http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org daily 1 2008-04-01T04:03:00Z http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/press/releases/local-activists-our-santa-fe-river-and-food-water-watch-halt-attempt-to-privatize-gilchrist-county-water-as-county-commission-denies-201cspecial-use201d-permit-for-new-water-extraction-facility20081002 Press Release: Over 200 residents from Gilchrist, Alachua, Columbia and Suwannee Counties came out on Tuesday to demonstrate their opposition to a proposed bottling facility along the Santa Fe River. After six hours of public testimony the County Commission voted 4-1 to deny a "special use" permit to allow Blue Springs Properties Inc. to extract water from a spring on the river. The new bottling facility would have pumped a minimum 500,000 gallons of water a day. Coca-Cola already operates a facility 5,000 feet from the proposed site that can pump up to 1.2 million gallons of water a day. No publisher kfried water water barons bottled water water privatization 2008-10-02T20:27:07Z Press Release http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/press/releases/governor-schwarzenegger-vetoes-ab-2275-statement-from-food-water-watch-california-director-mark-scholsberg20080930 Press Release: "At a time when the state of California is facing growing water shortages, we are disappointed with the Governor Schwarzenegger's decision to veto AB 2275. With water rationing taking place in many communities, Californians should have a right to know how much of our precious water resources are being extracted by bottling companies. Bottled water threatens local water resources and has devastating environmental impacts. The legislature supported AB 2275 by a large margin and we hope that next year the Governor will share our view that the water issues this bill addresses are indeed high priority issues for California." No publisher kfried bottled water water privatization 2008-09-30T21:10:07Z Press Release http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/press/releases/great-lakes-compact-passes-the-u-s-house-international-coalition-of-water-advocates-calls-for-additional-protections-for-great-lakes-waters-20080924 Press Release: On Tuesday, the U.S. House passed the Great Lakes Compact, which aims to ban diversion of Great Lakes water. Hailed as a landmark conservation bill by many, the Compact will ultimately fail to stop corporations from withdrawing and selling water as a commodity. Despite efforts launched by an international coalition lead by Food & Water Watch and the Council of Canadians to ensure a more comprehensive agreement, the Great Lakes Compact passed the U.S. House yesterday by a vote of 390 to 25. No publisher kfried water water barons corporate control bottled water water privatization 2008-09-24T21:02:26Z Press Release http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/press/releases/shapleigh-stops-poland-springs-spigot20080924 Press Release:The people of Shapleigh, Maine voted overwhelmingly Saturday to halt Nestlé’s water mining activities. The vote represents a community victory against the multinational company’s plans to develop new water sources for its Poland Springs bottling brand in Maine. No publisher kfried water water barons corporate control bottled water water privatization 2008-09-25T15:34:15Z Press Release http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/press/releases/the-film-nestle-doesn2019t-want-you-to-see-flow-highlights-impending-global-water-crisis20080919 Press Release: Across the country and around the globe, communities are now locked into fierce battles over their most essential resource: water. As bottling, privatization, underfunding, and pollution threaten their water supplies, people from Felton to Fryeburg and from South Africa to Bolivia are facing the same problems. Corporations like Nestlé are buying up control of water resources, turning shared resources that are indispensable for everyone into private property to be exploited for profit. A global water crisis looms, and it is no accident. Irena Salina’s new film, FLOW provides a clear look at the issues we face relating to water. No publisher kfried water tap water water barons water privatization 2008-09-19T19:46:19Z Press Release http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/press/releases/international-bottled-water-association-distorts-the-truth-about-bottled-water-food-water-watch-responds-to-industry-claims-of-environmental-stewardship20080517 Press Release: In an open letter issued late last week to select members of the environmental community, Tom Lauria, Vice President of Communications of the International Bottled Water Association made several claims intended to illustrate the industry’s “continued environmental stewardship.” Yet Lauria’s assertions are nothing more than hyperbole spun to hide the fact that corporations continue to get rich at the expense of a natural resource and the communities and families that rely on it for sustenance. No publisher kfried water consumer rights water privatization environment corporate control water barons tap water greenwashing bottled water 2008-09-18T14:25:15Z Press Release http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/press/releases/fervor-against-water-extractions-extends-to-gilchrist-county-florida20080916 A group of citizens in Gilchrist County, Florida is mobilizing against a potential contract to extract and bottle more water from the Santa Fe River, demonstrating that momentum against the corporate control of our nation’s water resources is growing. While a “special use” permit has been filed by a campground called Blue Springs, the company that would ultimately profit from the operation has not been revealed. If approved, the new bottling facility would pump a minimum 500,000 gallons of water a day. Coca-Cola already operates a facility 5,000 feet from the proposed site that can pump up to 1.2 million gallons of water a day. No publisher kfried water barons tap water bottled water water privatization 2008-09-16T21:36:34Z Press Release http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/press/releases/flow-for-love-of-water-highlights-impending-global-water-crisis20080910 Los Angeles, CA—The L.A. area is in a near-constant state of water shortages and droughts. Water supplies cannot keep up with an exploding population, and conservation measures, such as the recently re-launched Drought Buster program, are being instituted to attempt to rein in the crisis. Other solutions are being sought, too; a private company now has all necessary permits to begin building a controversial desalination plant in Carlsbad. But desalination is expensive and threatens marine environments, and creates an opportunity for corporate, profit-motivated control of water resources. With demand ever increasing, the area’s water supply, and citizens’ public control of it, will continue to be in a state of instability. No publisher kfried water trust fund water privatization 2008-09-11T17:40:25Z Press Release http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/press/releases/food-water-watch-supports-senate-bill-790-requiring-disclosure-of-contamination-in-bottled-water20080910 Washington, DC—Today the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Transportation Safety, Infrastructure Security, and Water Quality will hear testimony on SB 790, which amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require manufacturers of bottled water to submit annual reports about contamination. Wenonah Hauter, executive director of the consumer advocacy group Food & Water Watch will testify to the subcommittee about the environmental, economic and equity issues associated with bottled water and to call for increased funding in public drinking and wastewater infrastructure. No publisher kfried bottled water 2008-09-11T15:45:19Z Press Release http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/press/releases/bottled-water-bill-passes-california-state-assembly-moves-to-governor-for-approval20080910 Sacramento, California—In an era of increasing water scarcity, the California Assembly overwhelmingly passed AB 2275, a bill to protect the public’s right to know how its water is being allocated. The bill, which is authored by Assembly member Felipe Fuentes, is now before Governor Schwarzenegger for his approval. No publisher kfried water tap water bottled water 2008-09-11T15:39:11Z Press Release http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/press/food-water-watch-to-take-back-the-tap-at-slow-food-nation-50-000-people-to-say-no-to-bottled-water-at-landmark-bottled-water-free-event20080828 San Francisco, CA—Tomorrow, some 50,000 people will enjoy access to clean, safe tap water at Slow Food Nation thanks to Food & Water Watch. The consumer advocacy group is partnering with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to develop accessible and visible water stations at the festival. Water stations will serve filtered municipal tap water using state of the art technology from US Pure Water/The Water Store and will display visual materials to educate attendees about San Francisco’s watershed and the campaign to promote tap water consumption. No publisher kfried tap water bottled water 2008-08-28T23:24:59Z Press Release http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/press/food-water-watch-st-louis-mayor-francis-slay-issue-call-for-water-trust-fund20080821 On Wednesday, Food & Water Watch joined St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay in providing 5,000 reusable drinking water bottles to City employees, banning the purchase of bottled water by city departments, and issuing a call for a federal trust fund for water infrastructure. The actions marked the City’s leadership in a nationwide effort to provide safe and affordable drinking water through increased federal funding of public water systems. No publisher kfried water bottled water water privatization 2008-08-21T19:43:55Z Press Release http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/press/releases/city-council-restaurants-launch-take-back-the-tap-portland-restaurants-to-give-up-bottled-water-support-tap-water-funds-instead20080819 Portland, ME - Today, Food & Water Watch, the City Council of Portland, Peace Action Maine, and local restaurants joined together to launch Take Back the Tap Portland. The campaign highlights the social, economic, and environmental problems with bottled water industry; the need for increased funding for public tap water; and the importance of celebrating and protecting Maine watersheds. Restaurants, government officials, and local advocacy organizations are encouraging tap water over the bottled brands as the best choice for Mainers’ health, environment, and economy. No publisher kfried water water barons bottled water water privatization 2008-08-21T18:50:41Z Press Release http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/press/releases/activists-in-mccloud-celebrate-withdrawal-of-nestle-water-bottling-contract20080806 San Francisco, CA--Activists in McCloud, California won a decisive victory yesterday when the bottled water giant Nestle announced it will kill its water-bottling contract with the McCloud Community Services District. Inked in 2003, the deal would have allowed Nestle to pump up to 200 million gallons of water from nearby Mt. Shasta springs, enough water for 614 typical U.S. families. The bottled water giant had since scaled back the plan due to mounting public opposition led chiefly by the Protect Our Waters Coalition. No publisher kfried water water barons 2008-08-11T18:54:49Z Press Release http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/press/releases/food-water-watch-corporate-accountability-international-and-council-of-canadians-endorse-global-water-crisis-film-201cflow201d20080806 EW YORK, NY – August 7, 2008 – Today, several leading United States and Canada-based advocacy groups have joined forces to support the highly anticipated U.S. theatrical release of FLOW (www.flowthefilm.com) by Oscilloscope Pictures, a distribution company founded by Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys. The announcement was timed to coincide with Nestlé Company’s (VTX: NESN) plan to release its half-year results today and follows headlines detailing recent setbacks for Nestlé Waters’ original contract with McCloud, California to build a one million square foot bottling facility. The coalition includes several organizations such as Food & Water Watch, Corporate Accountability International and the Council of Canadians. No publisher kfried water FLOW water barons 2008-08-07T22:13:56Z Press Release