is the story of water (rights) being privatized by Big Biz – esp. Suez, Vivendi and Nestlé (interestingly enough all European). These companies are all portrayed as vulture captilalists who are buying up water properties around the world and privatizing water as a commodity that is being re-sold at prices higher than oil. This is an ethic – or unethic? – rooted in Beige values, water being the most basic requirement of life.
I found it politically intriguing that a city in India had been successful at obtaining an injunction which shut down the local private water corporation (in this case Coke). While a county in Michigan was unsuccessful at sustaining an injunction to prevent Nestlé from eroding water access from neighbouring properties. No wonder the UN wants to pass Article 13, making access to (clean) water a basic human right. We have the technology to make that happen. It seems to me that the rights to clean air, water and basic food should be considered along with Lester Brown’s 4 Responsibilities (reducing Co2 emissions to =<350; population control; eradicating poverty; restoring natural systems). Each list provides constraints for the other.