Claudia Campero and Maude Barlow in Kelowna, British Columbia
The Ottawa Citizen has reprinted a news report from the US-based news service the McClatchy Tribune News.
That article notes:
– “(Mexico City) siphons water from the underlying aquifer faster than rainfall can replenish it, causing the city, much of which is built on an ancient lakebed, to sink, which puts additional stress on leaky water mains.”
– “Environment Ministry officials say that 85 percent of the water coursing through municipal systems is potable.”
– “Mexicans drink more bottled water than the citizens of any other country, an average of 61.8 gallons per person each year, according to the Beverage Marketing Corp.”
– “The average Mexican family spends US $140 a year on bottled water.”
– “Recycling experts say that only about one-eighth of the 21.3 million plastic water and soft drink bottles that are emptied each day in Mexico get recycled.”
– “Many Mexicans simply don’t trust the government to deliver clean, pure water. That’s where multinational companies with bottled water divisions — such as Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, France’s Groupe Danone and the Swiss company Nestle — have found an opening.”
The article highlights, “Claudia Campero, a Mexico representative of Food & Water Watch, a Washington-based consumer advocacy group, (says) ‘These companies tell people to have confidence in them rather than in the government.’ (She adds,) ‘Twenty years ago, there were drinking fountains in all the public schools and in most parks. Now, such fountains are rare.'”
Claudia is also a project organizer with the Council of Canadians Blue Planet Project.
The article is at http://www.kansascity.com/2010/05/29/1979986/mexicans-distrust-the-tap-turn.html.
