Water in Canada Essay

Submitted By himalaya29
Words: 1047
Pages: 5
Open Document
Selling Canada’s Water

Canada’s near the top of water-rich nations
Due to the replenishing cycle of rain and evaporation, the amount of water on Earth remained the same over the past 4 billion years
Canadians consume 350 liters of water per capita, second to America
Water belongs to everyone and no one (CELA)
Water wanting to be sold as a commodity by people that want to make a profit (government officials like premiers and mayors support to increase jobs and increase Canada’s wealth)
Environmentalist argued that water to be sold in bulk would make Canadian water a commodity and thus subject to the terms and conditions of GATT and NAFTA
There is also the issue of whether under GATT and NAFTA, water is a “vital resource” like the air we breathe, or a “commodity” to be sold and traded

Should Canada Sell Its ‘Blue Gold’?

Since the 1960’s, when Canadians learned of plans to privatize large quantities of Canada’s water, many in the country have been wary that the US will view Canada as a “sponge” and come after its water resources
When in office President Bush kept asking than Prime Minister Jean Chrétien to turn on the “taps” of Canadian water
The MEI (Measuring Eco-Innovation) report suggested that redefining water as a trade item would protect Canada and that it encourages a legal framework to be done
The report also stated that exporting water to the US was the most ethical thing to do
“If parts of the world were to suffer from serious water distress, they will have to be supplied with fresh water, which is just as important to life there as it is in regions that are well supplied with water” – MEI report
Americas water resources depleting = Going to ask Canadians. Our own domestic policy has to be handled first before trying to agree terms with the US

Why Canada needs a National Water Policy

In Canada the federal government doesn’t take initiative in conserving our water and there’s also no strategy to address our urgent water problems
There’s no national water policy that’s implemented
Government promises first nation they’ll have access to clean water but their water is still often contaminated
If water was seen as a fundamental human right in Canada more people living here would be legally entitled to it. This would decrease the amount of people that don’t have water or who have bad water
Also if water sources are damaged by industrial activities they can be punished for damaging what to most would be a human right
Under NAFTA, water is defined as an investment and a service. If this is excluded from there, future water trade talks won’t occur (trade in bulk)
Canada should ban trading water in bulk. Bulk water exports would leave Canada’s water vulnerable to depletion and to international trade challenges that could permanently open the our water to the U.S

Canada's position on the right to water

Canada was the only country at the UN commission on Human rights in 2002 to vote against the Right to Drinking Water and Sanitation
Federal government uses the argument that if water becomes a right, we’re going to be forced to give our waters to other countries like America
This argument is flawed seeing as the US is number in water usage. If they have a shortage of water it isn’t because they didn’t have it too begin with, it’s because of misuse
The idea that once water becomes recognized as a human right Canada will lose control over it’s water is wrong. The idea that water should be bought and sold like any other product is what threatens Canada’s control over its water
Trade agreements such as (NAFTA) ensure that once water is treated as a commodity, Canada will have little power to stop or even to slow down the export of the resource.
Many places in Canada were people receive inadequate water due to lack of infrastructure or care by the government
The federal government failed in its obligation to provide safe drinking water and sanitation to people in
Show More

Related Documents: Water in Canada Essay

Essay on Debate: Canada and Quebec

separation of Quebec and Canada. -@duabaig For this debate, I will be the ‘Oui’ side for the separation of Quebec and Canada. -@duabaig For this debate, I will be the ‘Non’ side for the separation of Quebec and Canada. -@milicakokanovic For this debate, I will be the ‘Non’ side for the separation of Quebec and Canada. -@milicakokanovic Quebec should separate because there would be no more disputes over the French and English languages that are spoken in Canada. -@duabaig Quebec should…

Words 745 - Pages 3

Environmental Injustice In Canada

enforcement of political and economic strength. The aboriginals of Canada consisting of three major groups: First nations, Métis and Inuit have become victims of environmental injustice as they are forced to bear a disproportionate share of the water pollution issues due to lack of environmental laws, regulations and policies. In this paper I will argue how the indigenous people in Canada are disproportionately affected by the pollution of water for the following reasons: first, the heritage of the indigenous…

Words 261 - Pages 2

Plate Tectonics and Key Terms Topics Essay

| | |Unit 1: Canada and the World | |Key Terms |Topics…

Words 511 - Pages 3

Pollution: A Growing Concern In Canada

my name is Will and I am here to talk to you about pollution in Canada, and what should be done to reduce its’ harmful effects. Environmental pollution refers to the introduction of harmful pollutants into the environment. The Canadian environment is being affected by multiple types of pollution. The government needs to do more to have a positive impact on the reduction of pollution. The main types of pollution affecting the Canadian environment are air, water, and land. Air Pollution is not only damaging the very air we breathe…

Words 1355 - Pages 6

Lecture 40 Coexistence Curves Critic Essay

61 Copyright © 2011 Pearson Canada Inc. Calculations Related to Coexistence Curves • One can imagine putting a volatile liquid in an empty container and seeing one of two results: • 1. All of the volatile liquid evaporates. In this case PGas will be less than the equilibrium vapor pressure of the substance/liquid. • 2. Only some of the liquid eventually evaporates. Here Pgas equals the equilibrium vapor pressure. Class Example: • 1. A total of 3.00 g of liquid water was placed in an evacuated…

Words 1607 - Pages 7

Essay On Oil Sands

mixtures of sand, clay, water, and bitumen which is saturated with a thick form of petroleum. About 40,000 years ago, bitumen was first used by Neanderthals. Bitumen was mainly used back in the days for construction of buildings and water proofing of reed boats. The largest sources of bitumen are in Alberta, known as Athabasca oil sands. The largest reserves in the world are in Canada, Kazakhstan, and Russia at an estimate of 249.67 billion barrels; 176.8 billion barrels in Canada alone. Oil…

Words 992 - Pages 4

Essay on The Physical Geography of Canada

The Physical Geography of Canada WHAT DOES CANADA ‘LOOK’ LIKE? Canadian Facts, Eh? Canada is the second largest country in the world (space wise, not population) It is slightly smaller than all of Europe which is made up of 45 countries. Canada is 4,800 kilometres from north to south and 5,000 kilometres from west to east. It only borders 1 country, the United States. 90% of Canada is too cold for agriculture to take place. So what’s Canada really? It’s a great big, cold country that’s…

Words 979 - Pages 4

From Security to Sovereignty Essay

1990s. When made clear that the Arctic would be of strategic importance to both Superpowers. Especially, after the testing of Nuclear weapons by the Soviet, it was evident that Western security was at risk. Therefore National security demanded action. Canada lacking the resources to do so on its own was essentially forced to join “NORAD”[ii]. Canada’s need and interests dictated an Arctic patrol program was required. With its neighbor and solid ally, they establish 3 radar networks including the “DEW”[iii]…

Words 1167 - Pages 5

Essay on Canadian Arctic Sovereignty

To what extent should Canada protect its Arctic Sovereignty? Canadian Arctic Sovereignty is currently a pressing issue has raised many questions about who owns and who has control over the Arctic and its precious resources. The posing question is; to what extent should Canada protect its Arctic Sovereignty? There are many reasons why Canada must go forward in defending and protecting the Arctic to a moderate extent even though it will be a challenging mission considering that the Canadian military…

Words 1208 - Pages 5

Essay about Preventing Global warming in Canada

itself, such as warming temperatures and rising water levels. Now, it has become our duty to fix what we have done. We can do this by changing our everyday mundane routines, putting regulations on carbon emissions, controlling our population growth. There are many things a typical person in North America does in a day that consumes a vast amount of energy more than what they could be using instead by simply switching to different methods. Cold water detergent has swept the nation in the last few…

Words 983 - Pages 4