permaculture

["Douglas Cooper" <dgc@primus.ca>]

For a great deal of research on the privatization or commodification of
water better go check out the Council of Canadians web site
(http://www.canadians.org/) and click on "water".

The commodification of water seems to be Monsanto's next big venture. I'm
sure we all have our own opinions on the volition of that corporate entity.

doug
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Kuehnert" <mornsbar@gmx.net>
To: "permaculture" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Friday, September 23, 2005 3:13 AM
Subject: Re: [permaculture] Investing


> Michael Kramer wrote:
>
> > As far as water, it's not something I'm excited about - turning
> > water into a commodity - especially when people speak of it as
> > the next "oil" in terms of short supply and high demand.
>
> As you probably know, there is talk of companies intending to
> own all sources of water in twenty years' time. I suppose that
> this includes persuading local governments to pass laws
> forbidding private collection of rainwater or atmospheric
> condensation, all in the name of economic growth. This prospect
> scares me to no end, but then again it does not, as the control
> mechanism necessary to implement those laws would conceivably
> make life more complicated in the long run than it is worth
> anyway, and hopefully the myth of ever increasing quality of life
> through constant economic growth loses more and more of its
> appeal, as the pricetag increases.
>
> > I'm in favor of local control of water because it usually comes
> > from a local source and can therefore be controlled by locals
>
> True. And I am, or rather have to be, optimistic that many
> communities will recognize the value of having free access to
> water (and air, land, sea, etc.) that they will resist moves to
> transfer this control to some generic company or investment fund.
> Yet I expect this to become a major source of conflict in a few
> years' time, with struggle in the cities of the "Western" world.
> And this is where permaculture should, and can, step in and teach
> alternatives: water conservation, rainwater harvesting,
> protection of natural resources and the soil's ability to filter
> water, etc. - I suppose I am preaching to the choir in writing
> this.
>
> > I think ultimately what will happen is that groundwater mining
> > will destroy so many aquifers
>
> Which would be another irrepairable damage done to a vital system
> of the earth.
>
> > that desalination will become the next big infrastructure
> > movement (obviously primarily for coastal cities), and, believe
> > it or not, there's talk of a Canadian water pipeline down to
> > the Southwest. Talk about bizarre.
>
> The trouble with that would be, of course, to find sufficient
> energy to evaporate the sea water, then pump the desalinated
> water to the settlements. This energy simply may not be available
> for very long, cf. Holmgren: "earth stewardship" vs. "green tech
> stability" etc.
>
> > One strategy we must deal with is getting rainwater catchment
> > to be legal, because it's not in many desert communities,
>
> So it is illegal to catch the water falling on one's roof and
> collect it in cisterns?
>
> > as that water is "reserved" for other uses and jurisdictions.
> > That being said, bottled water as an investment is a boom
> > industry,
>
> But it is nothing that can last very long, as the market will be
> saturated at some point and would have to be expanded by
> artificially creating scarcity. That does not appear to be a
> sustainable way of living. Not even looking at the environmental
> implications of all those plastic bottles being produced,
> transported and then thrown away, or recycled.
>
> > and there are also bond issues for municipalities
> > which are making infrastructure improvements to their water
> > systems and utilities, which seem to be appropriate
> > investments.
>
> Fair enough, although the amount of waste water could be reduced
> at the same time, starting with the introduction of compost
> toilets. Yet current urban structures apparently do not take this
> into account - there appear to be little incentives for steps in
> that direction, at least on the surface. Certainly not where I
> live.
>
>
> Michael
>
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