Blue Gold : World Water Wars

According to the International Water Management Institute environmental research organisation global water stress is increasing, and a third of all people face some sort of water scarcity. Where demand exceeds supply and no effective management operates, there will be conflicts between the various players involved.

“How can you buy or sell the sky-the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us. Yet we do not own the freshness of air or the sparkle of the water. How can you buy them from us? We will decide in our time” (Chief Seattle: 1855). In the Documentary “Flow – for the love of water” it visualizes the global crisis we face on Mother’s Earth as it pertains to the diminishing of fresh water. The Documentary portrays along with the help of experts that this global crises is affecting each and every one of us in today’s society including animals. The film shows us that water is constantly being wasted, polluted, and privatized by big co operations. Prime examples of these greedy companies were mentioned in the film such as Nestle, Thames, Suez,

The US can be a leader in the fight for water equality by formally declaring water a human right. The US is in a unique position, because we have already done so much to aid people in water-stressed regions. This experience will be invaluable in escalating our efforts to secure the natural human right to clean and sustainable water for our allies in Sub-Saharan Africa. We can dedicate our vast resources and capable personnel in innovative and strategic ways to this most noble of all causes to bring prosperity abroad and secure it for posterity at home.

Water is all around us. This substance is of high importance to every living thing which is on planet earth. As much as we consider water to be life and the most important substance, still we don’t seem to appreciate it very much, as it is being wasted in such great amounts. Everyone believes that water will always be around but not taking into account that the majority of the water on planet earth are not for human consumption. Human beings can only survive on consuming fresh water. The percentage of

The documentary, Blue Gold, World Water Wars, was a dramatic depiction of the prognosis of our ability to sustain life on the earth if we don’t take very seriously the natural resource of water. The movie by Sam Bozzo was released in 2008 and is based on the book Blue Gold: The Fight to Stop the Corporate Theft of the World’s Water by Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke. The movie opens with a dramatic display of what happened to Pablo Valencia who in 1906 walked from Mexico to California in search of gold. He survived without water for 7 days and documented the experience. One of the most compelling statements from his experience was the statement, “who ever goes without water for a week, cries blood.” That statement was riveting and came to mind often during the course of viewing the movie. The filmmaker succeeded in galvanizing my attention with that opening frame. Bozzo highlights how extensively our ecosystem is being impacted by our seemingly lackluster regard for the water we have been given on earth. It seems as though some think water is an infinite resource. Contrarily the movie shows that our abuse of water is deteriorating water flows and threatening the sustainability of our ecosystem. The planet, human beings, plants, animals, fish, etc. all need water to survive.

The point is that water is a precious commodity even during times of peace and prosperity, and it needs to be protected at all times.

With the abundance of clean water in Seattle, civilians would go into shock if they suddenly lost access to the utility. The fictional events in the film Tambien la Lluvia take place during the Cochabamba Water Wars, in which the city government of Cochabamba dramatically raised the rates of water bills by over 35%, which sparked violent riots among the lower class. This film explores a question that concerns our environment’s limited resources: How and should the world ration and conserve fresh water?

Blue Gold Water Wars, is an award-winning film directed by Sam Bozzo. The documentary sends some very important messages; water is a necessary component of all human beings, and its supply is running out faster than we are able to replenish the source. We are mining almost 15 times more groundwater than the amount is being replenished. We are polluting our natural source, destroying habitats (e.g. wetlands), and obstructing rivers that fertile lands.

In the book “Blue Future”, world-renowned water activist Maude Barlow, inspires readers as she explores her vast experiences and knowledge to outline a key set of principles that offer a solution to what she pleas to be “the defining issue of our time” (Barlow, 2013, p. 4), the fight for water equality. Principle One: Water Is a Human Right, drives the concept that water should be delivered to all, while pressing into the higher powers that act as barriers to the recognition of this vital concept. Principle Two: Water Is a Common Heritage, disputes the ethics behind privatization of water and reinforces the notion that this vital resource is to be viewed as a public good, which should not be bought nor sold. Principle Three: Water Has Rights Too, explores the environmental aspects of water supply, pushing for changes in current laws and practices that put the earths water sources at risk. Principle Four: Water Can Teach Us How to Live Together, urges the global community to join together in order to address a common issue of water insecurity, in addition to adapting our currents ways, allowing us to “live more lightly on the earth” (Barlow, 2013, p. 207).

Water is a fundamental resource necessary for all life on Earth. Humanity would be extinct without it. People think there is an unlimited supply of water, however there is not. The overuse of water is a problem that needs to be stopped. Society needs to learn to live in a more sustainable way. If humanity continues to overuse Earth’s natural resources the way it does today, the Earth will run dry. To prevent the depletion of water, people need to be aware of their impact on the environment and live sustainably. By controlling the population, limiting fossil fuel usage, and stopping greed, the depletion of water can be prevented.

Economic relations and resource management, 2. Ideology and culture including the way people think about the environment and water rights, 3.political agents like the state, transnational actors and organizations involved in water disputes and trade 4.the transnational social movements which endorse and resist water privatization, and 5.the power relations which engender unequal access to safe water (Bywater, 2008).

Sam Bozzo directed Blue Gold: World Water Wars in 2009. The total running time of the film is eighty-nine minutes, and the film is not rated (NR). The film is narrated by acting legend Malcom McDowell. The subject of the documentary is as the title suggests; the subject of the documentary regards the commodification of water. The film provides an overview and history of the issues of commodification and global privatization of water. The film is supposed to be informative. This film is most likely for world citizens that have little or no awareness about the issues of water privatization. The film is not necessarily for experts or other professional or private citizens with advanced knowledge. The film has several purposes, including to inform, but also to motivate and to generate an opinion. The opinion of the film and the filmmakers is quite evident over the course of the film. The film does not necessarily want viewers to agree with the film's position; the film is more concerned with citizens having an education and awareness regarding water privatization and how this industry will grow over the course of the next few decades.

Life springs up around water sources. It is no coincidence that some of the greatest civilizations have been build need fertile bodies of water. Known life relies on water to sustain that life. So it is no surprise when a debate arose in 2013 around comments made by Nestlé Chairman Peter Brabeck regarding privatization of water and the fundamental human right to survive from dehydration and illness from non-portal water consumption. Although the context of Brabeck’s comment was taken out of context, issues surrounding the access companies like Nestlé have been given to bottle their water when people do not have access to clean water and droughts are threatening crop production. Adding a price tag is not the answer. The market, both these companies and their consumers have a major role to play in the management of water; a role that requires a change in mindset of privilege many citizen of the United States, and other countries that do not see the direct effects that serious clean water issue have on people that do not have it.

In today’s society, the idea of a limited resource is not a foreign concept. Most people understand that eventually humans will use up many of these resources, such as fossil fuels, and they will cease to exist. However, very rarely does a conversation about limited resources get started over the water. While water itself is not a limited resource, clean drinkable water is becoming scarcer as people continue to use excess water. The documentary “Last Call at the Oasis” highlights how precious water is to survival and just how much miss use of water occurs in the United States alone. Even though the United States has gone down the wrong path with its water consumption methods, it may not be too late to recover. With the proper systems and education in place, the chances of delaying a water crisis increase exponentially.

Water is a human right, not a commodity. It is the essence of life, sustaining every living being on the planet. Without it we would have no plants, no animals, no people. However, while water consumption doubles every twenty years our water sources are being depleted, polluted and exploited by multinational corporations. Water privatization has been promoted by corporations and international lending institutions as the solution to the global water crises but the only one’s who benefit from water privatization are investors and international banks. The essential dilemma of privatization is that the profit interests of private water utilities ultimately jeopardizes the safeguarding of the human right to water. Access to clean, sufficient