This morning we are at a media conference in Mexico City organized by the Coalicion de Organizaciones Mexicanas Por El Derecho Al Agua (Coalition of Mexican Organizations for the Right to Water).
Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow, climate campaigner Andrea Harden, and COMDA/ Blue Planet Project organizer Claudia Campero Arena are speaking about the right to water, and the need for climate justice.
Maude said that:
– water has not been properly addressed in the COP climate negotiations,
– there is a relationship between the water and climate crises,
– water is warming faster than air and that glaciers are melting,
– our abuse of water is one of the causes of the climate crisis,
– when water is removed from watersheds, whole areas of the world dry up,
– this is the greatest human rights crisis of our time,
– soon the demand for water will be greater than supply by 40 percent,
– the climate crisis cannot be solved without addressing the water crisis,
– we must stop pollution, protect watersheds, and stop the over-extraction of water,
– water must be recognized as a human right for everyone,
– we must challenge the dominant model of economic growth, neo-liberal policies, unregulated trade, and unlimited growth.
Andrea spoke about the need for climate justice, an agreement much stronger and more meaningful than the Copenhagen accord, that there must not be back room climate deals, and that negotiations should not be moved from the United Nations process to the G20 as is being hinted at by the Canadian government. She added there are real solutions, that climate financing should be available to the Global South, and that the demands of the Cochabamba conference should be recognized and met.
Prior to the media conference Maude and Andrea were interviewed by Channel 22, a cultural television channel here in Mexico City.
Water campaigner Emma Lui is videotaping the media conference and we will be able to post that video by this evening.
