Bob Carty
CBC Radio
Feb. 3, 2003
http://www.cbc.ca/news/features/water/business.html
Water is vital for the continuity of humankind. However, from another angle, it is considered as being ''One of the world's greatest business opportunities. It promises to be to the 21st century what oil was to the 20th'', according to Fortune Magazine. In the past decade, three giant global corporations have taken control over the water supplied to 300 million people living on each of the five continent of the world. This shows how much the US and Canada government, among the others, are very vulnerable in front of the persuasive techniques of these strong corporate giants. All this is ironic because in the past, people saw in water a poor and low-return utility. Nowadays, it had become the ultimate source to blue gold. Peter Spillet, a senior executive with Thames Water, foreshadows the water business to be the cause of many eventual world conflicts and wars in the century to come.
By analyzing the issue, we truly focus on the real meaning of this statement. Of course, water is a limited and, most importantly of all, not a renewable resource. So considering the fact that demographic statistics show how the planet will be sur-inhabited in the next centuries, we understand how this market will be in constant rise and how the most favorable countries will center their power onto this resource.
The privatization of water is imminent. However, the danger lies in the faith of it. Because it does not belong to anyone, the fact that it might become controlled by one single person affects the destiny of human. By having witnessed past history, we all have to agree that one man cannot all have the powers. Because water does not have any substitute, in the opposite of juice or pepsi, let's all act friendly towards it and stand up for our future.
CBC Radio
Feb. 3, 2003
http://www.cbc.ca/news/features/water/business.html
Water is vital for the continuity of humankind. However, from another angle, it is considered as being ''One of the world's greatest business opportunities. It promises to be to the 21st century what oil was to the 20th'', according to Fortune Magazine. In the past decade, three giant global corporations have taken control over the water supplied to 300 million people living on each of the five continent of the world. This shows how much the US and Canada government, among the others, are very vulnerable in front of the persuasive techniques of these strong corporate giants. All this is ironic because in the past, people saw in water a poor and low-return utility. Nowadays, it had become the ultimate source to blue gold. Peter Spillet, a senior executive with Thames Water, foreshadows the water business to be the cause of many eventual world conflicts and wars in the century to come.
By analyzing the issue, we truly focus on the real meaning of this statement. Of course, water is a limited and, most importantly of all, not a renewable resource. So considering the fact that demographic statistics show how the planet will be sur-inhabited in the next centuries, we understand how this market will be in constant rise and how the most favorable countries will center their power onto this resource.
The privatization of water is imminent. However, the danger lies in the faith of it. Because it does not belong to anyone, the fact that it might become controlled by one single person affects the destiny of human. By having witnessed past history, we all have to agree that one man cannot all have the powers. Because water does not have any substitute, in the opposite of juice or pepsi, let's all act friendly towards it and stand up for our future.
Tram Dang
1 comment:
The question of the water privatization should worry the Quebecers. It’s true that water will be the 21st century oil. Unfortunately, we can see that our government does not care much about this resource. Danone, one of the biggest water companies is still pumping resource free in Quebec’s “tanks”. This situation should be denounced; we, as Quebec populate, are losing money. Also this water pumping has many negatives effects on the environment. In fact, Danone has flooded a large territory to build their installations. With the very recent election of a minority party at the head of our province, we can hope to have a change of philosophy about the abuse of our resources such as water or forest. This situation is a good proof of the incompatibility between business and politic.
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