This is from the Victoria Water Watch Coalition;
1. Jason Myers sent this to us because he heard about our fight to keep sewage treatment public. Partnerships BC is currently evaluating the Business Case submitted by the CRD and will respond in the next few months…they have hired a “team” to review our business case which likely means that they didn’t like what was recommended – a mostly PUBLIC system. Stay tuned…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bcqilpynjY 2 PepsiCo Bluewashing Strikes Again Joint statement of Maude Barlow, Chairperson of the Council of Canadians and Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director of Food & Water Watch
Washington, D.C.“The attention received by the recent inauguration of five WaterHealth Centers in Ghana by PepsiCo and the Safe Water Network is best viewed in the larger context of PepsiCo’s overall environmental and water footprint. This is yet another attempt by a large corporation to “bluewash” their reputation. PepsiCo has faced extensive and well-deserved criticism around the world for depleting groundwater resources, undertaking unsustainable inter-basin water transfers and polluting water sources, all of which leave these local communities and ecosystems suffering from increased water scarcity and degraded water quality. Clearly PepsiCo makes unconscionable profits through the abuse and access to water in many parts of the world, and a small project in Ghana does not alter this terrible reality.
“We hope that these five water centers do secure the human right to water for those few who benefit from the little over one million dollar a year contribution that PepsiCo is making to this three year project. We also think that all those communities where PepsiCo is doing harm also deserve their human right to water to be respected and that the environmental harm PepsiCo is inflicting on these ecosystems is not acceptable, nor mitigated by this initiative.
“We also call upon PepsiCo and the media that reported favorably on this initiative to commit to proper follow-up to ensure that the promises Pepsi has made to these communities are fulfilled. It is even more important that those places where people are fighting against the impacts that PepsiCo is having in their communities also receive a chance to get their stories told and to be able to challenge this corporation’s questionable commitment to sustainable water and water as a human right.
“A few years ago the people of Pudussery, India were able to get local authorities to revoke PepsiCo’s water license because of the company’s impacts on their groundwater. Others continue to fight, and these are the communities where PepsiCo can dramatically improve the quality of life for people by immediately stopping its unsustainable environmental practices. We call for people around the world to stand up for these communities and for water justice – and against these large multinational corporations wielding such immense power. Water is life.”
Contact: Kate Fried, Food & Water Watch (202) 683-2500, kfried(at)fwwatch(dot)org.
------------------------------------------------------Food & Water Watch is a non-profit organization working with grassroots organizations around the world to create an economically and environmentally viable future. Through research, public and policymaker education, media, and lobbying, we advocate policies that guarantee safe, wholesome food produced in a humane and sustainable manner and public, rather than private, control of water resources including oceans, rivers, and groundwater. For more information, visit
www.foodandwaterwatch.org.
3 Would you sign a 30-year mortgage for a house without knowing the price that you’re paying? **
That’s exactly what Winnipeg City Council did on May 19th when they voted 9 to 4 in favour of a 30-year public private partnership (P3) with Veolia, one of the world’s largest water corporations, and one with a deplorable environmental and social track record.
See article"P3 Wake-Up Call from Winnipeg" at
www.GreaterVictoriaWaterWatchCoalition.ca