Polaris Institute -

Thousands Mark Canadaʼs First Bottled Water Free Day

richard — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 07:32:59 -0800

For immediate release

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Thousands Mark Canadaʼs First Bottled Water Free Day

OTTAWA ––Today, Canadians across the country are participating in Canadaʼs first Bottled Water Free Day. Organised by the Canadian Federation of Students, Sierra Youth Coalition and the Polaris Institute, Bottled Water Free Day is intended to raise awareness about the negative impacts of bottled water.

“Across the country students are standing up against the wasteful bottled water industry,” said Noah Stewart, National Deputy Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students. “Tired of having to pay Coca Cola, Pepsi or Nestle for a drink of water weʼre calling on schools to ban the sale of bottled water and re-invest in water fountains.”

Highlights of Bottled Water Free Day include:

Thousands of Canadians to Participate in Canada’s First Bottled Water Free Day on March 11th

richard — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:22:09 -0800

MEDIA ADVISORY

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Thousands of Canadians to Participate in Canada’s First Bottled Water Free Day on March 11th

OTTAWA – On Thursday March 11, Canadians from coast to coast will be participating in Canada’s first Bottled Water Free Day.

Highlights of Bottled Water Free Day include:

Announcements by Ryerson University regarding the sale of bottled water
Events on more than 60 college and university campuses
The release of data on spending by the CBC on bottled water obtained through an Access to Information Request

More than 70 organisations, institutions and municipalities including the Sierra Club of Canada, Canadian Labour Congress, City of Sudbury, and Durham Catholic District School Board have endorsed Bottled Water Free Day to date.

Bottled Water Free Day is organised by the Canadian Federation of Students, Sierra Youth Coalition and the Polaris Institute.

Coca-Cola Sued in U.S. by Guatemalans Over Anti-Union Violence

richard — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:32:17 -0800

Patricia Hurtado, February 27, 2010, Bloomberg - Coca-Cola Co. was sued by Guatemalan workers who say they endured a “campaign of violence” by people working on behalf of bottling and processing plants Coke owns or owned there after they engaged in union activities.

Jose Armando Palacios of Guatemala and eight other plaintiffs filed the complaint Feb. 25 in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan, alleging negligence, deceptive practices and other claims against Coca-Cola, the world’s biggest soda maker.

The plaintiffs said they were the victims of violence and retaliation by individuals associated with Industria de Café SA, or Incasa, which operates an instant coffee and Coca-Cola bottling plant in Guatemala City. The plaintiffs said Incasa “is or was previously owned by Coca-Cola.”

Bluewash is the new greenwash

richard — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 07:44:28 -0800

Zoe Cormier, February 5th, Axis of Eco - The first Public Eye Award for Greenwash handed out in Davos last week was unprecedented. Not only was it the first such award handed out in the Swiss city for false environmental claims, but it was also the first ever Public Eye Award for the recipient: the United Nations.

United Nations Indicted for Enabling Corporate Control of Water and Greenwashing

richard — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 05:23:30 -0800

January 27, 2010, Davos, Switzerland — The Public Eye Awards' Committee announced today that the Polaris Institute's nomination of the CEO Water Mandate has won in the Greenwash category.

Since 2005, at a ceremony outside the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland, the Public Eye Awards have been given out to corporations that have exhibited irresponsible and damaging behaviour. At this year’s event Nobel Prize Laureate Joseph Stiglitz will be giving the keynote address.

In 2009, Polaris submitted a nomination of the United Nations' CEO Water Mandate in the 'Greenwash' category for its role in facilitating greater control of water resources by multinational corporations while simultaneously 'greenwashing' socially and environmentally damaging corporate behavior.

Polaris Submission Nominated for International Award!

karl — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 08:20:58 -0800

In Zurich, Switzerland the Public Eye Awards' Committee announced today that the Polaris Institute’s nomination of the CEO Water Mandate has been shortlisted in the Greenwash category.

Since 2005, at a ceremony outside the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland, The Public Eye Awards have been given out to corporations that have exhibited irresponsible and damaging behaviour.

In 2009, Polaris submitted a nomination of the United Nations’ CEO Water Mandate in the ‘Greenwash’ category for its role in facilitating greater control of water resources by multinational corporations while simultaneously ‘greenwashing’ socially and environmentally damaging corporate behavior.

On January 27th the CEO Water Mandate will join a group of corporations and institutions vying for a Public Eye Award in the ‘Global’, ‘Swiss’, ‘Greenwash’ and ‘People’s Award’ categories.

Canadians Unhappy with Harper’s Performance at Copenhagen Summit

richard — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 10:36:10 -0800

Results of an Angus Reid public opinion poll released on January 5th show that "Canadians are generally unhappy with the results of last month’s Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen."

The online survey of 1,013 Canadian adults also found that only 28 percent of respondents are content with Stephen Harper's leadership at the summit while almost half said they were dissatisfied with Harper’s performance at Copenhagen.

See full results of the poll here

Monsanto wins award for worst corporate climate lobbyist in Copenhangen

richard — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:15:28 -0800

A coalition of groups including ATTAC Denmark, Corporate Europe Observatory, Focus on the Global South, Friends of the Earth International, Oilchange International and Spinwatch organized The Angry Mermaid Award to recognise the perverse role of corporate lobbyists, and highlight those business groups and companies that have made the greatest effort to sabotage the climate talks, and other climate measures, while promoting, often profitable, false solutions.

Watch the Angry Mermaid video here

Here is the Press Release from the Angry Mermaid Award website:

For immediate release: Tuesday 15 December 2009

*****
THE ANGRY MERMAID WINNER IS...

Monsanto wins award for worst corporate climate lobbyist in Copenhangen
*****

Copenhagen talks stall as African bloc accuses UN of trying to kill Kyoto

richard — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 07:31:31 -0800

John Vidal and Suzanne Goldenberg, December 14, 2009, The Guardian - One of the two negotiating tracks at the UN climate talks in Copenhagen broke up in drama and confusion today when the Africa group of countries followed by other developing countries accused the chair of the conference of trying to "kill" the Kyoto protocol. They were also objecting to what they characterised as efforts to sideline the poorest countries.

The crisis was then exacerbated after Australia said that rich countries should suspend talks about emission cuts.

The UN and the chair of the conference, Denmark, tried hurriedly to repair the rifts as ministers began to arrive in Copenhagen for the high level political section of the talks. But after the talks were suspended for two hours, observers said that it looked increasingly unlikely that an ambitious deal would now be negotiated by Friday.

Ottawa plays foul with number game

richard — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 10:24:38 -0800

Eric Reguly, The Globe and Mail, December 10, 2009--The Harper Conservatives like to think they have healthy, hands-off approach to business: Let the markets weed out the good from the bad. It's a nice philosophy.

It's also one that's conveniently ignored by the Tories when they see fit. Case in point: At the stroke of a pen in the lead-up to the Copenhagen summit on climate change, the government's fiddling with one number, and one number only, instantly created a new list of potential industrial winners and losers.

Copenhagen: Leaked draft deal widens rift between rich and poor nations

richard — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:03:13 -0800

John Vidal and Dan Milmo, The Guardian, December 9, 2009 - Lumumba Di-Aping, the Sudanese chairman of the group of 132 developing countries known as G77 plus China, responds to the leak of the 'Danish text'. Photograph: Jens Norgaard Larsen/EPA

Three hours after the "Danish text" had been leaked to the Guardian, Lumumba Di-Aping, the Sudanese chairman of the group of 132 developing countries known as G77 plus China, spelt out exactly why the poor countries he represents were so incensed. "The text robs developing countries of their just and equitable and fair share of the atmospheric space. It tries to treat rich and poor countries as equal," said the diplomat.

Copenhagen climate summit in disarray after 'Danish text' leak

richard — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:00:23 -0800

John Vidal, The Guardian, December 8, 2009 - The UN Copenhagen climate talks are in disarray today after developing countries reacted furiously to leaked documents that show world leaders will next week be asked to sign an agreement that hands more power to rich countries and sidelines the UN's role in all future climate change negotiations.

The document is also being interpreted by developing countries as setting unequal limits on per capita carbon emissions for developed and developing countries in 2050; meaning that people in rich countries would be permitted to emit nearly twice as much under the proposals.

The so-called Danish text, a secret draft agreement worked on by a group of individuals known as "the circle of commitment" – but understood to include the UK, US and Denmark – has only been shown to a handful of countries since it was finalised this week.

Big oil's relentless lobby

richard — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:47:07 -0800

William Marsden, The Montreal Gazette, December 4, 2009 - As world leaders gather in Copenhagen next week for historic negotiations on climate change, a fierce battle continues in Ottawa between environmental groups and a powerful army of energy, manufacturing and power utility lobbyists to influence Canadian legislation governing greenhouse gas emissions and billions of tax dollars in clean energy and emission-reduction subsidies.

These climate change lobbyists form one of the largest special interest groups on Parliament Hill, the Canadian public lobby registry shows. Since 1996, a total of 1,570 climate change lobbyists have pounded the halls of Parliament. Their client list has steadily increased since that year from just 13 to 109.

Oil and gas producers comprised the largest industry lobbying group from January through August 2009 with 24 companies and associations represented in Ottawa, according to the registry. These include all the major oil companies.

Story of Cap and Trade

richard — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 07:53:56 -0800

From the makers of The Story of Stuff comes a new film that upacks the story of Cap & Trade:

The Story of Cap & Trade from Story of Stuff Project on Vimeo.

Celebrating the Beginning of the End of Bottled Water in Canada

richard — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:24:29 -0800

Joe Cressy, Polaris Institue, December 2, 2009 - Exactly one year ago today (December 2, 2008) the City of Toronto became the largest city in the world to pass a comprehensive ban on bottled water, setting off a wave of backlash against bottled water that continues today. Since Toronto’s decision many news articles have been written, municipal resolutions passed, university clubs formed, and stainless steel bottles sold. To put it bluntly, the last 12 months have not been kind to the big three bottled water manufacturers Nestlé, Coca-Cola, and Pepsi, whose bottled water sales are down while the number of bans continues to increase. Finally, after years of steady bottled water growth, the past year has demonstrated strong public support for the reemergence of the tap.

So where exactly does bottled water stand in Canada right now?