Feature: Out of order: Where have all the water fountains gone?

Posted October 28, 2008 in [Water]

Richard Girard, Polaris Institute, October 28, 2008 – People are turning away from bottled water as fast as they turned onto it.

Feature: Statement on the proposed “Global Summit” to reform the international financial system

Posted October 27, 2008 in [Trade]

The past few months have seen one of the most significant financial crises in North American and European history. The response was just as historic.

Feature: Tap Water’s Popularity Forces Pepsi to Cut Jobs

Posted October 16, 2008 in [Corporations]

Andrew Martin, October 15, 2008, New York Times - Tap water is making a comeback. That’s bad news for PepsiCo’s profits.

The company, which makes Pepsi, Doritos and Quaker Oats cereal, announced on Tuesday that its quarterly earnings were down 10 percent in part because of declines in sales of soda and bottled water in the United States.

Blue Gold: World Water Wars

Posted October 15, 2008 in [Water]

The film based on the book Blue Gold, co-authored by Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke [Polaris Institute] premiered at the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) last week to sold out audiences. Directed by Sam Bozzo, Blue Gold: World Water Wars also won the audience choice environmental awards at the VIFF.

Some bottled water toxicity shown to exceed law

Posted October 15, 2008 in [Water]

Jane Kay, San Francisco Chronicle, October 15, 2008 - Bottled water brands do not always maintain the consistency of quality touted in ads featuring alpine peaks and crystalline lakes and, in some cases, contain toxic byproducts that exceed state safety standards, tests show.

A Message to Canada’s Political Leaders: Stop Ducking Obama's NAFTA Challenge

Posted September 30, 2008 in [Trade]

As Canadian civil society organizations, we hereby call upon Canada’s political leaders during this general election campaign to respond clearly and unequivocally to US presidential candidate Barack Obama’s challenge to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Bottled Water at Issue in Great Lakes

Posted September 29, 2008 in [Water]

Kari Lydersen, Washington Post, September 29, 2008 - Even as a 10-year campaign to block wholesale export of Great Lakes water came to a successful conclusion in Congress last week, some legislators and environmentalists vowed to continue their fight to close a "bottled-water loophole," a campaign that taps into a national debate over sales of H2O in disposable containers.

Michigan lawmaker opposes Great Lakes compact in US House because he says it's not strong enough

Posted September 23, 2008 in [Water]

Ken Thomas, September 22, 2008, Associated Press Newswires - A key Michigan lawmaker said Monday he will oppose a compact to prevent the diversion of water from the Great Lakes because it allows bottled water to be shipped from the region.

Waterloo Region ditches the bottle: The bottled water industry suffers another defeat

Posted September 18, 2008 in [Water]

Polaris Institute Press Release, September 18, 2008, Ottawa - Even after sending representatives to the Region of Waterloo’s Council meeting last night and to last week’s Planning and Works Committee meeting, representatives from the bottled water industry went home with another black eye.

Sales of bottled water go flat as consumers return to the tap

Posted September 15, 2008 in [Water]

Jenny Wiggins, September 15, 2008, Financial Times - The ubiquitous plastic water bottle, long the bane of environmental campaigners, is being ditched by consumers in Europe and the US as incomes slump and people return to the tap for a free drink.

Has the Bottled Water Well Finally Run Dry?

Posted September 9, 2008 in [Water]

Kenneth Hein, September 8, 2008, Brandweek - The market for bottled water may be drying up. Despite massive discounting, brands like Aquafina and Poland Spring are experiencing a sales drought unlike any the category has ever seen.

Dwindling access to drinking water on Canadian university campuses: Report

Posted September 3, 2008 in [Corporations]

Polaris Institute, Canadian Centre For Policy Alternatives, Canadian Union of Public Employees Press Release, September 2, 2008 - Water fountains are becoming an endangered species on university campuses across Canada.

Tap water access on campuses declining: Survey

Posted September 2, 2008 in [Corporations]

Amy Husser, Canwest News Service, September 1, 2008, OTTAWA - As students across the country head back to university and college campuses this week, a national report suggests they could find themselves a little thirsty - at least if their wallets are empty.

Critics dump on water study

Posted August 28, 2008 in [Water]

Robert Gibbens, August 28, 2008, Montreal Gazette - The Montreal Economic Institute's dive into a 40-year controversy over bulk water exports ran into a tide of skepticism yesterday.

Cities ponder restrictions in wake of London [Ontario] bottle ban

Posted August 19, 2008 in [Water]

Carly Weeks, August 19, 2008, The Globe and Mail - The water fountain is about to make a comeback. Plastic water bottles are the focus of a growing national backlash that's turning them from a fashion accessory into the latest environmental taboo.