Water Pricing Archives - State of the Planet

Flood irrigation in India. More efficient use of water for agriculture is key to protecting diminshing water supplies. Photo: Jeremy Hinsdale

Water, Water Everywhere, But Nary a Drop to Drink

It is a unique challenge of our generation that many in the developing world have cellular phones and TVs, but lack reliable access to water. Odd, perhaps, given that water is marketed as essential for life, a human right, and heart rending pictures of women and children walking miles to fetch water are routinely flashed to tug at everyone’s heart strings.

by |March 22, 2012

China’s Decade Plan for Water

For the first time, China’s No. 1 central document outlining the government’s priorities for the coming year focuses on the construction of water resources acknowledging its importance as a “strategic resource” and its necessity to the economy.

by |October 24, 2011

Bottled Water – Big Business in Indonesia

The movement to challenge the bottled water industry has come a pretty long way in countries like the USA, Australia and Canada. Public education campaigns by organizations like the Council of Canadians, Pacific Institute and Corporate Accountability International, have debunked the myth that bottled water is necessarily cleaner or healthier than tap water, and emphasized… read more

by |September 12, 2011

A Human Right to Water – Can it Make a Difference?

Despite the UN’s 2010 resolution on the human right to water, debate continues over how useful a rights approach really is. Even if we identify water as a human right, where the state is the principal duty-bearer, will it improve access to water for communities in need?

by |July 27, 2011

Cooling the Former Frontier: Using Water to Save Energy

AC units have become more efficient over the years, but energy consumption during hot summer months can increase significantly, boosting both the amount of money spent on electricity and the volume of greenhouse gasses emitted in the energy production process.

by |July 25, 2011

The Fairytale of “Organic” Water

Time and time again, marketing teams have proven that people will buy pretty much anything. So many examples exist that the topic was enough for Brooks Jackson to write an entire book about it. One of the more recent flim-flam schemes is selling organic water. Wait a tick, did I just say that? Yes, I… read more

by |July 15, 2011

Ripple Effect Author Talks Efficiency; Cleanup

The outlook for global water is bleak, but Alex Prud’Homme still believes in the power of human ingenuity.

by |July 7, 2011

Toxic Waters in the Gilded State

To those who have never been, the Golden State is known for luxurious palm tree-lined avenues, sun-drenched beaches, and picturesque mountains. But not all parts of California were created equal. The state’s San Joaquin Valley hosts a scene entirely different from the images of Malibu beaches depicted in travel brochures. It is the non-glittering core… read more

by |June 16, 2011

A Right, a Need, or an Economic Good? Debating our Relationship to Water

Debates about the human right to water, and the role of the state or private companies in ensuring access, illustrate that water provision is anything but apolitical.

by |June 6, 2011
Bull Run Watershed

Portland Opposes a Federal Rule due to a “Unique Water Source”

In Portland, Oregon Federal Water Treatment Rule LT2 faces opposition due to high water costs and what its City Commissioner describes as its “unique water source”.

by |April 28, 2011