Of Multinationals, Water and a good Doctor

[Sepp]

Some of you know that I have been vacationing on the island of Terceira in the Azores, these months of July and August. The island is like a second home, a place with a character just about diametrically opposite to the busy bustle of Rome, the eternal city. One of those paradise-like places one might fantasize to escape to because of the deteriorating conditions seen everywhere else.

View of our "back garden"

But wait - the multinationals are already here. They have been working quietly to convince the local farmers that their corn seeds - even though they might cost more - are better than the varieties traditionally grown here. They've been introducing those neat poisons that you spray on the edges of your field and that instantly shrivel up the weeds and the brambles and that, miraculously, the corn itself doesn' seem to mind at all. And they are in here selling their spring water in 5-liter jugs or 1 1/2 liter bottles - whichever you prefer. Of course the water comes from afar, but if you look at the price of five liters, it might seem reasonable.

It used to be you could go to one of numerous fountains somewhere by the roadside and fill up your water bottle to have some of the good stuff. No more. Most of the fountains are dry, and the ones still running are no longer carrying clean, clear spring water. Too many herbicides, perhaps. The water supplied by the city is a chlorine broth with an unpleasant smell and probably in the long range not too good for your health.

The Fountain


Trying to brave the trend of globalization, I got water from one of the last remaining fountains, which until now had always been good. Not this year. I soon had diarrhea and should at that point have given up - give the multinationals their dues and buy their water. But I insisted and simply added more vitamin C to the mix.

Then a little accident intervened that left me hanging by my arm breaking a fall, and pulled some muscles in the abdominal area. "Bungee cord arm" was my wife's comment. The water problem passed into the background for a week as I was nursing my muscle pains. But with those pains finally going away, the very similar pains from the drinking water became the dominant feature in my own-body-perceptions.

The doctor

A visit was arranged to the city hospital's emergency room where a good doctor gave an exam touching and assessing the pains. His verdict: gastroenteritis. having expected an antibiotic, I was relieved to see him prescribe some capsules of an "intestinal yeast" (saccaromyces boulardii) and was happy to see the doctor gave a four-day diet to follow, which should put things right. Some things to eat and some to avoid.

He offered an injection against the pain, but I declined. And here I am, on a diet, recovering. Of course I did break down and get the water from the multinationals.

The diet

Four days of:

Rice
Water from boiling the rice can be drunk
Boiled carrots
Carrot soup
Pumpkin soup
Meat broth with rice
Chicken broth with rice
Fish soup with rice
Boiled fruits
Well ripened bananas

But without:

Milk or milk products
Bread and any grains other than rice
Fats and oils


Clean water

We often say the major problem in Africa is that no clean source of water is available. It is true, and many deaths could be prevented by providing the locals with a way to activate and run a well to provision one or more villages with clean water.

But there is something more: We are losing the clean water we once had - even in the industrialized countries. Public clean water used to be abundant. You could go to any fountain and slake your thirst in the times I grew up. But this is becoming practically unknown now. Fountains are labeled "no drinking water". City water is treated with all kinds of chemicals and in some places fluoride is even added to it.

And here the multinationals are - in heaven. Their water sales are going like never before. The PR is that "water is becoming scarce". So bottled water to the rescue. At least we can have clean water to drink. But it shouldn't be like that!

Mountain spring


A clean spring in every village

I would like to see a movement for clean public water spring up.

What would it take to promote the free availability of clean fountain water in every place?

First of all, I believe we should recognize that water is a public good, it is part of the commons. That means it belongs to all of us. We can delegate the local administration to take care of it and make it available, but we should never allow its degradation, either by neglect or intention.

Then we should eliminate waste. Figure out how to conserve.

The situation where public water is degraded and great slices of water "rights" are sold off to the highest bidder is insane. We must put an end to it.

If we do not put our foot down on the question of clean water, we will be paying for clean air next.