The relationship between NAFTA and Canada's water...
On February 29, 2016, Canada put into affect it's Water Sustainability Act. Prior to this act being enforced, more than 225,000 people petitioned that companies, such as Nestle, who utilize Canada's water resources be charged higher fees. Great idea, right? Well, this actually caused quite an issue because it could cause conflict with NAFTA by turning water into a commodity for sale. I tried to find more information regarding whether or not Canada charges more to companies for water usage, but was unable to find a definitive answer, however, it appears from just a simple Google search that this is an ongoing issue.
http://www.cbc.ca/radio/the180/more-on-nafta-and-water-partisanship-in-government-and-should-expats-be-able-to-vote-1.3163823/the-relationship-between-nafta-and-canadian-water-1.3164244
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ontario-proposes-to-boost-water-bottler-fee-by-500-per-million-litres-taken/article33653753/
http://engage.gov.bc.ca/watersustainabilityact/act/
http://www.globalresearch.ca/canada-losing-water-through-nafta/6859 (older article, but interesting take on Canada's water and NAFTA)
- Nicole Dieterle
Growing up from a family that likes to get up before the sun rise and fish fresh water lakes, I understand the importance of water resource conservation so maybe the extra fees can help. Water has always been a product that is consumed in many ways and regularly becomes a topic of interest when corporations get involved. I remember when the Nicolet Forest Bottle Company wanted to start bottling water and the significant negative impact it was going to have on the natural resources and water table in that area. So when it comes to NAFTA we must remember the impacts of producing in Mexico and Canada vs United States, but also the standards to which those products are manufactured along with the fact that US exports across Northern America borders.
ReplyDeleteWater is one of the most basic things in our human life but is something that is often used to make a profit in many products. With it as such a large internationally exchange item, we see NAFTA step in. I think that it should be regulated and we need to look to our nations to control that.
ReplyDeleteENRON's Jeff Skilling has planned actively during his reign with the company (prior to jail but perhaps during imprisonment too) to commoditize water and imitate the model he created for electricity. Be aware..Beware. Wisconsin's new well legislation plays into this 'nicely.'
ReplyDelete