http://youtu.be/nTqvBhFVdvE?t=1m59s
In a candid interview for the documentary We Feed the World, Nestle CEO Peter Brabeck makes the astonishing claim that water isn’t a human right. He attacks the idea that nature is good, and says it is a great achievement that humans are now able to resist nature’s dominance. He attacks organic agriculture and says genetic modification is better.
Nestle is the world’s biggest bottler of water. Brabeck claims – correctly – that water is the most important raw material in the world. However he then goes on to say that privatisation is the best way to ensure fair distribution. He claims that the idea that water is a human right comes from “extremist” NGOs. Water is a foodstuff like any other, and should have a market value.
He believes that the ultimate social responsibility of any CEO is to make as much profit as possible, so that people will have jobs.
And just to underline what a lovely man he is, he also thinks we should all be working longer and harder.
Consequences of water privatisation
The consequences of water privatisation have been devastating on poor communities around the world. In South Africa, where the municipal workers’ union SAMWU fought a long battle against privatisation, there has been substantial research (pdf) about the effects. Water privatisation lead to a massive cholera outbreak in Durban in the year 2000.
The Nestle boycott
Nestle already has a very bad reputation among activists. There has been a boycott call since 1977. This is due to Nestle’s aggressive lobbying to get women to stop breastfeeding – which is free and healthy – and use infant formula (sold by Nestle) instead. Nestle has lobbied governments to tell their health departments to promote formula. In poor countries, this has resulted in the deaths of babies, as women have mixed formula with contaminated water instead of breastfeeding.
Tell Nestle they are wrong – water is a human right
There is Europe-wide campaign to tell the European Commission that water is a human right, and to ask them to enact legislation to ensure this is protected.
If you live in Europe, please Sign the petition here.
Via USILive.org
Reblogged this on Occupy The Polls.
ReplyDeleteThe real boom is in oxygen, bottle it up and sell it at Wal-Mart...remember who let you in on this.
ReplyDeleteReblogged this on News You May Have Missed and commented:
ReplyDeleteNestle CEO Says Water Isn’t A Human Right
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ReplyDeletePosted to sodahead.
ReplyDeletewhat makes him even think for a moment he has any more right to water and to sell it than anyone else? that water had been here being recycled for milliniums of time, by what right can anyone, including gov, corp or individuals believe they have a right to hoard the water, lock it up and sell it? no one, having a power to do something or refrain from doing something does not equate with a right. anyone who thinks they can put in a few pipes and move water around and sell that water at a primium price is delusional, in fact if the that water belongs to everyone a company piping it around should be paying everyone who lives in the area of that water should be paid a dividend for allowing someone else to monopolize it and profit from it.
ReplyDeletecompanies have a might is right attitude towards shit like this. they have the money to make factories to bottle up what should be a shared resource and try to make out like they are providing a valuable service and making the "product" safer, which is actually quite false. the real kick in the teeth when it comes to privatized water is that most of these companies are just repackaging the same tap water you get in your house for free.
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