Water - how lucky we are in Canada! but...

JPIC Moment
Food for thought as individuals and in fraternity:
Are we our brothers' keeper? Why?
Water - commons or commodity?
Do we have a duty to share? If yes, how?
What can we do after this reflection?

Andrew Conradi, JPIC Animator, National Fraternity of Canada, SFO alerted us to the Vancouver Sun article entitled "California drought lifts food prices as we ponder how to share water" and suggested this as a basis for a personal and fraternity JPIC Moment.

The article's writer believes that we here in Canada and throughout the world will undoubtedly feel the effects of the drought in California with raised food prices. Endangered species in the U.S. might be deprived of their status in an effort to provide water to farmers. But the main concern appears to centre around water as a commodity questioning whether water exports are included in the North American Free-Trade Agreement or not; Canada's stewardship of the prime gift of bounteous water; and the UN's statement that drinking water is a basic human right. The question is whether Canada should legislate to protect its "ownership" and how to share this natural resource just as B.C. prepares to introduce its updated Water Sustainability Act this Spring.

It is generally accepted that by 2030 global demand for water will outstrip supply by 40%.  Read about the impending global water shortage and the four principles National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians, Maud Barlow puts forward for a global water-secure future in Blue Future - Protecting Water for People and the Planet forever.