 Water across the world bbc slides |
see  sci/tech/ today
 
www.absolut.com/truth/water.html or
Window on Absolut Water
see W-N on the Great Lakes | EVIRONMENT | L'Album 1984
Finding Nemo
 Water Resources Management
Coastal Ocean Modelling Dalhousie U
See:scienceinafrica.co; also see the :World Water development Report at: unesco.org/water/ ] & see The International Secretariat for Water .i-s-w.org/,
About the Theme - Water by G. Donald Bain
Participant Index - thumbnails/index. | World Wide Panorama Map.
Eastern Townships, Québec Canada HOVEY MANOR,
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2009
Sunday 14 June 2009 NIAGARA FALLS, ONTARIO: NEW WATER AGREEMENT SOUGHT
Canada and the United States have agreed to renegotiate the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The announcement was made jointly Saturday in Niagara Falls by Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon and the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. Their announcement coincided with the 100th anniversary of the Boundary Waters Treaty between the two countries, which seeks to resolve disputes over waters that flow between the two countries. Added to their agendas now are the waters that flow in the Arctic as a result of climate change. Mrs. Clinton said neither country wants the Arctic to become a free-for-all. On the matter of Canada-US trade, Mrs. Clinton insisted the "Buy American" provisions in the US economic stimulus package will not interfere with US trade obligations. Ottawa says Canadian companies are being discriminated against by US state and municipal governments on some water and sewage treatment projects funded by the bill.
Monday 08 June 2009 WINNIPEG: BORDER DISPUTE OVER UNWANTED WATER
There is no end in sight to a dispute over water between the Canadian province of Manitoba and the bordering US state of North Dakota. North Dakota's Water Commission has endorsed a proposal to increase the flow of water from a lake that eventually flows north into Manitoba's Red River. Manitoba's Water Stewardship Minister Christine Melnick says that would deluge Manitoba's watershed with salty water and foreign organisms that could alter the ecology of the Red River and Lake Winnipeg to the north. North Dakota Governor John Hoeven says they have to start moving more water out of the lake to protect people living and farming in the basin. But Ms. Melnick disputed that, saying there is only a five to six per cent chance the lake will overflow its banks. She said the state's plan could spawn a new round of court challenges, but the exact avenue of protest is, she added, still up in the air.
Wednesday 22 April 2009 OTTAWA: GOVT. SAID LAGGING ON WATER PLAN
The country's environment commissioner, Scott Vaughan, has told the House of Commons environment committee that the federal government has made scant progress on a national water program which it promised more than two years ago. Mr. Vaughan says that the government has made many announcements but that they haven't been followed by enough action even to warrant an audit by his office. The Conservatives announced a national water strategy in March 2007 but have since been criticized by environmentalists for offering only piecemeal projects. Environment Canada drafted an internal report in December 2007 in which the department urged a more active approach to the management of the country's water, which is largely now the domain of the provinces.
Friday 17 April 2009 Let it rain
How water stress affects poor agricultural economies
How rainfall can affect economic growth ...
Thursday 26 March 2009 Water Standards 'very lax,' group says
'This should raise alarm bells'
Wednesday 25 March 2009 OTTAWA: GOVERNMENT WILL RENEW ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT FUNDING
Canada's government will renew funding for a United Nations water monitoring program operated by Canada. The U.N. Global Environmental Monitoring System project was at risk of closing down. The system is based in Burlington, Ontario. It coordinates 2,700 monitoring stations worldwide that track temperatures and other trends in the quality of inland water. The program also offers training and advice for developing countries on how to set up water sampling programs. Canada's environment minister, Jim Prentice, says that the government will contribute CDN$2.5 million over five years in addition to the basic funding that the project already receives.
ISTANBUL: ENVIRONMENT MINISTER MARKS WORLD WATER DAY
Sunday was World Water Day, a day when nations examine the state of their freshwater resources. Nearly a billion people around the world do not have access to clean water. At the end of a week-long water conference in Istanbul, more than 100 countries pledged to improve sanitation and water supplies for those in need. The conference made a number of non-binding recommendations. But Canada, Egypt, the United States and some other nations refused to recognize access to fresh water as a basic human right. The conference's final text instead declared water to be a basic human need. Canada's environment minister, Jim Prentice, explained that declaring access to fresh water to be a human right would force countries with large freshwater supplies to export their resources to countries with insufficient supplies. On Saturday, he announced that the Canadian government would continue funding a United Nations project based in Canada to monitor the quality of freshwater around the world. At least 25,000 delegates took part in the Istanbul conference, a record attendance.
Thursday 19 March 2009 Global crisis 'to strike by 2030'
The world's growing population will create a "perfect storm" of food, energy and water shortages, the UK's chief science adviser says.
Sunday 08 March 2009 OTTAWA: APPEAL MADE TO ELIMINATE BOTTLED WATER
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is asking Canadian cities and towns to eliminate bottled water on municipal property. Environmentalists say that Canada has some of the best public drinking water in the world. They say that plastic water bottles produce tonnes of unnecessary garbage and carbon emissions. Municipalities in the province of Ontario already encourage cities to use public water. Twenty-one Canadian universities and colleges have bottle-free zones.
Sunday 22 February 2009 OTTAWA: CITY WATER FACILITY DUMPED UNTREATED WASTE
For the second time in less than a year, a municipal water treatment facility in Ottawa has accidentally dumped untreated waste water into the Ottawa River. Wastewater with almost three times the legal amount of pollutants was dumped into the river for four hours on Thursday. City officials say that the accident did not affect the quality of drinking water. Last fall, the city was fined more than half-a-million dollars for dumping one billion litres of raw sewage into the river in 2006.
Sunday 01 February 2009 DAVOS
A report by the World Economic Forum, currently meeting Switzerland, warns of a global water crisis. It says the supply of water will not keep up with the global population growth. The report suggests that in less than 20 years, the lack of water will undermine food production. The report mentions that water has consistently been wasted and overused, concluding that many places in the world are on the verge of what is being called water bankruptcy.
2008
Sunday 09 November 2008 TORONTO: GOVT. DOESN'T SAY NO TO BOTTLE BAN
Ontario Environment Minister John Gerretsen has praised the presentation of a private member's bill to ban bottled water. The minister says the government hasn't taken a final position on the bill but is prepared to consider all actions to limit waste. Mr. Gerretsen says the government is weighing all ways to induce people to recycle, to reuse and to reduce amounts of garbage. The private member's bill introduced last month is aimed at the reduction of waste and energy consumption associated with the bottles and to encourage the use of tap water. Fines would be provided for offenders. The opposition Progressive Party suggested in a debate in the legislature that the Liberal government would be better off worrying about massive job losses than bottles.
Thursday 09 October 2008 OTTAWA: FRESH WATER CRISIS FORECAST
A report by Environment Canada made public by the Council for Canadians nationalist group indicates that the country is headed for a fresh water crisis. The document obtained through the Access to Information law says the demand for surface water is being subjected to foreign pressures and that the situation of the Great Lakes is worrisome because their water is non-renewable. The Council says it's disappointing to realize that no recommendations have been made concerning fresh water despite concerns about its supplies. The Council has called upon federal political parties to devise a national policy to protect the country's fresh water supplies, to ban bulk water exports and to recognize access to water as a human right.
Friday 19 September 2008
Water for farming Running dry
The world has a water shortage, not a food shortage
MOST people drink about 2 litres of water a day, but consume 3,000 a day if the water that goes into their food is taken into account. Rich countries use more as their consumption of meat, which is far more water-intensive than grain, is higher. Around 1.2 billion people live in places that are short of water, and it is running out in others such as northern China and western America. Meanwhile, the world's population is growing and more water will be needed to feed it. Farming, which accounts for some 70% of human water consumption, offers the best opportunity for thrift. Repairing leaks and better irrigation in poor countries could help reduce wastage by up to 70%, as could switching to less thirsty crops in arid regions.
September 19, 2008 Waterloo Region bans bottled water sales
The Waterloo Region has become the latest Ontario municipality to ban the sale of bottled water in city...
Development - 81 Wetland preservation - 0
If there's something Quebec's Department of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks ought to know about, it's the ecological importance of wetlands. A marsh is not just a nuisance that gets in the way of developers wanting to build along shorelines or near big urban centres.
Monday 01 September 2008  Freshwater exports for the development of Quebec’s blue gold
Research Paper on the exploitation of Quebec’s water resources
August 27, 2008 / by Marcel Boyer
Fresh water is a product whose relative economic value has risen substantially and will keep rising in the coming years. It has become a growing source of wealth and an increasingly worthwhile investment opportunity. Without better management of this resource, the emergence of water distress can be expected in many highly populated areas of the world. This study aims to present a general portrait of the possibilities open to Quebec in selling and exporting fresh water, to assess Quebec’s competitive advantage and potential in this regard and to define the role and responsibilities that the existence of this potential imposes. 
Publication (PDF format)
And just as there’s a global food crisis going on right now, a global water crisis has been brewing for several decades. Currently, more than one out of six people lack access to safe drinking water, and another two out of six lack adequate sanitation, according to the World Water Council.
1 Sep 2008 Exporting bulk water is the wrong way to go
Water exports are a recurring, ever-controversial theme in Canada. From Soviet-style schemes such as the 1960s Grand Canal proposal to divert James Bay water to the United States, to more recent commercial plans to ship water from Newfoundland's Gisborne Lake and Ontario's Lake Superior, dozens of failed attempts to export water have generated thousands of pages of debate.
Water is 'blue gold': Montreal think tankThe GazetteMONTREAL - Large-scale fresh water exports would be a "wealth-creating idea" for Quebec and all of Canada," the Montreal Economic Institute said today. "We should look seriously at developing our blue gold," the think tank said in a study. The cost of seawater desalination will ultimately determine the commercial value of fresh water and whether the heavy investment in infrastructure would be justified. "Even if the province were to charge a royalty of just 10 per cent on fresh water exports, that would bring in $6.5 billion a year in income, or five times the dividend now being paid by Hydro-Quebec to the Government, said MEI chief economist Marcel Boyer.
Friday 22 August 2008
Business and water
Everyone knows industry needs oil. Now people are worrying about water, too ... more
Green.view
Wastewater irrigation is better than you think ... more
Sunday 17 August 2008 Summit targets world water issues
Tackling climate change will be one of the major concerns
|
A summit this week in Sweden will tackle the key issue of water, including sanitation, climate change and drinkable supplies.
While global attention has recently focused on energy and food, a global summit this week in Stockholm, Sweden, will tackle the key issue of water.
The World Water Week meeting starts on Sunday and will hear renewed calls to solve growing challenges of sanitation, climate change and drinkable supplies.
Sanitation in particular is one of the most important global issues.
Monday 11 August 2008 WP op-ed on the importance of water to the Israel-Palestine conflict:
Wednesday Jul 9, 2008 Quebec towns near border fear tainting of water supply
The planned expansion of a garbage dump in upstate New York could have serious consequences north of...
Wednesday Jul 9, 2008 Quebec towns near border fear tainting of water supply
The planned expansion of a garbage dump in upstate New York could have serious consequ...
The planned expansion of a garbage dump in upstate New York could have serious consequences north of the border, a group of Quebec towns is warning.
 Water
Robin Griffith
and William Houston - the co-authors of Future Storm who in 2006 predicted the present political, economic, commodity and climatic turmoil - have turned their attention to one of the biggest challenges being faced across the globe today: Water.
Monday 07 July 2008 Africa dominates first day of G8 summit
Seven African leaders call for aid to help bolster agricultural production
HONG KONG (MarketWatch) — Africa dominated the agenda at the annual summit of the Group of Eight Monday, as delegates from the leading industrialized nations discussed a range of issues with their African counterparts, including whether enough aid has been forthcoming to help alleviate poverty.
Monday Jun 23, 2008 Schools take aim at bottled water in vending machines
First the ubiquitous single use plastic bag, now bottled water. Canadian municipalities and schools ...
Thursday Jun 19, 2008 We'll drink to that, restaurants tell charity
Diners to pay $1 for glass of water; Money will go to help people in developing countries gain access to basic needs
Money raised on Saturday will go to WaterCan's Clean Water for Schools program, which provides hygiene education and access to clean water and sanitation facilities to students in African schools.
For a list of participating restaurants, go to: www.watercanmtl.com. For more information on WaterCan, see: www.watercan.com.
Wednesday Jun 18, 2008  A watered-down effort
As the Quebec government moves once more to protect its water supply, opposition parties and environment lobbies say the latest draft law falls short of what's needed
Wednesday Jun 18, 2008 Water plan for St. Lawrence unpredictable, critics charge
The environmental and economic impact of a proposed plan to change how water flows into the St. Lawrence...
Tuesday Jun 10, 2008 Fix those leaking pipes before raising water taxes
The beer-ad notion of unlimited and free Canadian water has always been a myth. Water has to be pumped in, filtered, purified, tested, reservoired and sent on its way to millions of homes and businesses. That costs money. So in a general way, we're in favour of a water tax for Quebecers. Like electricity and gas, it's a commodity that doesn't come free.
Monday 09 June 2008 Ottawa student may hold secret to Water For All
Mohammed Rasool Qtaishat says his startup has developed a new technology to turn seawater into clean, drinking water much more efficiently than is possible today
Friday Jun 6, 2008 Quebec moves to protect water
The provincial government is moving ahead with plans to enshrine in law the policy that water belongs..
With 4,500 rivers, 500,000 lakes, an uncalculated number of underground springs and a 3,790-kilometre share of the St. Lawrence River, Quebec has about three per cent of the world's total fresh water supply.
Tuesday 03 June 2008 Water Is a New Battleground in Spain
Tuesday, 13 May 2008 Barcelona shipping in water video
Barcelona is shipping in water supplies in an effort to counter Spain's worst drought in 60 years.
Environment Correspondent David Shukman offers a view of the extent of the problem at one reservoir.
Thursday 01 May 2008 Water covers >70% of the world Webby
Friday 25 April 2008 TORONTO: 'WATER WARS' LOOM
Experts speaking at a conference on water warn that "water wars" are impending, particularly over water from the Great Lakes. Linda Mortsch of Environment Canada noted that the southwestern U.S. states are already worried about dwindling water supplies and the impacts of climate change are worsening their problem. Earlier this month, Ohio Lt.-Gov. Lee Fisher created a stir when he predicted that the Great Lakes region may be less than a decade away from selling water to other U.S. states in need. Mrs. Mortsch commented that many Americans think such an eventuality is inevitable. Milton Clark, a senior health and science adviser for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, remarked: "You will see water wars coming in every way, shape or form." Mr. Clark added that there are leading American politicians who have insisted that the Great Lakes belong to everyone and that water should be nationalized. Ontario and Quebec have signed an agreement that would ban bulk transfers of Great Lakes water to other jurisdictions and are hoping that the eight Great Lakes states and the U.S. Congress will agree to a similar accord.
Sunday 20 April 2008 TORONTO: NEW CAMPAIGN URGES WATER CONSERVATION
Canadians are getting a new message to conserve water in small, but significant ways. A new environmental campaign called Go Blue is urging Canadians to cut their water consumption in half. The campaign hopes to take advantage of the success of Earth Hour last month. Bob Sandford, an employee of a United Nations water conservation program, says that Canadians do not realize how precious their water resources are. Mr. Sandford says that just a leaky faucet wastes thousands of litres of water a year.
Monday Apr 14, 2008 Baird urged to develop water strategy in 2007
Environment Minister John Baird was urged to elaborate a national strategy to protect Canada's freshwater...
Wednesday Mar 26, 2008 UN backs feds' view on water
The Harper government can declare victory after a United Nations meeting rejected calls for water to...
Sunday 23 March 2008 OTTAWA: CANADIANS MARK WATER DAY
Saturday was World Water Day. Groups in Canada and around the world spent the day trying to raise awareness about the looming water crisis, which was sparked by climate change. They also tried to raise money to ensure all children have access to clean water. The United Nations has been observing World Water Day since 1992.
Sunday 13 January 2008 BISMARCK: US SENATOR WANTS HIGH-LEVEL WATER NEGOTIATIONS
North Dakota Senator Byron Dorgan is asking Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to step into water disputes between North Dakota and Canada. The Northwest Area Water Supply Project and the Red River Valley Water Supply Project would divert Missouri River water to northwest and eastern North Dakota. Canada objects to both projects, fearing that invasive species might enter their waters. Mr. Dorgan says the water treatment plans in both projects are adequate. He says the disputes with Canada have dragged on for too long, and it's time for high-level consultations between US and Canadian diplomats.
2007
Thursday Nov 29, 2007 Part 5 in a series on one of Canada's most precious resources: water. Wednesday Nov 28, 2007 Should we sell our water to the U.S.?
"Canada has probably one of the largest resources of fresh water in the world. Water is going to be -
Pipe dreams of the past no deterrent to today's planners
There has been a run of schemes over the years to export Canadian water in bulk, but all of them so ...
Tuesday Nov 27, 2007 'Alberta has been fiddling while Rome burns'
The Gazette's William Marsden looks at the dire water situation in Alberta in an excerpt from his recent book, Stupid to the Last Drop: How Alberta Is Bringing Environmental Armageddon to Canada (And Doesn't Seem to Care).
Water meters are a fair solution
It will take six long years to get modern water meters installed in all of Montreal's 30,000 factories, stores and institutional buildings. And there are still no plans to require meters in all private homes. This is painfully slow progress toward the sensible ultimate goal of expecting everyone to pay for water, just as we all pay for power, gas and other utilities.
Water meters are a fair solution
It will take six long years to get modern water meters installed in all of Montreal's 30,000 factories, stores and institutional buildings. And there are still no plans to require meters in all private homes. This is painfully slow progress toward the sensible ultimate goal of expecting everyone to pay for water, just as we all pay for power, gas and other utilities.
Monday Nov 26, 2007 Water royalties coming soon: Quebec eyes B.C. and Ontario models
No water-guzzling industry in Quebec - not thirsty mines or bottled-water exporters - pays for the water.
But that is about to change, according to Jean Charest's government, which promised water royalties for industrial and commercial users in its last budget.
Quebec royalties would apply to groundwater as well as surface water, the head of the Quebec Environment Department's integrated water management unit said last week.
Sunday Nov 25, 2007 Flushed with pride
Welcome to the leaky city, where despite the crumbling water infrastructure, the urgent story is water...
Sunday Oct 28, 2007 OTTAWA: SCIENTIST COALITION WARNS OF DWINDLING WATER RESOURCES
A newly formed organization of Canadian scientists, lawyers, and former senior government policy advisers is warning Canadians that they should not take the country's water supply for granted. The Gordon Water Group, which is led by the Sierra Club of Canada, released a report on Friday calling for urgent action on water conservation. Specific measures were suggested including legislation to ban the export of water and the creation of a federal fund aimed at conservation projects. Canada has about six per cent of the world's freshwater supply.
Summer 2007 Is there water on Mars?
Scientists have long studied the possibility of water on Mars, analyzing evidence that suggests liquid water existed on the Red Planet in the past. Recent evidence of gullies formed within the last decade raises the possibility of liquid water on or near the surface. These findings are incredibly significant, because where there’s water there may be life.
Saturday 25 August 2007
Jul 31st 2007 Thinking outside the bottle: It's time to go back to eau de faucet
Bottled water and snake oil
Is bottled water proof that consumers are daft?
SO THE emperor really isn’t wearing any clothes. Last week PepsiCo announced that the label on its Aquafina brand of bottled water will soon carry the words “public water source”, instead of simply the innocent looking “P.W.S.”. That’s right: Aquafina is to all intents and purposes tap water. Coca-Cola is under pressure to follow suit with its Dasani brand, though so far it is refusing to do so. “We don’t believe that consumers are confused about the source of Dasani water,” Diana Garza Ciarlante, a Coca-Cola spokeswoman, said. “The label clearly states that it is purified water.”
Friday 13 July 2007 Small, Yes, but Mighty: The Molecule Called Water
Some 380 million years ago, a few pioneering vertebrates first made the leap from water to land. And today, tens of millions of their human descendants seek summer amusement by leaping the other way. According to the travel industry, close to 90 percent of vacationers choose as their holiday destination an ocean, lake or other scenic body of water.
Friday 13 July 2007 TORONTO: CITIES BENT UPON SAVING WATER
Twenty Canadian and nine American municipalities have agreed to reduce their water consumption by 15 per cent by 2015. The cities taking part in the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative included Toronto, Montreal, Sault Ste. Marie, Chicago and New York. Eleven of them, including Toronto and Sault Ste. Marie, already have water conservation plans in place. Toronto's plan will cost almost $75 million over the next four years, but the city says it will save more than $220 million in infrastructure costs. Toronto Mayor David Miller says Canadian cities need the support of the provincial governments to enforce strict building codes and retail requirements for energy and water efficiency. The mayor cited as an example the need to ban old-fashioned toilets and to encourage the use of low-flow bowls.
Monday 09 July 2007 TORONTO:SERIOUS WATER SHORTAGES FORECAST
The United Nations is warning that two-thirds of the world will face serious water shortages by 2025. Environmental experts are worried by the lack of alarm over serious problems in one region, the Great Lakes, which straddle Canada and the United States. Parts of the lakes are dealing with pollution and invasive species. The Great Lakes make up about 20 per cent of the world's fresh water. They supply water to over 30 per cent of Canada's population.
Sunday 17 June 2007 rci OTTAWA: LAWMAKERS DEBATE WATER DISPUTE WITH U.S.
Canada's House of Commons were to hold an emergency debate Thursday evening about a dispute over water between the western province of Manitoba and the U.S. state of North Dakota. Manitoba objects to the state's plan to drain water from Devils Lake into Canada because it could harm fishing in Lake Winnipeg, the world's 10th-biggest freshwater lake and home to a fishing industry worth $25 million a year. The Manitoba government says that the proposed drainage of Devils Lake meet doesn't meet the environmental standards of a binational accord regarding the lake. The government also says that salt levels in Devils Lake are 10 times higher than those of Lake Winnipeg and that non-native fish parasites and algae could end up there. The North Dakota government says its lake needs draining and has more than tripled in size because of heavy rains in recent years.
go to "watch t.v. spots" and click on #1, Glacier recession.
thanks to Judith Patterson OWN
Wed1317 30 May 2007 Foreign acquisition of resource companies
A short clip was played of Michael Enwright's interview with Andrea Mandel-Campbell, author of Why Mexicans Don't Drink Molson(andreamandelcampbell.com/), which generated discussion of the timidity/conservative approach of Canadian investors. Canadians tend to be cautious and conservative when buying, but want top dollar when they sell. We have been investing in foreign countries for years, but now that our resource companies, and corporations such as the quintessentially Canadian Hudson Bay Company are foreign owned, a red flag has gone up.
In the fear and discussion over this issue we appear to be ignoring a more vital threat to our national continued existence, namely water, our most precious resource in great demand and currently in plentiful supply. Canada has 7% of the world's renewable supply of freshwater and 20% of the world's total freshwater resources (including waters captured in glaciers and the polar ice caps ec.gc.ca/WATER backgr).
[We should be mindful that only 1% of the world's water is usable as about 97% is sea (salt) water, and 2% is frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps.]
Water from Wed1309
The supply of potable water is declining. While climate change plays a part in affecting global water supplies, it is the pressure of increasing population growth that is at the root of the problem. Growing urban water supply and sanitation needs, particularly in lower- and middle-income countries, face increasing competition with other sectors. Rising incomes in other portions of the world population fuel demand for manufactured goods and environmental services and amenities, all of which require water.
[see: 2nd UN World Water Development Report]
According to the IPCC report report, by 2020, up to 250 million people living in sub-Saharan Africa are likely to face water shortages. Parts of Asia would be endangered by the melting of glaciers in mountainous regions such as the Himalayas. Similar melting of European glaciers would endanger southern Europe.
"In Southern Europe, climate change is very likely to have negative impacts by increasing risk to health due to more frequent heat waves, reducing water availability and hydropower, endangering crop production, and increasing the frequency of wildfires," the report says.
Seawater can be desalinated, but requires energy. Rainwater is used to recharge ground water in India, but reclaiming water from melting snow is not currently being done.
cbc.ca/news/background/climatechange
22 Mar 2007 ...
Hungry for water
How much water does it take to produce a cup of tea? More than you might think - about 35 litres (8 gallons). That's because you need buckets of the stuff to grow the tea leaves in the first place. By the same logic, it takes about 1,450 litres to produce a kilogram of wheat. And a kilo of beef requires up to 15,000 litres, the amount necessary to grow the grain to feed the cow that ends up in your burger.
Today, on World Water Day, I'm reminded that the international food trade is essentially a form of water trade. If you live where water is scarce, it's more efficient to import sacks of corn than the millions of tonnes of water needed to produce it all yourself. So food becomes a kind of virtual water import.
Water
Let's talk about water! Water is all around us here in Canada, but a lack
of water is already a pressing concern for much of the world. CitizenShift
is taking 11 films about water on the road to cities across Canada. We'll
be screening the films and discussing water issues with experts and
activists...and you! Check out the films in our Watch section; they cover
water issues like pollution, global warming and privatization. What we
decide about water today will affect the future for all of us. Who owns
water? Is water a human right or a human need? How can we stop polluting
and wasting this precious natural resource? Watch, listen, look, read...and
join the discussion.
citizen.nfb.ca/waterpressgallery/
Go Back
Wednesday 21 March 2007 ...
Well - working on this World Water Day [March 22] project with the NFB has been an eye-opener for me (one of the main reasons I took the job - eager to learn more - and boy, have I ever!).
Saw the DVD of the 12 films about "right to water" on Monday night; there will still be other screenings tonight and tomorrow in various Canadian cities. Nestled in my safe little world of day to day mundane issues, I was totally unaware of this topic of water privatization, which is already having an impact on Canada; this is not a third world country problem.
You can read more about what is going on at the following site: canadians.org At the top of this page under the banner photo, go to the menu option of CAMPAIGNS and click on WATER. On this particular page of the Council of Canadians site, you can click on the option to send a letter to the Prime Minister - fast and dirty; takes two seconds. Or you can simply inform yourself by researching the other topics available here.
Whatever you choose to do - please help to spread the word so more people become aware of this issue. With upcoming elections, we can be informed and on the lookout to see which party is making this a priority as, in my newly enlightened state, I think it should be.
Thanks,
Barb Barbara Ford [ygraine7@videotron.ca]
see Also water as a human right at the United Nations.
Monday 04 December 2006 DULUTH: CONCERN GROWS OVER LAKE LEVEL
Scientists are concerned about the low water level in one of the world's largest bodies of freshwater, Lake Superior, on the border between Canada and the United States. In late autumn, the water level was at its lowest in 80 years. The drop was caused by six months of regional drought. Low water levels mean that freighters must travel with lighter loads along the lake's channels, locks and harbours. It's feared that the low water levels could continue for many years.
Wednesday 29 November 2006 TORONTO: GREAT LAKES CALLED CESSPOOL
An environmental report says that despite the huge sums invested to clean up the Great Lakes, they're as dirty as ever. The report by the Sierra Legal Defence Fund says billions of litres of untreated urban sewage are being poured into the Lakes each year, threatening its ecosystem. The document refers to municipal sewage as "a foul cocktail of human waste, micro-organisms, disease-causing pathogens and hundreds of highly toxic chemicals." According to the Fund, the chief problem is that outdated sewage systems are unable to deal with the huge amounts of effluents poured into them, a situation which worsens when heavy rains occur. The report recommends that national, provincial and state government co-operate to improve infrastructure, harmonize legislation and ensure enforcement of regulations.
Sunday 19 November 2006  Video: China´s Yellow River
The Times´s Jim Yardley finds rampant pollution and booming urbanization along the polluted Yellow River, which is being sucked dry by growth. Related Article
| video part 2
Monday 13 November 2006 Oilsands tapping Canada's freshwater supply dry
Environment Minister Rona Ambrose must deal with a new warning about Canada's freshwater supply when she steps onto the international stage to sell her government's plan to fight global warming at a United Nations climate-change conference.
Climate change may lower the water level in some of Canada's rivers and lakes, with serious economic consequences. The government tries to protect public transit and oil rigs from terrorist attacks. Federal money to finance entrepreneurs in developing countries gets lots of coverage, but may be paltrier than advertised.
Monday 13 November 2006 maisonneuve DROWNING IN SHALLOW WATER
The
Citizen fronts and the
Globe goes inside with reports on an ominous assessment of the future
of Canada’s freshwater resources and their potential economic costs.
The World Wildlife Fund Canada released a report yesterday on the expected
effects of climate change on water levels in some Canadian lakes and
rivers. The study focuses on Alberta’s Athabasca River, which is
used by the growing petroleum industry in the tar sands, and on the Great
Lakes, which power much of Ontario’s hydroelectric facilities. The
worry is that even conservative estimates of temperature increases within
the next fifty years could cut water flow in the Athabasca by 10 percent
and lower the level of the Great Lakes by more than a metre. The report
says that lessened supply won’t be sufficient to meet demand, and
recommends acting now by putting off development of the oil sands and
seeking out alternatives to Great-Lakes-powered hydro installations.
Declining water levels aren’t the only environmental threat in
today’s news run. The
Globe, CTV
News and the Citizen (not available online) all speculate on the
coming political showdown at the UN climate talks in Nairobi, Kenya.
Environment Minister Rona Ambrose arrives at the conference tonight, on
the heels of a planned announcement by Canadian opposition MPs and
environmentalists on the unpopularity of the Conservative
government’s environmental plans back at home. The public rebuke is
part of a plan to pressure the government into keeping its commitment to
reduce greenhouse gases as prescribed by the Kyoto protocol. Ambrose has
said Canada is not on track to meet its commitment, and the
government’s proposed Clean Air Act has received sharp criticism for
failing to get tough on carbon dioxide emissions. But Ambrose claims that
the criticism doesn’t worry her, telling CTV News that Canada has
“the support of the international community.” While MediaScout
sympathizes with the opposition attempt to hold the government to its word,
it is unsure that a public shame session is the most effective way of doing
it. Better to seek out common concerns, as the WWF report so expertly does,
translating environmental degradation into the language of lost profits and
declining economic output.
Saturday 04 November 2006 rci HALIFAX: CANADA ON RIGHT PATH TO PROTECTING SEA SPECIES
Canadian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Loyola Hearn says the federal government is on the right track in protecting fish stocks but wasn't surprised by a report of international scientists and ecologists that overfishing and pollution are devastating stocks. The report appearing in the American journal Science predicted that virtually all stocks will collapse by 2048 unless practices are changed. Mr. Hearn says he agrees with the prediction but that Canada is trying to correct the mistakes of the past by shifting attention to the entire ecosystem instead of individual species. Mr. Hearn also says Canada is trying to reform the agencies that manage fisheries in international waters, as well as seeking fishing technologies less harmful to marine environments. The World Wildlife Fund reacted to the minister's comments pessimistically, saying it has failed to act on promises to protect marine spaces that could help species recover from overfishing and not cracking down on countries which overfish.
Tuesday 31 October 2006 nyt water filter video
Donald G. McNeil Jr. demonstrates how a new personal water filter, worn around the neck, could help ensure people around the world have clean water to drink. (Produced by Emily B. Hager) A $3 Water Purifier That Could Save Lives
Thursday 26 October 2006 GREAT LAKES ACCORD SAID TO NEED UPDATE
A report is recommending that a Canada-United States agreement to keep the five Great Lakes clean should be replaced with something more relevant. The International Joint Commission says the 1972 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement is outdated and does not deal with modern problems. It was last updated in 1987. The Commission says a new plan would have specific timelines for improvements to water quality and would make governments more accountable for reaching targets. Herb Gray, a former Canadian cabinet minister who is on the Commission, says this is the first time in many years that there's been a strong desire for change. The Canada-U.S. commission was established by the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909.
Environmentalists in India are worried that China may be planning to dam a giant river that runs through its territory. They say they fear a disaster if Beijing builds a dam on the Yarlung Zangbo River, which runs into India's giant Brahmaputra. The Times of India has reported that China wants to divert 200 billion cubic meters of water to feed the Yellow River in an attempt to ease acute water shortages. The daily quoted sources in Beijing saying "the plan reportedly has the backing of Chinese President Hu Jintao, a hydro engineer by profession". However, a foreign ministry official in Beijing has denied the report.
UNDATED: CANADA DENOUNCED AS WATER WASTER
An international environment group says Canada is among the worst offenders when it comes to wasting the Earth's resources. The World Wildlife Fund says that on a per capita basis, only three countries use more water and other resources than Canada, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and Finland. Canada has one of the world's largest fresh water reserves.
Saturday 07 October 2006 UNDATED: CANADA'S WATER QUALITY CRITICIZED
An environmental lobby has criticized the Canadian government for its drinking water policies.The Sierra Legal Defence Fund says in its annual report that the country seems unable to provide all of its citizens with proper drinking water, native reserves experiencing particular problems. The lobby gives the eastern province of New Brunswick the worst mark. Ontario earned the best for having drawn conclusions from the Walkerton disaster. Seven residents of the southwestern down died and 2,500 others fell sick when the town's water supply became contaminated with deadly E. coli bacteria. Health Canada says about 90 people die annually from drinking contaminated water.
Monday 18 September 2006 Eco-Paradises in Crossfire of Water Scarcity Fight
GENEVA — Delicate wetlands, coasts and wildlife sanctuaries could be ravaged as part of a struggle to stretch the world's water supplies, with the worst damage foreseen in poor countries.
WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE (EXCEPT NAFTA) - as reported in Maisonneuve Magazine's daily round-up
"The Citizen goes inside with a former US envoy’s suggestion that Canada should reconsider its stance on bulk water exports to the US. Paul Cellucci, the outspoken and oft-maligned former ambassador to Canada, tells the Citizen that Canada’s massive fresh water supply should be included in the same category as other exportable natural resources, maintaining that both countries will eventually be forced to address the issue. Provinces currently allow for the export of bottled water, and although bans against bulk water exports are in place, the Citizen reports that Canada could “lose control over the resource under the North American Free Trade Agreement if any province or territory opens to the door to sales of bulk water exports to regions that are starting to face record droughts in the US.” The Tories are currently drafting a new national water strategy, but a US government spokesperson nonetheless says that no negotiations on bulk exports are planned and that no proposals on the matter have been put forward."
Monday 18 September 2006 OTTAWA: CANADA AND USA TO STUDY GREAT LAKES WATER LEVELS
Canada and the United States have begun a major study to determine why water levels in the Great Lakes have declined. Over the five years, the study costing CDN$17.5 million will consider various causes, including climate change and erosion. Canada's environment minister, Rona Ambrose, says that water levels in Lake Huron and Lake Michigan were as much as 45 centimetres below average this summer. A drop of just half a centimetre means a loss of millions of gallons of water. The two lakes are at their lowest levels since the 1960s. Lake Superior is at its lowest level since 1926. The low water levels have caused problems for navigation, power generation and recreation.
Monday 11 September 2006 BANFF: CANADA WARNED ABOUT NEED TO CONSERVE WATER
The Rosenberg International Forum on Water Policy is being held this year in Banff, AB, where about 50 scientists and senior water managers are gathered for sessions. The city is a popular resort nestled in the Rocky Mountains. A Swiss expert, Bruno Messerli of the University of Bern, took advantage of the occasion to warn Canadians that they must consider the Rockies as less of a recreational resource and more as water towers that need government protection. The expert says he's alarmed that the average temperature in the Rockies is three degrees warmer over the past three decades, with the result that there are less snow and ice to melt and supply water. He says the solution is a greater effort to enforce the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change
Sunday 10 September 2006 nyt In the West, a Water Fight Over Quality, Not Quantity Coal bed methane producers are dumping wastewater that Montana ranchers say can destroy the ability to grow anything.
Saturday 02 September 2006 Water is running out in the west coast town of Tofino, BC., where its water reservoir could run dry within days leaving the town's 1,800 residents with only bottled water. Some businesses are trucking in their own water. Tofino's city council on Thursday debated a plan to truck in water from the nearby town of Ucluelet 24 hours a day until the crisis has passed. Tofino is located on Vancouver Island in a rain forest, and receives an average of three metres of rain a year. But its summers are dry and the present one has been exceptionally so. Some residents have complained that their politicians have allowed the popular resort to grow too quickly without allowing its infrastructure to expand as well.
Sunday 27 August 2006 Wed1278 Fall will no doubt bring another round of one
of our topics of long duration - WATER.
Water, water everywhere, nor any drop
to drink bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/
... more and more of the world is recognizing the dangerous depletion of
the world's clean water supplies, some say more through mismanagement than
real shortage
turkishdailynews.com.tr/ Check out news from Stockholm on World Water Week.
How many of you knew that an Indian-born Canadian received the US$ 150,000
Stockholm Water Prize for his work with the Mexico City-based Third World Centre
for water management? This is the kind of globalization we really enjoy hearing
about! triplepundit.com/pages/new-wave-thinking-world-water--
Sun 20/08/2006 SWEDENA new report on the world's water supplies says that more people are suffering from a lack of water. The report by the International Water Management Institute was compiled by about 700 experts and supported by the United Nations. The report concluded that one in three people in the world must endure some form of water shortage, whether drinking water or water for irrigation. The number is higher than previous estimates. The report predicts that shortages will increase in the next 40 years, but it also says that the world is not running out of water. It concludes that there is enough land, water and human capacity to solve water shortages.
August 16, 2006 — By Reuters Rich Countries Like Poor Face Water Crisis
GENEVA — Rich countries have to make drastic changes to policies if they are to avoid the water crisis that is facing poorer nations, the WWF environmental organisation said on Wednesday.
Mon Jul 03, 2006 David Graham Canada: Defined by Water in 2020
...As the water table has dropped, water problems have become more frequent. We've had a boil water advisory for nearly a year, following the death of some of my compatriots and the serious sickness of nearly half the city. No-one is quite sure exactly what the cause is, but there is little doubt that the pipeline is to blame. cdlu.net/ My Heart is Africa
26 May 2006 Water-guzzling industries 'a threat' to China's north
The study warns of an imbalance between water resources and water use
[BEIJING] Water-intensive or polluting industries are expanding in some of China's driest regions, warns a study in the June issue of Ecological Economics.
It urges China to reconsider the siting of industries with heavy water demands in the north of the country, which contains about 20 per cent of China's total water resources but supports more than half its 1.3 billion population.
Thursday May 11, 2006 If he could bottle and sell it ...
Environmentalists plan to export B.C. creek wate
Tuesday Apr 11, 2006 nyt Experts See Peril in Reduced Monitoring of Nation's Streams and Rivers While the data from gauges are best known for alerting people to floods, the devices serve many other purposes.
Monday Apr 10, 2006 ts 1,000 on reserve without water
CANOE NARROWS, Sask.—About 1,000 residents of a northern Saskatchewan reserve have been without water since Monday, when a malfunctioning water treatment plant allowed sewage to back up into the drinking water supply.
Wednesday Apr 5, 2006 riv OTTAWA: WATER CRISIS PREDICTED FOR WEST
A report indicates that several of the four western Canadian provinces will face an unprecedented water crisis in coming years due to declining river flows and growing water usage. Researchers from the oil-rich province of Alberta say some of the levels of the rivers during the summer are already 20 to 80 per cent lower than in the early part of the 20th century. All the major Prairie province rivers are fed by melting snow and ice from the Rocky Mountains. But the glaciers and snowpack have been receding due to climate warming. The study says that Alberta is the most vulnerable to water shortages because of population growth, extensive use of irrigation and the rapid growth of the oil industry. The two other provinces included in the study are Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Thursday Mar 23, 2006 Canadian wins Stockholm Water Prize
Asit Biswas cited for helping ‘foster a critical rethink' about how to improve delivery of water and sanitation services
Stockholm — A Canadian who heads a water management group in Mexico City has won the annual $150,000 (U.S.) Stockholm Water Prize, organizers said Wednesday.
Saturday Mar 11, 2006 ts Not enough drops to drink
Mismanagement of this precious essential resource is widespread, a United Nations report says and globally, the problem isn't a shortage; it's unequal access and poor sanitation, Peter Gorrie writes.
`Geysers' of water on Saturn's moon
The orbiting Cassini spacecraft has spotted water spewing from geysers on one of Saturn's icy moons. Alicia Chang reports.
Tuesday Feb 21, 2006 nyt A Test for the New Justices A pair of cases that could weaken the Clean Water Act may give the American people the first clear indication of how judicially modest the new Supreme Court justices intend to be.
2005
Friday Dec 30, 2005 nyt THE COST OF GOLD
A Drier and Tainted Nevada May Be Legacy of a Gold Rush
By KIRK JOHNSON
Draining nearly 10 million gallons of water a day is just one of the many byproducts of Nevada's tangled love affair with gold.
Pressure to export water to U.S. likely to grow
There was an edge of frustration in Paul Cellucci's voice when he raised the topic of fresh water exports in a radio interview last month.
Friday Dec 9, 2005cc Great Lakes headed for 'ecological collapse': report
As wetlands disappear and shorelines are degraded, the Great Lakes are losing their ability to cope with environmental stress and ward off a catastrophic breakdown, scientists said Thursday.
Friday Dec 9, 2005 ts Great Lakes headed for 'ecological collapse'
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — As wetlands disappear and shorelines are degraded, the Great Lakes are losing their ability to cope with environmental stress and ward off a catastrophic breakdown, scientists said Thursday.
Thursday Nov 24, 2005 rci A tentative deal has been reached by the eight U.S. Great Lakes states and the provinces of Ontario and Quebec regarding the use of water from the Great Lakes. The draft document bans large-scale diversion of water but allows bottled-water projects that would be allowed to withdraw up to 19 million litres a day. The accord still has to be approved by the 10 state and provincial governments. Environmentalists gave the agreement mixed reviews. A water expert with the Council of Canadians, Susan Howatt, predicts that it would weaken Canadian sovereignty over the Canadian part of the Lakes. But the Georgian Bay Association approves because the accord between the two Canadian provinces and state governments, the governors of which allegedly care more about the Lakes than Washington.
Sunday Nov 6, 2005 rci OTTAWA: FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CONSIDERING NEW WATER METERS FOR CANADIAN HOMES Canada's government thinks that water pricing policies across the country are inefficient, so there's an idea afoot to introduce home water meters that would charge the real cost of providing water. Canadians could end up paying more for water, since the majority of communities in Canada charge much less for clean water than it costs them to produce it. In Nova Scotia, the consumer price of water is just 26 per cent of the cost of production. More than a third of Canada's utilities charge a basic flat fee for water. Many consumers in those areas use far more water than people in areas where they must pay by the litre. An internal report for the federal Finance Department is proposing the introduction of new water meters as a solution.
Saturday Oct 29, 2005 ts Clean water vow by PM could cost billions
OTTAWA —A disaster at a remote Indian reserve has become the tipping point for nation-wide action that could cost billions, with Prime Minister Paul Martin vowing yesterday to do "whatever is necessary" to ensure safe water for native communities.
Tuesday Sep 6, 2005 cc Alberta goes dry in bid to head off water crisis
Minister of Infrastructure: Heads to Israeli desert for tips on managing resource
Friday Aug 26, 2005 rci FREDERICTON: LNG OPPONENTS WIN FEDERAL SUPPORTER
Opponents of a proposed Liquid Natural Gas project in a water body off the border between the eastern Canadian province of New Brunswick and the U.S. state of Maine have won the support of a federal cabinet minister. Andy Scott is the federal minister of Indian affairs and is also the senior cabinet minister for the province. He has lent his support to the opposition to the proposed LNG project on the Maine side of Passamaquoddy Bay, an inlet off the Bay of Fundy. Mr. Scott says the project entails too many environmental risks to be located in waters that are home to endangered species like the right whale. Supertankers would dock at the LNG facility, but the Canadian government has the power to prevent this by forbidding them to cross the Canadian territorial waters at the entrance to the bay.
Wednesday Aug 17, 2005 rci WINNIPEG: CONTROVERSIAL U.S. WATER PROJECT NOW FLOWING
A long-planned water project in the U.S. state of North Dakota that has long caused worry in Canada went into operation on Monday. Water from Devils Lake began flowing into a 20-kilometre outlet into a river that drains into the Red River. Environmentalists fear the outlet will eventually convey pollutants and unwanted fish species northward into Canada's part of the Red River and eventually into Lake Winnipeg. The Manitoba government failed in a court attempt earlier in the year to stop the Devils Lake project. The Friends of the Earth environmental group said on Monday that the project could bring high levels of sulfates and phosphors into Canada, as well as invasive fish or plant species. North Dakota has built the project to prevent the lake from flooding surrounding farmlands and roads.
Tuesday Aug 16, 2005
Water from the controversial U.S. drainage project has begun pumping into a river that will eventually flow into Canada. The good news is that if tests show that Devils Lake is contaminating Canadian waters, the U.S. government is required to stop the flow. U.S. lake starts draining into Canadian waters
If Water is not your issue, then possibly the softwood lumber debate is of more concern. What could/can Canada do? Finance Minister Ralph Goodale, speaking at the annual conference of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, said Canada has been treated unfairly by the U.S. in disputes over such goods as wheat, beef and softwood lumber. The minister said he was "very disturbed" by the American response to a recent NAFTA panel ruling on the softwood lumber dispute that he called "absolutely clear cut and without equivocation in Canada's favor."
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