Water not recognized as a human right

[Orion]

Water not recognized as human right in forum statement

A week-long international conference ended Sunday in Istanbul with a statement that recognizes access to safe drinking water as a "basic human need," but not a "human right," as some delegates had proposed.

The statement, coinciding with the United Nations' World Water Day, was issued at the end of a three-day ministerial meeting at the 5th annual World Water Forum in the Turkish city.

"We acknowledge the discussions with the UN system regarding human rights and access to safe drinking water and sanitation. We recognize that access to safe drinking water and sanitation is a basic human need," the statement said.

Dissenting countries challenge declaration

The lack of binding protocols at the forum, held every three years to safeguard the world's freshwater supplies, prompted about 20 dissenting member countries to issue their own declaration, defining safe drinking water as a human right.

Countries that tried to beef up the wording of the official statement were blocked by Brazil, Egypt and the United States, Agence France Presse reported.

The U.S. blocked the "right" amendment because it wants water to eventually become a commodity. The U.S. is currently experiencing forseeable water shortages across the board. Under NAFTA, it could legally begin transferring water from the Great Lakes (shared by Canada) to other area of the U.S., even via corporate means, for resale.

Say hello to the future of corporatism.

 

[RightinNYC]

I assume that the US objection had less to do with that and more to do with apprehension about creating an international cause of action anytime a person has complaints about water quality/price.

 

[WI Crippler]

Water not recognized as human right in forum statement



The U.S. blocked the "right" amendment because it wants water to eventually become a commodity. The U.S. is currently experiencing forseeable water shortages across the board. Under NAFTA, it could legally begin transferring water from the Great Lakes (shared by Canada) to other area of the U.S., even via corporate means, for resale.

Say hello to the future of corporatism.

Water pretty much is a commodity, unless you want to drink out of a river.

 

[zimmer]

Water not recognized as human right in forum statement



The U.S. blocked the "right" amendment because it wants water to eventually become a commodity. The U.S. is currently experiencing forseeable water shortages across the board. Under NAFTA, it could legally begin transferring water from the Great Lakes (shared by Canada) to other area of the U.S., even via corporate means, for resale.

Say hello to the future of corporatism.

A "Right" brings all manner of implications. Scores.
A "Right" is universal. Omnipresent.
Some idiot builds a place in the desert. Then claims water because it is a human right. Wait until you see the places I'm going to build.
It is no more a right than health care is.
It is a commodity.

This is "Breaking News"?
And you rag on me. LOL.

.

 

[danarhea]

Water pretty much is a commodity, unless you want to drink out of a river.

Water is also necessary for a person to survive. Those who control something like water can control a person's very life.

If water is indeed a commodity, then I hate to see the following bill, which could be common a couple hundred years from now:

Dear Sir:

Your account is 3 days delinquent. We would love to keep providing service to you, but your bill must be paid. Otherwise, we will have no choice but to disconnect your service. We accept MasterCard and Visa, so call one of the registered pay stations, and pay the amount you are behind. After paying your balance, call us with the receipt number, so that we won't have to issue a disconnect order.

Have a nice day,

Your friendly staff at
Lunar Oxygen Supply


:mrgreen:

 

[GottaHurt]

Water is also necessary for a person to survive. Those who control something like water can control a person's very life.

If water is indeed a commodity, then I hate to see the following bill, which could be common a couple hundred years from now:

Dear Sir:

Your account is 3 days delinquent. We would love to keep providing service to you, but your bill must be paid. Otherwise, we will have no choice but to disconnect your service. We accept MasterCard and Visa, so call one of the registered pay stations, and pay the amount you are behind. After paying your balance, call us with the receipt number, so that we won't have to issue a disconnect order.

Have a nice day,

Your friendly staff at
Lunar Oxygen Supply


:mrgreen:

I'm not trying to **** with your head or anything, but that's happening now.

Even better, you can be fined for watering on the wrong day in some regions.

 

[danarhea]

I'm not trying to **** with your head or anything, but that's happening now.

Even better, you can be fined for watering on the wrong day in some regions.

Then I guess I had better hold it in instead of watering the trees next time I go drinking. Owch. That's gonna hurt. :mrgreen:

 

[GottaHurt]

Then I guess I had better hold it in instead of watering the trees next time I go drinking. Owch. That's gonna hurt. :mrgreen:

Nah, just piss in a bottle, label it "Beer Eh", and send it back to Canada.

 

[winston53660]

Nah, just piss in a bottle, label it "Beer Eh", and send it back to Canada.

*ears perk up*

Did someone say beer?:mrgreen:

 

[GottaHurt]

*ears perk up*

Did someone say beer?:mrgreen:

Yea, get with Dan, he'll hook ya up. :shock:

 

[danarhea]

Yea, get with Dan, he'll hook ya up. :shock:

Yea, due to the new watering laws, I have a couple quarts of "beer" saved up that I am dying to get rid of. Damn, I can start a new business out of this and become a millionaire just by drinking and pissing all day. And I now have my first customer.

Damn, I love this country. :mrgreen:

 

[WI Crippler]

Water is also necessary for a person to survive. Those who control something like water can control a person's very life.

If water is indeed a commodity, then I hate to see the following bill, which could be common a couple hundred years from now:

Dear Sir:

Your account is 3 days delinquent. We would love to keep providing service to you, but your bill must be paid. Otherwise, we will have no choice but to disconnect your service. We accept MasterCard and Visa, so call one of the registered pay stations, and pay the amount you are behind. After paying your balance, call us with the receipt number, so that we won't have to issue a disconnect order.

Have a nice day,

Your friendly staff at
Lunar Oxygen Supply


:mrgreen:

Am I the only one here that is currently receiving a water bill each month? Or am I missing something?

 

[GottaHurt]

Am I the only one here that is currently receiving a water bill each month? Or am I missing something?

Nah, Dan had a moment. Now he's going to piss away the rest of the day drumming up customers.

 

[winston53660]

Yea, get with Dan, he'll hook ya up. :shock:

I hope it is a Shiner Bock

 

[GottaHurt]

I hope it is a Shiner Bock

In light of previous posts, I think you might find it to be Boner Schock

 

[winston53660]

In light of previous posts, I think you might find it to be Boner Schock

Bleh go drink some of your swamp water.:mrgreen:

 

[danarhea]

I hope it is a Shiner Bock

It WAS Shiner Bock. It's now called LaBatt. :mrgreen:

 

[Scarecrow Akhbar]

Amazing how all these commodities turn into "rights".

So here's the deal....to ensure the people of California have the fullest possible access to their "right" to water, the United States is going to pinch off ten square miles of the Artic ice cap, replete with seals and polar bears and cute little artic foxes, and tow it Santa Monica Bay, where it will be wrapped in polyethylene and collected as melt-water.

Since water has suddenly a human "right", what are the environazis going to say about that?

Commodities aren't "rights". They're bought and traded. They have a price. Water is one, food is another, medicine is another, sex is on the list, education also, as are housing, entertainment, and getting buried.

Christ, old time sailors wore a gold earring because that was their price to get buried.

If someone has to pay for it, it ain't a right.

 

[jamesrage]

Water not recognized as human right in forum statement



The U.S. blocked the "right" amendment because it wants water to eventually become a commodity. The U.S. is currently experiencing forseeable water shortages across the board. Under NAFTA, it could legally begin transferring water from the Great Lakes (shared by Canada) to other area of the U.S., even via corporate means, for resale.

Say hello to the future of corporatism.

As other posters have stated water is already a commodity. It cost money to purify water. It also cost money for all the pipes and to maintain all those pipes underneath the ground that run from your house,water purification plant and water source. Most people have a water bill,if you live in a all bills paid place and then your land lord receives the water bill. If you buy bottled water then that bottled water still has to be extracted from the source, purified,packaged and delivered.

 

[Psychoclown]

Amazing how all these commodities turn into "rights".

So here's the deal....to ensure the people of California have the fullest possible access to their "right" to water, the United States is going to pinch off ten square miles of the Artic ice cap, replete with seals and polar bears and cute little artic foxes, and tow it Santa Monica Bay, where it will be wrapped in polyethylene and collected as melt-water.

Since water has suddenly a human "right", what are the environazis going to say about that?

Commodities aren't "rights". They're bought and traded. They have a price. Water is one, food is another, medicine is another, sex is on the list, education also, as are housing, entertainment, and getting buried.

Christ, old time sailors wore a gold earring because that was their price to get buried.

If someone has to pay for it, it ain't a right.

Agree 100%. I really don't even understand how we can argue that a commodity like water is a right. Is the water company violating our "rights" when they bill us? When they shut off service for lack of payment? If some random guy comes up to me and asks for a drink of water, does his "right" to water trump my right to do what I wish with my private property (in this case the commodity known as water)? I am asking these questions somewhat facetiously, but I am genuine in asking what do support this idea mean when they say water is a right?

 

[Orion]

Even though bottled water is still part of the larger privatization problem, I think consumer choices can still mitigate its impact; when it comes to water bills and purified water, I also have no qualms because you are paying for a service. My main concern is corporations being given the license to own a lake or a river, preventing public access.

For instance, if I decide to collect my own water and purify it myself, the privatization of lakes and rivers would prevent that. What happens when governments, under NAFTA, begin giving corporations permits to drain lakes and transport water away from entire regions for their own private profit? This is what I'm against. It has environmental as well as socioeconomic consequences.

We already saw the consequences of the Aral Sea in Russia. North America has most of the world's fresh water... if we are not careful with the resources we have, they will be squandered away by greed like everything else.

Let water companies continue billing us for their services, but let the lakes and streams themselves remain public property.

 

[Grateful Heart]

Let water companies continue billing us for their services, but let the lakes and streams themselves remain public property.

Water rights are and always have been protected in the U.S. These are commonly known as riparian rights (rivers and streams) and littoral rights (oceans and lakes).

The details of these rights can be very complex. But the intent is to ensure fair use by all. In other words... you can't simply buy up land around a river then divert all the water into your bottling plant.

So I'm not sure what all the concern is about.

 

[Orion]

Water rights are and always have been protected in the U.S. These are commonly known as riparian rights (rivers and streams) and littoral rights (oceans and lakes).

The details of these rights can be very complex. But the intent is to ensure fair use by all. In other words... you can't simply buy up land around a river then divert all the water into your bottling plant.

So I'm not sure what all the concern is about.

Great Lakes Water Export,Water Privatization,Bottling Great Lakes Water,Global Water Crisis

Here are a list of pertinent issues taking place right now.

Water is being exported from the Great Lakes to all corners of the globe for the private profits of companies like Nestle. It's causing the water table to drop and complaints have already been filed. However, under NAFTA's shared use agreements, corporations are allowed to do this.

Water is being removed to the detriment of all, only so that a few can profit.

 

[Grateful Heart]

Water is being removed to the detriment of all, only so that a few can profit.

Well of course. Battling over water has been going on for thousands of years... which is exactly why riparian and littoral rights were established long ago. When one individual, or corporation, starts taking too much of their 'fair share' they are taken to court by the other users.

I'm not sure I see anything new here.

The biggest strain on clean water availability around the globe and in the U.S. is population growth. I didn't see anything at the web site you linked to that suggested the Great Lakes are at risk of being drained by any individual or corporation.



That said... I'm not sure I understand the overall point. Water has value. That's a reason that we often pay a premium for land adjacent to water. That holds true if we simply want the view... or if we need it to irrigate crops... or to operate a watermill... or to cool a nuclear power plant. Water has value. And if you own land near a lake or river or stream, part of the ownership right you've purchased is the right to enjoy the water. Sometimes owning land near water can prove highly profitable.

Nothing wrong with that.

 

[bilbus]

Not sure how you can consider water a right. You cant buy a right.