Key-words: privatization, sustainability, scarcity, urbanization, expropriation, giardia, cryptos poridium, E. coli, etc…
Key-phrases: public-private partnerships, commercial orientation, International Trade Organization (ITO), General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT), General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), World Trade Organization (WTO), World Bank, North American Free Trade Agreements (NAFTA), etc…
Key-names: Vandana Shiva, Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux, Metalclad, Mickey Kantor, Vivendi Environment, etc…
Key-ideas: Water resources are quickly becoming a private enterprise benefitting investors. The price for having water is rising sharply and companies are making more and more profits. The American water market is estimated at $90 billion, the largest in the world. The demand for clean water is the highest it’s ever been, because of pollution.
Questions and quotes:
· “When water is traded as a good, all provisions of the agreement governing trade in goods apply” (431).
· “All of us in the Coca-Cola family wake up each morning knowing that every single one of the world’s 5.6 billion people will get thirsty that day. If we make it impossible for these 5.6 billion people to escape Coca-Cola, then we assure our future success for many years to come. Doing anything else is not an option” (432).
o Is it ethical to privatize something as essential as water? How does the cost and demand relationship for water in the U.S compare to other nations and third world countries?
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