Photo by Diane Connors
The Council of Canadians Calgary chapter organized a public forum this afternoon featuring Maude Barlow talking about her new book Boiling Point: Government Neglect, Corporate Abuse, and Canada’s Water Crisis.
In Boiling Point, Barlow writes, “The water crisis is at our door here in Canada. All the issues we thought so far away are upon us now. It is time to abandon our false beliefs that Canada has unlimited supplies of water, that Canadians have taken care of this water heritage and one another or that we still have lots of time to do so. We need a strong, national plan of action based on a new water ethic that puts water protection and water justice at the heart of all our policies and laws.”
Council of Canadians organizer Diane Connors tweeted quotes from Barlow’s speech this afternoon including:
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‘Water pollution trading’ – you can get permits to continue polluting water -
Trudeau govt had big promises around water, like having a water minister. They did take seriously water in Indigenous Communities -
“It’s time to abandon the belief that we have lots of water & that we have taken care of it” -
“CETA would enable #Nestle to sue Canada over water rights. We can’t allow that to happen.” -
“No one is saying shut tar sands down tomorrow. What we need is to stop expansion. It’s tough because it has to start in Alberta” -
How can we compare Canada and Germany? “We must learn from countries that have taken steps where we have not. It’s a mindset” -
“Workers must stand up to transnationals – civil society & labour must come together” -
“I’m critical of carbon tax because I think we need better regulation. I worry about market solutions for structural problems” -
“There’s some industry we don’t want no matter how much they pay. Fracking and bottled water are two of those.”
Boiling Point, released just eleven days ago, is now #7 on the Toronto Star and #8 on the The Globe and Mail bestselling book lists.
To date, Barlow has taken the book to Ottawa (September 20), Kingston (September 21), Guelph (September 22), Toronto (September 23), Vancouver (September 29), and Calgary (September 30).
The book tour now goes to Belleville (October 3), St. John’s (October 14-16), Saskatoon (October 18), Peterborough (November 1), Windsor (November 2), Barrie (November 7), Halifax (November 10), Renfrew (November 17), Chilliwack (November 21) and Winnipeg (November 24).
As in Calgary, many of these book tour events are being organized by Council of Canadians chapters.
In the acknowledgements section of her book, Barlow says, “Right across the country, tireless environmentalists, public sector workers and First Nations and community activists work day after day to protect water and local community rights. A special shout-out to the Council of Canadians chapters right across Canada, whose members give so freely of their time and talent.”
To order your copy of Boiling Point directly from the publisher, please click here.
