Selling Canada’s Water

Canada’s near the top of water-rich nations
Due to the replenishing cycle of rain and evaporation, the amount of water on Earth remained the same over the past 4 billion years
Canadians consume 350 liters of water per capita, second to America
Water belongs to everyone and no one (CELA)
Water wanting to be sold as a commodity by people that want to make a profit (government officials like premiers and mayors support to increase jobs and increase Canada’s wealth)
Environmentalist argued that water to be sold in bulk would make Canadian water a commodity and thus subject to the terms and conditions of GATT and NAFTA
There is also the issue of whether under GATT and NAFTA, water is a “vital resource” like the air we breathe, or a “commodity” to be sold and traded

Should Canada Sell Its ‘Blue Gold’?

Since the 1960’s, when Canadians learned of plans to privatize large quantities of Canada’s water, many in the country have been wary that the US will view Canada as a “sponge” and come after its water resources
When in office President Bush kept asking than Prime Minister Jean Chrétien to turn on the “taps” of Canadian water
The MEI (Measuring Eco-Innovation) report suggested that redefining water as a trade item would protect Canada and that it encourages a legal framework to be done
The report also stated that exporting water to the US was the most ethical thing to do
“If parts of the world were to suffer from serious water distress, they will have to be supplied with fresh water, which is just as important to life there as it is in regions that are well supplied with water” – MEI report
Americas water resources depleting = Going to ask Canadians. Our own domestic policy has to be handled first before trying to agree terms with the US

Why Canada needs a National Water Policy

In Canada the federal government doesn’t take initiative in conserving our water and there’s also no strategy to address our urgent water problems
There’s no national water policy that’s implemented
Government promises first nation they’ll have access to clean water but their water is still often contaminated
If water was seen as a fundamental human right in Canada more people living here would be legally entitled to it. This would decrease the amount of people that don’t have water or who have bad water
Also if water sources are damaged by industrial activities they can be punished for damaging what to most would be a human right
Under NAFTA, water is defined as an investment and a service. If this is excluded from there, future water trade talks won’t occur (trade in bulk)
Canada should ban trading water in bulk. Bulk water exports would leave Canada’s water vulnerable to depletion and to international trade challenges that could permanently open the our water to the U.S

Canada's position on the right to water

Canada was the only country at the UN commission on Human rights in 2002 to vote against the Right to Drinking Water and Sanitation
Federal government uses the argument that if water becomes a right, we’re going to be forced to give our waters to other countries like America
This argument is flawed seeing as the US is number in water usage. If they have a shortage of water it isn’t because they didn’t have it too begin with, it’s because of misuse
The idea that once water becomes recognized as a human right Canada will lose control over it’s water is wrong. The idea that water should be bought and sold like any other product is what threatens Canada’s control over its water
Trade agreements such as (NAFTA) ensure that once water is treated as a commodity, Canada will have little power to stop or even to slow down the export of the resource.
Many places in Canada were people receive inadequate water due to lack of infrastructure or care by the government
The federal government failed in its obligation to provide safe drinking water and sanitation to people in