Human Beings don't have the right to water

[satanboy]

Across the globe, Nestlé is pushing to privatize and control public water resources.

Nestlé's Chairman of the Board, Peter Brabeck, has explained his philosophy with "The one opinion, which I think is extreme, is represented by the NGOs, who bang on about declaring water a public right. That means as a human being you should have a right to water. That’s an extreme solution."

Since that quote has gotten widespread attention, Brabeck has backtracked, but his company has not. Around the world, Nestlé is bullying communities into giving up control of their water. It's time we took a stand for public water sources.

Tell Nestlé that we have a right to water. Stop locking up our resources!
At the World Water Forum in 2000, Nestlé successfully lobbied to stop water from being declared a universal right -- declaring open hunting season on our local water resources by the multinational corporations looking to control them. For Nestlé, this means billions of dollars in profits. For us, it means paying up to 2,000 percent more for drinking water because it comes from a plastic bottle.

Now, in countries around the world, Nestlé is promoting bottled water as a status symbol. As it pumps out fresh water at high volume, water tables lower and local wells become degraded. Safe water becomes a privilege only affordable for the wealthy.

In our story, clean water is a resource that should be available to all. It should be something we look after for the public good, to keep safe for generations, not something we pump out by billions of gallons to fuel short-term private profits. Nestlé thinks our opinion is "extreme", but we have to make a stand for public resources. Please join us today in telling Nestlé that it's not "extreme" to treat water like a public right.

http://action.storyofstuff.org/sign/nestle_water_privatization_push

What a piece of scum.

 

[OrbitalDawn]

Addressing the Water Challenge

For the last few days I've been the subject of a campaign on social media platforms attempting to portray me as opposed to the human right to water.

An interview I gave in 2005 in which I discussed the public right to water has been shared widely. My critics say it shows I want to 'privatize' water. I want nothing of the sort.

I don't mind being criticized on Facebook or Twitter, because the debate there is helping to spotlight the issue of water scarcity. The reality is we are running out of water to grow food, for households, for energy generation and for industry.

This is not a problem to be dealt with tomorrow. It is a problem that every single one of us should care about today. If nothing is done we will run out of water faster than we will run out of oil.

I do need to correct a misconception that has fueled a lot of the criticism on Facebook and elsewhere.

I do not deny that clean and safe water to drink or for basic hygiene is a human right. Of course it is.

However, I do not think it is right that some people in the world do not have access to a clean, safe supply when others can use excess amounts for non-essential purposes without bearing a fairer cost for the infrastructure needed to supply it.

When we give water a value, we use it more carefully, and this does not mean privatization.

Water is one of the biggest challenges for sustainable development over the coming decades -- environmental, social and economic.

Governments, of course, have a pivotal role to play in managing water resources but today the resources available to governments for public spending are shrinking. Business can and should get involved to help address the issue.

Why does a company like Nestlé care about this?

Our consumers need access to clean, safe water and decent sanitation, wherever they are in the world, as do our hundreds of thousands of employees, their families and friends. As a good global citizen, we have a responsibility to be part of the solution.

My thinking on how to achieve this has evolved over the years, influenced in part by the discussions I have had with individuals on my blog, and by the work I have done with the 2030 Water Resources Group, which I chair.

I have proposed four targets towards an overall goal of water security for all, as my contribution to the debate about the water-related United Nations Development Goals.

Firstly the world should commit to 'safe drinking water by 2025' at the latest, a more ambitious target than the UN has today.

Secondly we should accelerate the provision of improved sanitation, aiming for universal access before 2050. The data shows this is achievable.

Thirdly we should commit to adequately treat all municipal and industrial wastewater prior to discharge by 2030.

Lastly, perhaps most importantly, we must also address the water 'overdraft': we must stop using more water than we have.

Unless we change the way we use water today, global cereal production could shrink by almost a third by 2030.

At Nestlé we believe we can make a contribution, taking responsibility for solutions within our own sphere of influence. Already we have reduced the amount of water we use by six million cubic metres over the last three years, enough to fill 2,400 Olympic swimming pools.

Over the same period we've reduced the amount of water needed to make a ton of product, from 3.29 cubic metres to 2.89 cubic metres. Efficiencies on the production lines and greater reuse and recycling of water have all made a contribution.

We can and should contribute where we can add the greatest value.

The private sector can help governments by sharing best practice, mobilizing finance and management, and by putting forward new solutions to provide safe drinking water and improved sanitation at a lower cost.

To those who oppose this, and challenge me for daring to suggest that business can play a role, I say we have to work together.

We are already struggling to feed a world population that will soon reach nine billion. If we do not change the way we use water, feeding nine billion people will be out of the question.

So I welcome the debate, the criticisms, and the opportunity to engage, because this is an issue far too important to be ducked or ignored, by me or anyone else who cares about the future.

 

[HavocXphere]

Thats unfortunately where things are heading...pretty much all the countries (SA included) have maxed out their usage of fresh water.

I doubt Nestle uses enough water to make a dent though...things like farming & power generation etc surely use many times more?

 

[MKFrost]

I read some where the other day that SA will be in trouble in as far as water is concerned from around 2025. Sounds far off but its right around the corner.

 

[crackersa]

it helps to do more research instead of latching onto the first article that you come across.

 

[RanzB]

it helps to do more research instead of latching onto the first article that you come across.

It helps to point others in a certain direction rather than sounding like a snide twit.

 

[TEXTILE GUY]

If you can - watch ''Bottled Life''. It used to be available on the RT website .....

This issue has been about for some time now.

Nestle .... not so lekker.

 

[Nuke]

Water? You mean like the stuff in the toilet? We should all like, rather drink Resource Water, I mean, it has like, electrolytes. It is what plants crave.

 

[Rocket-Boy]

The water crisis is very real.
Its not going to be very long before we dont have enough.

 

[satanboy]

It helps to point others in a certain direction rather than sounding like a snide twit.

I could think of a few worse words...but well done.

 

[zolly]

I've never understood why more governments don't step in and take a harsher stance on population control to prevent problems like this. I know it's a controversial stance but we're going to have way more problems in the next few decades if we don't do something to keep numbers down.

 

[BandwidthAddict]

The world is over 70% water. We will not run out of water, it will only get more expensive.

 

[qdada]

Speaking of that

I came across this slide here, retweeted by AkiAnastasiou

 

[diephoenix08]

Go and look at documentary called Flow for the love of water

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aBZP4RnMxw

 

[Nick333]

The world is over 70% water. We will not run out of water, it will only get more expensive.

Or, someone will come up with a cost effective desalination process and no more problems.

 

[STS]

"we are running out of water"
"we are running out of clean air"
"we are running out of space"
"we are running out of time before the planet overheats"

 

[Pitbull]

Wrong, every person on earth has the right to water. How clean it it though is not a right

 

[STS]

Wrong, every person on earth has the right to water. How clean it it though is not a right

"Rights" are imaginary little certificates that don't really exist any way, it's just a nice way of pretending we don't live in a nihilistic world

 

[Nick333]

"Rights" are imaginary little certificates that don't really exist any way, it's just a nice way of pretending we don't live in a nihilistic world

There is something "religious" in all this talk of rights. Who is responsible for ensuring that everyone's rights are provided for? That's what I want to know.

 

[Garson007]

Who is responsible for ensuring that everyone's rights are provided for? That's what I want to know.

Uh. Society.