this post was submitted on 23 Nov 2024
332 points (100.0% liked)

World News

39102 readers
2194 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News [email protected]

Politics [email protected]

World Politics [email protected]


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

But while Garriga and other Catalans have been suffering water shortages in recent years, there’s one group of people that appears to be immune, and even profits from them: the multinational companies extracting millions of litres of water from the very same land. This isn’t just a Spanish issue – across the world, from Uruguay to Mexico, Canada to the UK, many have begun to question whether private corporations should be allowed to siphon off a vital public resource, then sell it back to citizens as bottled water.

The tragedy in Spain makes the country one of the canaries in the coalmine when it comes to understanding the global threat to water security. Can the growing number of angry citizens surrounded by private water plants but left without safe water in their homes force a rethink of how this resource is managed? And as weather patterns change, should private companies continue to have easy access to vital reserves of underground water?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 26 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) (3 children)

One of two things is going to happen when companies decide they own (all) the fresh water (and people become desperate)

Either the company hires enough goons and/or thugs to keep their "investment" safe through lethal force and scare the plebs away, possibly ~~employing~~ ~~bribing~~ "lobbying" governments to do it for them

OR

The people who are right there next to water sources they are being told to pay more than they can afford to drink from will arm themselves and overwhelm the defending forces with sheer numbers, resulting in an internationally covered bloodbath, kickstarting Water War 1 as other companies rush to beat back any perceived defiance, nations attempt to secure access to fresh water whether it's on their land or not, and normal people prepare for the worst.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 hours ago

Or the government steps in and solves it. This is Europe, dummy.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 hours ago

I can imagine the delivery trucks being held up by locals wanting their water back. The trouble is, the people who work at the plant are the locals - as the article makes clear, some welcome Nestle et al because they want the jobs.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 15 hours ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 15 hours ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 15 hours ago