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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
informative
inspiring
sad
This is a great small book that is easy to understand, but still includes the facts and details important to the water crisis around the world. This book would be a great option for an introduction to the topic for students or those just looking for some basic information. My one negative comment is that there was a lack of storytelling in the book. Although it is data-driven (which I enjoy), I would still love a thread of a story throughout.
challenging
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
informative
fast-paced
A pretty alright read. It was fun to see Barlow on the cusp of saying that capitalism was problematic :P
Plot:
Water is an important substance needed to sustain all life on the planet. Yet, governments are allowing private corporations to come into communities and take the water away from the people, to bottle it up and sell it back to them at a higher cost. How is that legal, and why are governments selling water that their community needs? Maude Barlow, a Canadian water activist, talks about the movement people are producing to let their government know that they cannot sell their water out from under them. About everyday people, grassroots campaigns, this novel is not for the naïve, as Barlow explores the demand of water, how Nestle is the worst, and how the Blue Communities Project is something you must force your local municipality into supporting.
Thoughts:
This book is a recommended read for anyone who needs water to survive - which is every living thing. For an extremely short book of fewer than 150 pages and six chapters, Barlow writes for the general adult population to explain why we cannot trust the government to manage our water, and why water must remain public and not privatize. This book explains the Barlow project which is the Blue Communities Project, a Canada born initiative that towns and cities can be apart of if they follow three simple rules:
“1) Recognize and protect water and sanitation as human rights;
2) project water as a public trust by promoting publicly financed, owned, and operated water and wastewater services; and
3) ban or phase out the sale of bottled water in municipal facilities and municipal events” (76).
That is all it takes to be a blue community, so why is it that there are only twenty-seven across Canada, and only a handful internationally? Barlow does an incredible job of keeping the narrative of her story going while providing facts about the water crisis that is going to hit the world very soon. Overall, this book is perfect if you want to know why bottled water is so bad if you want to make your community a Blue community, and if you care about people and the planet.
Water is an important substance needed to sustain all life on the planet. Yet, governments are allowing private corporations to come into communities and take the water away from the people, to bottle it up and sell it back to them at a higher cost. How is that legal, and why are governments selling water that their community needs? Maude Barlow, a Canadian water activist, talks about the movement people are producing to let their government know that they cannot sell their water out from under them. About everyday people, grassroots campaigns, this novel is not for the naïve, as Barlow explores the demand of water, how Nestle is the worst, and how the Blue Communities Project is something you must force your local municipality into supporting.
Thoughts:
This book is a recommended read for anyone who needs water to survive - which is every living thing. For an extremely short book of fewer than 150 pages and six chapters, Barlow writes for the general adult population to explain why we cannot trust the government to manage our water, and why water must remain public and not privatize. This book explains the Barlow project which is the Blue Communities Project, a Canada born initiative that towns and cities can be apart of if they follow three simple rules:
“1) Recognize and protect water and sanitation as human rights;
2) project water as a public trust by promoting publicly financed, owned, and operated water and wastewater services; and
3) ban or phase out the sale of bottled water in municipal facilities and municipal events” (76).
That is all it takes to be a blue community, so why is it that there are only twenty-seven across Canada, and only a handful internationally? Barlow does an incredible job of keeping the narrative of her story going while providing facts about the water crisis that is going to hit the world very soon. Overall, this book is perfect if you want to know why bottled water is so bad if you want to make your community a Blue community, and if you care about people and the planet.
“This is a book about hope. It is a story about everyday people defending the water resources of their communities and protecting the broader human right to water by ensuring it is now and forever a public trust, one that must not be allowed to fall under private, for-profit control.”
Whose Water Is It, Anyway? by Maude Barlow is equal parts educational and frustrating. I know, that sounds weird, but I’m not quite sure how else to describe a book that goes over water privatization and commercialization, and how people are fighting back to access clean, fresh water.
This tiny book (it’s only about 125 pages), covers a lot of history: from the rise of corporate water control, to the fight to make access to clean water a basic human right, the formation of Blue Communities, and the rising popularity of water warriors. It’s short and to the point, and wastes no time when explaining how companies took control of water, and how people are starting to fight back.
I’ll admit, the first section of this book is not easy to read. It’s equal parts depressing and infuriating learning about how governments took control of water, upped the price per liter, and essentially starved whole communities of a naturally occurring resource. Some governments in South America even tried to privatize rain water, which is just cruel to think about. By the time you make it through this first section, you’ll be eager to learn how people rally and fight back.
"Wherever water privatization spread, so too did resistance to it."
The author quickly goes over how the right to access water was brought to the United Nations, and incorporated into the Sustainable Development Goals. From there, other organizations took up the fight to ensure access to clean, fresh water, which led to the development of the Blue Communities movement.
These groups began in Canada, which was pleasantly surprising. For fellow Canadian readers, you’ll get a look at what different cities, townships, and provinces are doing across the country, and how these activities helped inspire other countries around the world. From petitioning local governments to banning plastic bottles on university campuses and public spaces, there is no lack of creativity when it comes to fighting against water privatization and ensuring access for all.
Yes, there is a lot of work that still needs to be done, but in Whose Water Is It, Anyway? you see that it’s not an impossible fight. The author also included resources at the end on how to approach municipal and federal governments, as well as other information.
If you’re looking to educate yourself more on the topic of water—why it’s so expensive, why we should ban single-use plastic bottles, why certain communities have no access to water, and more—pick up this book.
Yes, it’s non-fiction, but it’s written in an accessible way that is easy to understand. I promise you won’t regret reading this title. The topic isn’t exactly fun, but it’s incredibly important.
Thank you to ECW Press for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Whose Water Is It, Anyway? came out on September 3, 2019, and can be purchased wherever books are sold.
Whose Water Is It, Anyway? by Maude Barlow is equal parts educational and frustrating. I know, that sounds weird, but I’m not quite sure how else to describe a book that goes over water privatization and commercialization, and how people are fighting back to access clean, fresh water.
This tiny book (it’s only about 125 pages), covers a lot of history: from the rise of corporate water control, to the fight to make access to clean water a basic human right, the formation of Blue Communities, and the rising popularity of water warriors. It’s short and to the point, and wastes no time when explaining how companies took control of water, and how people are starting to fight back.
I’ll admit, the first section of this book is not easy to read. It’s equal parts depressing and infuriating learning about how governments took control of water, upped the price per liter, and essentially starved whole communities of a naturally occurring resource. Some governments in South America even tried to privatize rain water, which is just cruel to think about. By the time you make it through this first section, you’ll be eager to learn how people rally and fight back.
"Wherever water privatization spread, so too did resistance to it."
The author quickly goes over how the right to access water was brought to the United Nations, and incorporated into the Sustainable Development Goals. From there, other organizations took up the fight to ensure access to clean, fresh water, which led to the development of the Blue Communities movement.
These groups began in Canada, which was pleasantly surprising. For fellow Canadian readers, you’ll get a look at what different cities, townships, and provinces are doing across the country, and how these activities helped inspire other countries around the world. From petitioning local governments to banning plastic bottles on university campuses and public spaces, there is no lack of creativity when it comes to fighting against water privatization and ensuring access for all.
Yes, there is a lot of work that still needs to be done, but in Whose Water Is It, Anyway? you see that it’s not an impossible fight. The author also included resources at the end on how to approach municipal and federal governments, as well as other information.
If you’re looking to educate yourself more on the topic of water—why it’s so expensive, why we should ban single-use plastic bottles, why certain communities have no access to water, and more—pick up this book.
Yes, it’s non-fiction, but it’s written in an accessible way that is easy to understand. I promise you won’t regret reading this title. The topic isn’t exactly fun, but it’s incredibly important.
Thank you to ECW Press for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Whose Water Is It, Anyway? came out on September 3, 2019, and can be purchased wherever books are sold.
This book was given to me by the publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. Whose Water, is it Anyway? Is the story of Maude Barlow’s discovery of water activism. It tells the story of how the author became interested in this issue. It then narrates the stories of various campaigns around water management. In addition, it is a manifesto for the water industry to be owned by the public. This is an interesting read.
Whose Water Is It Anyway? Taking Water Protection Into Public Hands is a history of the water conservation and justice movement rooted in anti-privatization and a call to worldwide action. It begins with the neoliberal move toward privatizing public services pushed by conservative governments. For example, in the U.K., the government would not fund infrastructure without the local government agreeing to privatize it. The federal government in Canada tied their water funding to privatization as well, but that was recently reversed, or perhaps given a 90° turn. They still encourage public-private partnerships but do not mandate them. Privatization has resulted in higher prices and degraded water quality and in water being sent off to other markets, bringing on the possibility of future water shortages. Water privatization has spread worldwide.
In addition to the growing privatization of water, there is the exponential growth of people drinking bottled water. People even drink bottled water at home where they have perfectly good tap water.
The next chapter focuses on resistance campaigns to turn back the tide of privatization and push for public ownership and conservation She describes several campaigns around the world, creating a global movement for water justice, pushing the idea that all people have a right to clean, affordable drinking water.
This led to the Blue Communities movement pushing local governing bodies to promise publicly-owned water, recognize water is a right, and ban bottled water on local government properties and events. Barlow traces that movement in Canada and in Europe and its future around the world. The book includes model language for Blue Communities resolutions.
While I was aware of the need for water conservation and of many of the predatory practices of water companies throughout the world. Nestlé tried to grab the water from Cascade Locks here in Oregon and was fought to a standstill. However, this book is a sobering look at how far privatization has penetrated the world water supply and how conservative governments have forced privatization on an unwilling public.
The first two and the last chapters are the most interesting. The many local campaigns were, I am certain, exciting as they happened, but are not the most interesting reading. However, there are some particular local circumstances that provide useful examples for those wishing to make their own hometown a Blue Community. That’s the point of the book, to encourage readers to local action, to spread the Blue Communities movement everywhere. Barlow provides the essentials for anyone wishing to join the movement and work to make their own community Blue.
I received an ARC of Whose Water Is It Anyway? from the publisher through Shelf Awareness.
Whose Water Is It Anyway? at ECW Press
Maude Barlow
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2019/09/30/9781770414303/
In addition to the growing privatization of water, there is the exponential growth of people drinking bottled water. People even drink bottled water at home where they have perfectly good tap water.
The next chapter focuses on resistance campaigns to turn back the tide of privatization and push for public ownership and conservation She describes several campaigns around the world, creating a global movement for water justice, pushing the idea that all people have a right to clean, affordable drinking water.
This led to the Blue Communities movement pushing local governing bodies to promise publicly-owned water, recognize water is a right, and ban bottled water on local government properties and events. Barlow traces that movement in Canada and in Europe and its future around the world. The book includes model language for Blue Communities resolutions.
While I was aware of the need for water conservation and of many of the predatory practices of water companies throughout the world. Nestlé tried to grab the water from Cascade Locks here in Oregon and was fought to a standstill. However, this book is a sobering look at how far privatization has penetrated the world water supply and how conservative governments have forced privatization on an unwilling public.
The first two and the last chapters are the most interesting. The many local campaigns were, I am certain, exciting as they happened, but are not the most interesting reading. However, there are some particular local circumstances that provide useful examples for those wishing to make their own hometown a Blue Community. That’s the point of the book, to encourage readers to local action, to spread the Blue Communities movement everywhere. Barlow provides the essentials for anyone wishing to join the movement and work to make their own community Blue.
I received an ARC of Whose Water Is It Anyway? from the publisher through Shelf Awareness.
Whose Water Is It Anyway? at ECW Press
Maude Barlow
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2019/09/30/9781770414303/
This is a fantastic book about the Blue Communities and the efforts they are taking to take back the control of water for our communities and for the environment. I definitely recommend this book as it's very informative and involves a lot of information from around the world! Check out my full review here: http://www.paperdreamsblog.com/br-whose-water-is-it-anyway-by-maude-barlow/