depend on water for life, it is time that the American media covers this issue. Other countries have given media time over this issue why not the American media/ it is simple, our media is owned by these stop at nothing corporations.