wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

One of the most facinating and important shows yet
Thank you

I believe that one of the more overlooked effects of the availability of bottled water is that it not only creates the impression that municipal water supplies are inferior, but also creates a psychological acceptance of incremental increases in water pollution and a decreased inclination to fight same. It also diverts water fromn the public for the profit of private industry. This is true not only of bottled water, but the use of water for soda- an issue that cuased some public outcries against Coke and Pepsi in India.

I cannot stress enough that water should not be privatized. Water is a necessary public good and its supply and distribution should not be put into private hands and by extention the market, which can be erratic and is driven by profits. What's to prevent these companies from damming up creeks and streams, thereby disrupting ecosystems and watersheds, and putting our environment at further risk? Small countries in particular are prey for these companies as they search for FDI and are urged to privatize. But water - and a few other basic public goods - should never be included in this list of privatization 'approved' items.