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Title: Blue Gold: The Fight to Stop the Corporate Theft of the World's Water by Maude Barlow, Tony Clarke ISBN: 1-56584-813-6 Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: April, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.73 (11 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Pirating our Water Supply
Comment: Blue Gold's a book to let you know more about where your water in America is going. Can we stop this theft of our most valuable resource. A study reports huge corporations seeking control of the world's water supply. These involve giant European corporations in collaboration with the World Bank. Together increasingly taking control of public water supplies with tragic results. a report 'The Water Barons' says that by 2002 private water companies were operating in 56 countries and 2 territories. This rose from a dozen in 1990. Companies that are expanding control are Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux and Vivendi Environment of France, Thomas Water by RWEAG of Germany, Suar of France and United Utilities of England working with Bechtel Co. of the United States. All of these have worked closely with the World Bank. They lobby aggressively for legislation and trade laws to require cities to privatize their water. A recent update is that these companies continue in their acquisition to control water companies in the Northeastern U.S. region.
In major cities around the world, they persuade governments to sign long-term contracts with major private water companies. The concern, is that a handful of private companies could soon control a tremendous bulk of the world's most vital resource. Are water barons providing a good product? One certain city in the U.S. cancelled it's water contract because of complaints of poor service and unsanitary water conditions. In other countries and poorer countries were unable to pay huge water bills were forced to drink from disease-ridden lakes and streams resulting the spread of deadly epidemic outbreaks such as chlorea. In regions of the U.S. where ground water isn't enough to support domestic and fire protection water needs. It's necessary to develop alternative sources of water. The water crisis is worldwide. Many countries are facing a severe shortage. Some will run out of water by the year 2011. Can we find alternative ways to conserve our greatest resource. And, in the meantime can we stop the railroading of public water to greedy giant corporate barons. This book is a eye-opener. Another good reading on this subject is, 'Cadillac Desert.'
Rating: 4
Summary: Thoughtful, mature treatment of a vital issue
Comment: Blue Gold succeeds at correlating the issue of dwindling fresh water supplies with the increasing power of multinational corporations. The book also suggests what needs to be done to secure a water-rich future for the world.
Barlow and Clarke begin their analysis by discussing the shortcomings of many publicly-owned water systems, where the use of science and technology have overwhelmed the carrying capacity of the earth. The author's description of Mexico City literally sinking into the ground as underground water supplies are pumped to exhaustion is frightening.
But private ownership of water will not rectify the situation. If the corporations' purpose is to serve shareholder interests, the authors argue, how can anyone suppose that water resources will be managed sustainably or equitably by them? Indeed, the book provides many examples of corporate projects that threaten to deplete local fresh water supplies in order to provide (short-lived) profits for investors.
Yet, Barlow and Clarke show that schemes to transfer control to corporations are often promoted by the World Bank and other institutions that champion multinational capital investments. This should not be too surprising, as water infrastructures are not unlike other publicly-held assets that have become favorite targets of the investment community (disguised under the banner of "deregulation") in recent years.
While making a compelling case that growing corporate influence can only make a bad situation worse, the authors spend several chapters discussing how people can begin to constructively address the situation and turn it around for the better. These sections in particular are thoughtful and are obviously written by persons who have spent a great amount of time on this issue. Far from being merely a "screed" (as the reviewer from the pro-business Cahner's reviews claimed), I found the author's thoughts in these later chapters to be mature, balanced, and humane. Water, as a necessity for life, might indeed be the one issue that unites people around issues of social, economic and environmental justice.
I highly recommend this book for readers interested in learning more about an issue that will undoubtedly become increasingly important in the future.
Rating: 5
Summary: Addresses Threats to Our Most Valuable Global Resource
Comment: This was a great book that highlights the current threats to our global water supply. This book was particularly thorough in the analysis of the privatization of water resources. It explains the international institutions that prop up global water companies. I was very impressed with the extensive research that the authors must have put into this book - they used many examples of water issues from around the world. This book is a great introductory book for someone interested in becoming more knowledgable in water issues. It is also a great book for the general public to help them to understand more about a resource they probably take for granted. Don't buy bottled water! It is environmentally wasteful of resources and economically unjustifiable. It contributes funds to private companies and helps to support global water corporations!
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Title: Water Wars: Privatization, Pollution, and Profit by Vandana Shiva ISBN: 089608650X Publisher: South End Press Pub. Date: February, 2002 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Every Drop for Sale: Our Desperate Battle Over Water by Jeff Rothfeder ISBN: 1585421146 Publisher: Jeremy P. Tarcher Pub. Date: 11 October, 2001 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Water: The Fate of Our Most Precious Resource by Marq De Villiers ISBN: 0618127445 Publisher: Mariner Books Pub. Date: 01 July, 2001 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: Water Wars: Drought, Flood, Folly and the Politics of Thirst by Diane Raines Ward ISBN: 1573222291 Publisher: Penguin Putnam Pub. Date: 01 August, 2002 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: The World's Water 2002 - 2003: The Biennial Report on Freshwater Resources by Peter Gleick ISBN: 1559639490 Publisher: Island Press Pub. Date: 01 July, 2002 List Price(USD): $35.00 |
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