Water for Profit: Seizing Climate Change as a Chance to Corporatize the Commons

As the effects of climate change continue to ripple throughout the planet, some groups are acknowledging that the warming planet means big money is to be made on a resource more precious than oil — water.

In an article titled "Investors Seek Ways to Profit From Global Warming," Bloomberg Businessweek provides a revealing quote from the corporation Water Asset Management, for whom "drought is helping spur business," and for whom climate change will help them profit from water as a commodity:

“Not enough people are thinking long term of [water] as an asset that is worthy of ownership,” says Chief Operating Officer Marc Robert. “Climate change for us is a driver.”
Maude Barlow, National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians and founder of the Blue Planet Project, has described the kind of water rights buy-ups Water Asset Management capitalizes on as "creating a new wave of invasive colonialism," saying:

Knowing there will not be enough food and water for all in the near future, wealthy countries and global investment, pension and hedge funds are buying up land and water, fields and forests in the global South, creating a new wave of invasive colonialism that will have huge geo-political ramifications. In Africa alone, rich investors have already bought up an amount of land double the size of the United Kingdom.

common dreams

In my opinion the most dangerous thing about ignoring or denying man-made climate change is that we are not preparing ourselves for food and water shortages or migration of those resources, we can't fight things like privatizing water if we don't acknowledge that water sources are in danger. We can't fight authoritarian responses because we can't acknowledge as a whole people that there's an actual problem. I feel like that is the real evil agenda, keep us unarmed and unprepared so that people are defenseless when the time comes.

reply to post by Kali74


Do Aquifers come under the same rules as mineral rights? Where you can own the land, but not necessarily the stuff under it?

With big Oil money, such as the Koch brothers, behind the Deniers. It's a pretty safe bet that they are looking to buy the rights to Aquifers while everybody looks the other way.

FRONTLINE Climate of Doubt

reply to post by BritofTexas


I think if they don't now, they will... but I'm pretty sure they do.

They would try to sell us air if they could but yes, water is the next wave and if I remember correctly the capitol of Bolivia had their water rights bought up by some western corporation. Water became so expensive it basically gave the impetus to overturn the government and seize the water rights back. I don't know of a better system than capitalism yet problems such as this shine a light on it's dark underbelly.

Water should be free to all for drinking and never seized by some private interest who can charge whatever the market may bear for it. Very important subject Kali, thanks for posting this.

reply to post by Kali74


Xcel relaxes water rights to Colorado River to help during drought

Back-to-back, drought-plagued winters have prompted Colorado water users and providers to prepare for another dry year.

Xcel Energy is relaxing some of its water rights on the Colorado River to help Denver Water meet the needs of people on the Front Range and Western Slope.

On May 1, Denver Water and Colorado Parks and Wildlife will close Antero Reservoir in southeastern Colorado then drain it to save water. In Pueblo, Lake Minnequa is drying up, and a plan to use a pipeline to bring fresh water into the lake this summer offers little hope of filling it up.

The U.S. Drought Monitor shows that all of Colorado is experiencing some level of drought this year. A large portion of southeastern Colorado is seeing exceptional drought

We rely on the kindness of strangers - and Xcel Energy. What happens when relaxing their water rights isn't enough?
Here's what it looks like for Mexico - now. And when we don't feel like sharing anymore...?

US and Mexico Pact on Colorado River Water Rights

The far-reaching agreement gives Mexico badly needed water storage capacity in Lake Mead, which stretches across Nevada and Arizona. Mexico will forfeit some of its share of the river during shortages, bringing itself in line with western U.S. states that already have agreed how much they will surrender when waters recede. Mexico also will capture some surpluses when waters rise. Also under the plan, water agencies in California, Arizona and Nevada will buy water from Mexico, which will use some of the money to upgrade its canals and other infrastructure.

The agreement, coming in the final days of the administration of Mexican President Felipe Calderon, is a major amendment to a 1944 treaty considered sacred by many south of the border. The treaty grants Mexico 1.5 million acre-feet of river water each year — enough to supply about 3 million homes — making it the lifeblood of Tijuana and other cities in northwest Mexico. The pact represents a major departure from years of hard feelings in Mexico about how the U.S. manages the 1,450-mile river, which runs from the Rocky Mountains to Mexico. In 2001, U.S. states established rules on how to divide surpluses but set aside nothing for Mexico. Several years later, the U.S. government lined a border canal in California with concrete to prevent water from seeping through the dirt into Mexican farms.

Hope you get more play. It's not sexy - but it's important. I always forget - maybe it's because none of this is real

:-)

S&F

What makes you think climate change is man-made?

That has yet to be proven conclusively.

Water is very important, after the groundwater is depleted by overuse and waste, we will be paying top dollar for water to drink and bathe with. Costs will be out of this world, we will be working eight hours a day just for water and food.

Originally posted by Hopechest
What makes you think climate change is man-made?

That has yet to be proven conclusively.

So? What difference does it make at this point?

The changes are happening - they're real

If it is a direct result of something we're doing - we might be able do to something to mitigate the effects of climate change. However, even if it's not us - we need to start planning for the inevitable now

Is an effort to keep this a continual, ridiculous political debate really in our best interest either way?

Originally posted by Spiramirabilis

Originally posted by Hopechest
What makes you think climate change is man-made?

That has yet to be proven conclusively.

So? What difference does it make at this point?

The changes are happening - they're real

If it is a direct result of something we're doing - we might be able do to something to mitigate the effects of climate change. However, even if it's not us - we need to start planning for the inevitable now

Is an effort to keep this a continual, ridiculous political debate really in our best interest either way?

The whole debate is utterly stupid.

We have the ability to desalinate as much water we will ever need if it comes to that. Tell the government to stop going to war and giving people welfare checks and start building the water plants.

Problem solved, next.

Thanks for the replies and additional info/links.
This is a subject that is overwhelming sad in my opinion. The very people denying the causes and blocking mitigation efforts will be the ones to absolutely rape humanity and profit off it when it really begins to show that we have an enormous, life threatening problem on our hands. It's a blessing of a sort I guess, that we won't be the ones to see it but that's no excuse to ignore it... some of us would like to know that our childrens children will be okay.

reply to post by Hopechest


What a trite reply

You think the breadbaskets of the world are going to produce on desalinized sea water?

War - I'll give you that one. Let's do away with war - please. But all the peaceniks in the world are not going to stave off drought, starvation or displacement by working against the wars. War is here for good I'm afraid - and resources is what it's all about in the end. You think that's going to change? The effects these climate changes will have on our planet and our future are going to come with or without war

What does welfare have to do with anything?

if water is going to be so valuable,
why are big energy pumping toxic waste to frac rocks?
wont this effect the water table and poison water ?

is there a connection to future water prices?

xploder

reply to post by Spiramirabilis


The point of the OP is that we need to change those with the power from holding dwindling resources hostage. My response is that if you can actually change that then you can also change the government structures so that water is no longer a resource in short supply.

The issue of wars and welfare was in relation to the cost these plants would require to be built. Ending those should provide enough funds to ensure our countries water supply is no longer an issue.

Saudi Arabia has spent billions on desalination plants and so should we if water is becoming that scarce of a resource. If we create enough water where its no longer a scarce resource than we don't have to worry about the corporate world creating a monopoly on it.

Just adding another link pertaining to the The Great Lakes...

Seems China can take it by the freighter load.

www.examiner.com...

Also... water levels in other lakes along the Colorado River should be concerning... but you rarely see anything of this in the news.

www.water-data.com...

Originally posted by Terminal1
Just adding another link pertaining to the The Great Lakes...

Seems China can take it by the freighter load.

www.examiner.com...

Thanks Terminal1, checking that link now. Of course this is something I've been predicting for a while now.

China has screwed up their environment big time and the U.S. is OK with that as long as we can borrow money from them and get the cheap products they produce. Of course our Great Lakes are up for grabs, and so will all our natural resources. They will drain our lakes and our national forests will be made into pine plantations after they scalp them. What are they going to do with our natural resources, just have tourists look at them?

I was against the ground water trust idea because it gives my well water to the state, who I have little faith in. Just look at the loop hole they are using for the lake water. They'll be after everything they can get their greedy hands on. Let's just get it over with and sell them rights to every resource we have, including slaves, er, I mean human resources.

reply to post by Hopechest

The point of the OP is that we need to change those with the power from holding dwindling resources hostage. My response is that if you can actually change that then you can also change the government structures so that water is no longer a resource in short supply.

You know Hopechest - at first, my only response to this was going to be very cynical...and I don't think I can be blamed for that:
Secret funding helped build vast network of climate denial thinktanks

Conservative billionaires used a secretive funding route to channel nearly $120m (£77m) to more than 100 groups casting doubt about the science behind climate change, the Guardian has learned.

The funds, doled out between 2002 and 2010, helped build a vast network of thinktanks and activist groups working to a single purpose: to redefine climate change from neutral scientific fact to a highly polarising "wedge issue" for hardcore conservatives.

There is a concerted effort underway to prevent exactly what you're hoping for. When you say this:

The issue of wars and welfare was in relation to the cost these plants would require to be built. Ending those should provide enough funds to ensure our countries water supply is no longer an issue.

I'm right there with you - mostly. But political solutions (were such a thing even possible) still won't automatically turn into real world solutions. It's not as simple as being in a room without water - and somehow managing to convince people to bring water to the room. The planet won't be stable in the ways we've come to expect it to be stable - weather is going to change. Heat, cold - wind - storms...there are many of countries and people working on better ways to desalinate - but the process still requires energy. Even if those work, it will only address just one problem that will be happening on many fronts

Desalination won't fix many situations that result from real climate change. Some places will be without water - others will have to much. The Ukraine had issues recently with bringing in their wheat crop - too much rain. The breadbaskets are what feed the world and they exist where they are for a reason. If those go - we are screwed

Desalination also damages the oceans - which many see as a never ending, self sustaining resource that we can't destroy. If only that were true

reply to post by MichiganSwampBuck


Your welcome...

Just wait till they pass laws making it illegal to use the rain that hits your roof to be collected to water your plants.

Oh wait.. seems like that has already started.

A little dated link (2008)

www.ksl.com...

And this is in Utah...

really really awful. of all the things I've read about on ATS, this is one issue that could lead to revolution or civil war.

living in the northeast, the constant precip gets annoying, but I could collect water if I had to

reply to post by Terminal1

Seems China can take it by the freighter load.

but for how long?

Lake Erie’s Record-Breaking Algae Bloom May Become the Norm

Harmful Algal Blooms Data & Products

Remember that scene in "I Robot" when the robot goes to that big sand box with the sign that states he was where Lake Michigan used to be? Science fiction or science prediction?