In California, matters are so dire that the authorities have had to issue a mandatory restriction on the usage of water. Those who flout these new rules face a fine of up to $500. Oil companies, however, get a free pass to use as much water as they wish in their hydraulic fracturing (fracking) processes. Fracking is known to pollute groundwater sources, further exacerbating their potential for water wastage beyond the water that frackers already use.
An Op-Ed in the LA Times recently revealed that they have about a year of water reserves left. US Drought Monitor states that 41% of the state is in “exceptional drought”. The industry used some 265 million Liters of water in 2014.
We had already reported on how bottled water production continues unabated, regardless of the hypocrisy of such an act. A director of communications for Nestle had this to say: “Water is essential and if people weren’t drinking our bottled water, they’d be drinking tap water or soda or beer.”
“We have not been given any restrictions on tap water use for producing our bottled water,” said Ken Uptain, founder of Essentia (a bottled water company).
“I don’t see any situation going forward that would stop us from producing bottled water,” Uptain added.
They even seem glib about wasting a quarter of the water they extract in the bottling process, “everyone’s gotta drink water, why not buy it from us, since you’re facing restrictions and all….” First bottled water companies get to flout these restrictions and now frackers too? Surely these laws were not centered solely around forcing Americans to give up a basic necessity so that the corporate interests can get subsidized?
Activists are fighting back, however, hoping that this drought will bring about a public backlash that will force authorities to enhance their regulation of at least the oil producers. “So we’re not just worried about consuming water, but poisoning what water we do have with the by-products of fracking,” said Hellen Slottje, Community Environmental Defense Council activist, to RT.
“Water is not replaceable, we have no alternative sources for water, but we do have alternative sources for natural gas and oil.” Indeed, let’s hope the authorities start to listen to the 99% for once. Bottled water companies have no business wasting at least a quarter of the water used to bottle their products in this drought, and oil companies have no business contaminating the aquifers that supply the rivers and lakes to begin with.
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Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3RwFzhZlVE
The state of California alone has more people than all of Canada.
I realize that big businesses and fracking have most definitely done a lot of damage on the water resource in this state, but this state was going to last only so long before the demand of water restriction needed to be made and should have been made a long time ago.
It is bound to happen when you have that many people packed solid into ONE state. Drought is going to happen.
We use water constantly, how many of these people shower every day? bathe their children every day? Flush the toilet? Cook with water? Water indoor plants? outdoor plants? it all adds up and when you have more people in one state than another country has in total…you will end up with water problems.
Since corporations are considered “people” and protected by the bill of rights then they should be subject to the water restrictions that all “people” in the state of California are subject to!
I also have a problem with corporations being unrestricted, but, if you stop the bottling companies from their job you are going to put people out of work which is the last thing we need, this is quite a dilemma. Over the years people have suggested pipelines and they have been shot down with anger, it has to happen, only now by time they get around to it, it is going to cost a bazilliongazillion more than it would have 30 years ago. They just sat back and thought the problem was going to go away, and it is.
We’re all in this together, or it’s anarchy… Corps. can’t have it both ways… They are treated like every other person, or they are on their own…
We ALL conserve, each individual…