In case people do not understand the significance/seriousness, please find an appended list of postings that put water in Canada into context.
There is a looming spectre of environmental refugees from the southwestern U.S.A., because of known and growing water shortages. The corporate and Big Government agenda is to “privatize” Canadian water.
Water was supposed to have had a specific exemption under the Free Trade Agreement. In the 11th hour the exemption disappeared. There is much money to be made.
Please spread the word. Help get people to these meetings. An informed citizenry is essential to our well-being. Please tell people in the Occupy Movement.
Muchas gracias! /Sandra
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Dear supporters of Our Water Is Not For Sale, We invite you to join us on our upcoming five city tour, December 5th to 9th, 2011:
Alternative Water Futures
The need for non-market solutions to Alberta’s water crisis
Featuring Jeremy Schmidt
Department of Geography, University of Western Ontario
Author of the upcoming Parkland Institute research report Alternative Water Futures in Alberta
Edited out details of 5 meetings, 2011, Mon Dec 5 to Fri Dec 9 in
Edmonton, Red Deer, Calgary, Lethbridge, & Medicine Hat
In 2008, the Alberta government announced it would review and update the water allocation system in the province, a system that is proving increasingly incapable of dealing with the challenges of today’s emerging water crisis. Policy recommendations released by the government in late 2009 suggest it is moving toward a province-wide deregulated market for water in the province, turning critical decisions about who will be able to access water over to the market.
With long-delayed public consultations promised in the new year by Premier Redford, it’s more important than ever for Albertans to explore and discuss alternatives to water markets that will build a water allocation system on the principles of equity, fairness, sustainability and respect for treaty obligations.
Join the Our Water Is Not For Sale network and Jeremy Schmidt, author of the soon-to-be released report Alternative Water Futures in Alberta, for an exploration of the challenges for water in Alberta, why markets aren’t the answer to Alberta’s water challenges and what alternative allocation systems that protect our water commons for ecosystems, our communities and future generations could look like.
Presented by the Our Water Is Not For Sale network, with support from the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Council of Canadians, Parkland Institute, Public Interest Alberta and Sierra Club Prairie
For more information about the tour and to support the campaign against water markets, visit www.ourwaterisnotforsale.com (no longer valid).
Jeremy Schmidt’s research report Alternative Water Futures in Alberta will be available December 5 on the Parkland Institute website at www.parklandinstitute.ca.
About Jeremy Schmidt
Jeremy J. Schmidt is a Trudeau Scholar and PhD candidate in the Department of Geography at the University of Western Ontario. He holds a MA in Geography (McGill) and two undergraduate degrees (Lethbridge; Prairie) with majors in geography, philosophy, theology and wilderness leadership. He is the co-editor of Water Ethics: Foundational Readings for Students and Professionals and has been a board member of the Canadian Water Resources Association (CWRA) since 2009. He has served on working groups for ethics and water management with UNESCO and for a pan-Canadian water strategy with the CWRA. He has been an invited participant of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to the Religion, Science and Environment Symposium. His graduate work includes studies of global biogeochemistry, environmental economics, and resource management. His doctoral research examines water governance, ethics and environmental management in Alberta.
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APPENDED, list of postings that put water in Canada into context.
This is certainly not the whole of it, but it’s enough to inform how important it is to get people out. Our best defence is an informed citizenry.
The postings are from two “Categories”:
- Water
- (Under Peace or Violence?) Resource depletion (water in USA)
2008-01-25 Canadian water exports: will NAWAPA return? Includes map of water diversions, Canada to U.S.
2008-02-17 Water: Highgate Dam in context of water shortages in the U.S., response to Maggie. Includes water under Free Trade Agreement, etc.
2008-02-17 Water: NAWAPA Cockamamy schemes of the First Order, compiled by Maggie Paquet
2008-02-27 Troop Exchange Agreement with U.S.: Brief History of Invasions + Letter-to-Editor
2008-02-29 Troop Exchange Agreement: Connection to Water – Lake Mead going dry (Hoover Dam, Colorado River)
2008-05-30 Connection between state of police and America wants our water (1). Includes:
- PETER LOUGHEED, FORMER ALBERTA PREMIER, “AMERICANS WILL BE AGGRESSIVELY AFTER OUR WATER”
- ROBERT F KENNEDY JR, “CANADIANS SHOULD BE SERIOUSLY CONCERNED ABOUT AMERICANS WHO WANT WATER”
2009-06-15 Premiers, governors promote Canada-U.S. energy corridor. Brad Wall co-chair, “largest on the planet” Canada-U.S. Western Energy Corridor
2009-06-17 Water. Western Energy Corridor. Citizen ownership and what happens under NAFTA.
2010-01-26 Scripps Institute of Oceanography, Americans running out of water. Backgrounder Manitoba & Sask Joint Cabinet Meeting, Feb 2
2010-10-20 Water, South Sask River, the scientific reports. ILO’s will run the River dry in the name of “open for business”!
2010-10-21 South Saskatchewan River continued … look at the situation on the Alberta side. Water rights for sale.
2010-10-26 Water quality waning, Howard Wheater. Saskatoon Star Phoenix.
2011-03-18 NEWS: The Businessman, the Girlfriend, the Water Deal and the PMO
2011-04-01 You can see why we don’t have a National Water Policy. There’s too much money to be made if it can be privatized (like oil and gas).