It's astonishing how much freshwater we have in Canada. I lived in Western Cape, South Africa, during the Cape Town water crisis, and I was amazed how that scarcity mindset resulted in small lifestyle changes that radically reduced how much water I used. I wish we valued clean water more here, and recognized it as the limited resource it is. Dozens of reserve communities in Canada still have boil-water advisories. Iqaluit almost ran out of water this summer. Our reservoirs in Vancouver are hitting record lows at the end of the summer. I see this shift in values as necessary, even here.
I think that paying for water is part of the solution. Kai's idea in class that residential water under a certain per-capita threshold should be free is essential to not cause massive societal issues. But even more important is charging industrial water users closer to what we pay as residential consumers. There was that famous deal with Nestle a few years ago - $2.25 per thousand cubic metres. Residents in Toronto pay double that for one cubic metre. Industrial water fees could easily offset all residential consumption.
I would like to see this sort of legislation coupled with pollution legislation. A river in Canada (the Muteshekau Shipu) is now considered a person, and we should charge industrial polluters with harm akin to destroying a living being, not simply a reclamation fee. I say this even recognizing that most reclamation projects involve significant taxpayer funding anyways, which is also not right.
I can imagine that amendments to CEPA might be the easiest way forward, at least with the latter part of this, to strengthen provisions which mandate industry responsibility over all (even accidental) pollution.
#UnleashValues @CoSphere
Hey Declan, thanks for letting us know about the Muteshekau Shipu! Granting this river personhood was an important step in recognizing indigenous beliefs, and is much more in line with protecting ecosystems than the commoditization we went over in class.
I agree! I hope we value fresh water more too!
Hi Declan Taylor, it is so interesting to hear your thoughts having lived in Cape town! I agree with you I to wish we valued water more. I think it is easy for us to get caught up in a bubble if the threat doesn't appear to be imminent. I lived in for India for 6 months, during which hot water could only be accessed during certain hours in the day. It is so interesting to hear different actionable solutions, it was great reading your ideas, they seem feasible!
I really like how specific your intervention is. I had no idea that residnts pay double what such a big corporation does. You're absolutely right that industrial water fees might be a great way to influence water consumption and that money can go towards managing water-related infrastructure.
Hi Declan, the worst part about the reserve communities not having clean water yet is that the government has already been made aware of it, yet still no action has been taken!