Water

(Le français suit)

March 18th is Bottled Water Free Day; thousands mark day with events across Canada

New video released today! (sous-titres disponibles en français)

Ottawa, ON - People across Canada and around the world are marking today as the fourth Bottled Water Free Day. Over 25 events are being held across the country highlighting the negative impacts of bottled water, and the need to defend public water resources and infrastructure from privatization.

(Le français suit)

As you read this, The United Nations’ historic 2010 recognition of the Human Right to Water and Sanitation is coming under severe threat from a number of governments at the United Nations who want to see the recognition disappear. Canada is one of the countries leading this assault by pushing for the removal of any mention of the recognition of the Human Right to Water and Sanitation from the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio + 20, Earth Summit) negotiating text which will frame the discussions at the Rio + 20 conference in June.

See below for letter from Tony Clarke to U of Alberta President.

February 29, 2012

Ms. Indira Samarasekera

President

University of Alberta

Dear President Samarasekera,

I am writing to express deep concerns about the University of Alberta’s increasing involvement with the Nestlé Corporation over water issues. Not only is your University about to award an honorary degree to the CEO of Nestlé, Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, but perhaps even more importantly, he is also being invited to become a prominent member of the water advisory council that you are in the process of establishing at the University.