California is increasingly short of water (partly because wasting it on freshwater swamps for birds and sardines). Some of its delirious water saving laws, such as collecting rainwater, may be caused by sheer thirst. Yet in the North, Canada sits on unlimited RENEWABLE water resources. But it will not share it. "No way!" is the invariable Canadian reaction when water sales are mentioned. Paul Cellucci, former US Embassador to Canada said that
Canada has the largest resources of fresh water in the world. Water is going to be - already is - a very valuable commodity and I've always found it odd that Canada is so willing to sell oil and natural gas and uranium and coal, which are by their nature finite. But talking about water is off the table, yet water is renewable.Canadian polls tend to run 70 per cent against bulk water export, and the issue reportedly ranks in the Top 5 of concerns expressed in letters to the prime minister's office, suggesting the presence of a febrile protectionist lobby. It is difficult for an Israeli to understand this irrational, even inhuman attitude. We are supplying drinking water to Amman and to Ramalla and Gaza without expecting being paid.
3 comments:
Some issues are so emotional that they are not subject to rational discussion. Being from the Middle East, you should be all too familiar with this. E.g. the placement of the border in some obscure Lebanese village. Or some uninhabited "islands" (actually rocks) in the S. China Sea. Now there are always people who will cynically manipulate public emotions regarding these issues, but the emotion has to be there in the 1st place. Apparently water is such a "hot button" issue in Canada for whatever reason.
K
Contrary to what the Federal Ministers lie about, Canada has put in place laws that very much move the decision to export to the provinces.
Constraints on Export were the lack of federal legislation to allow it. The Feds have since deregulated "navigational waters" from their lists and put in script that allows the export of water from rivers and lakes.
This is turning water into a commodity. As such with our trade agreement with the US we in Canada must give the US first dip into the bucket when things get tight.
Also, exporters cannot charge US importers more than what the Canadian consumer pays.
The result is pressure put on Canadian Consumers to raise their water costs affording more profit for exporters.
Edmonton AB presently has the highest water prices in the world!
I am not against the export of water but I do not want it done under NAFTA which is patently unfair. Also I subscribe to the user pays theory where those importing will pay for the channeling or pipelines; not the Canadian Consumer as in the case now.
The second huge problem I see is the Ground Water; the aquifers.
Every nation on this earth is protecting their Ground Water from export as a commodity.
However, under the Conservatives in Alberta, this Ground water is up for export too.
This is why I work diligently to get rid of this crew.
Post a Comment