Nestle Corp Hurts The Great Lakes--Great Lakes For Sale? (Grand Rapids: houses, taxes)

jeffncandace · 08-02-2007, 11:34 AM

If water is the oil of the 21st century, then Michigan, smack dab in the middle of the Great Lakes, is Saudi Arabia. And after banging their straws at the Big Dipper for years, Nestle Corporation has finally succeeded in plunging into the liquid gold.

On February 28th Michigan Governor Granholm signed a bill that will, for the first time, permit a multinational corporation to scoop up given amounts of the Great Lakes and sell bottled water across the world. For the first time in history the concept of the Great Lakes as a commons for all to enjoy has been breached. And NAFTA, as we'll see, might insure a run on the Great Lakes.

The new Michigan law allows Nestle Corporation to continue its five-year takings of up to 250,000 gallons per day and sell them at a markup well over 240 times its production cost. Nestle's profit from drawing this water could be from $500,000 to $1.8 million per day. A key proviso is that the bottles can be no larger than 5.7 gallons apiece.

Nestle had been ferociously fighting in court to prevent Granholm from exercising her veto power against diversion, but with her acquiescence to the 250,000 limit, Nestle dropped its suit.

Few Midwesterners are aware that the ubiquitous Nestle bottled water filling their shopping carts is really the peoples' water. How could they know? Nestle calls the water "Ice Mountain," and they adorn their plastic containers with a majestic snowy Mountain, even though there are no such places in Michigan, let alone Mecosta County where it draws the water from four wells 60 miles North of Grand Rapids.

Truth in advertising might require Nestle to label the bottles, "Your Great Lakes for Sale Plundered at a 24,000% mark up."

Following are some links regarding this matter. I think we all need to get involved!

A Brief History of Nestle’s Water Battles in Michigan « Great Lakes Water Wars

Great Lakes Blogger

BLACK BEAR SPEAKS - Great Lakes Environmental News

Great Lakes Stories

OnTheCommons.org | The Great Lakes as Bottled Water (broken link)

suydam · 08-02-2007, 02:29 PM

Meanwhile, water levels fall, ports need dredging and nobody knows why.....

Philip T · 08-02-2007, 06:53 PM

Let me see if get this . . . They are selling lake water (via wells? how does THAT work? Some sort of lake seepage in to the water table?) .. . but anyway, lake water -- which is so "clean" that folks are recommended to not eat too much of the fish in it? And then bottle it and PAY for shipping across the US or beyond to sell it to . . . what? Total Morons?

If you do not like them doing it, just start an internet rumor that the water *may* be contaminated. Bust their business in no time. But then folks will be complaining that Michigan just lost more jobs.

But for real, why are you all not out with pitchforks and torches burning down the houses of CEOs whose corporations dump crap into the water?

baystater · 08-02-2007, 07:20 PM

Selling Water!!!!!! the article I read last Saturday said that most of the great lakes are way down. Near records in fact. And the state wants to allow Nestle to take more water out. I don't think that such a great Idea. Unless you guys want the new Moniker of:

Michigan
"The Great Mudflats State."

Changing Lake Superior frustrates boaters, mystifies scientists (broken link)

YouTube - duluth, mn lake superior water levels

Driller1 · 08-02-2007, 08:47 PM

The DEQ did make some changes. A well can only withdraw 70GPM with out a special use permit. They are hard to get. Now, most wells we drill will pump about 100GPM, so the determining factor is the pumping system. The wells they pump for bottled water are just "drops in a bucket" compared to what is piped in for city water.

wanderer74 · 08-03-2007, 12:13 AM

I think that is horrifying! Even if the wells for bottled water are less than for city water, the difference is that city water is benefitting all of us who actually live here in the state - it's a service for us. Nestle taking the water out of the Great Lakes isn't helping the people of Michigan, it's just making profits for Nestle! And it's not a problem for them to make profits, but they should have to pay for their supplies just like any other business. I read the links but not extremely thoroughly; do you know if Michigan is getting any money from this? If we're not, we should be. Plus, don't some of our state taxes go toward protecting the Great Lakes? If we as taxpayers are paying to keep that water nice, giving it away really isn't fair to us! The Great Lakes are one of our state's greatest resources, and we deserve to have a say in who is allowed to take the water and under what terms. That could actually have a huge potential to turn the state around if we were making money from the sale of our water. If we're getting money for it, there aren't as many problems that I see with it. But if we're giving away one of our public resources for free to a company to make money from it, this state is really making a lot of poor decisions!

Driller1 · 08-03-2007, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wanderer74

I think that is horrifying! Even if the wells for bottled water are less than for city water, the difference is that city water is benefitting all of us who actually live here in the state - it's a service for us. Nestle taking the water out of the Great Lakes isn't helping the people of Michigan, it's just making profits for Nestle! And it's not a problem for them to make profits, but they should have to pay for their supplies just like any other business. I read the links but not extremely thoroughly; do you know if Michigan is getting any money from this? If we're not, we should be. Plus, don't some of our state taxes go toward protecting the Great Lakes? If we as taxpayers are paying to keep that water nice, giving it away really isn't fair to us! The Great Lakes are one of our state's greatest resources, and we deserve to have a say in who is allowed to take the water and under what terms. That could actually have a huge potential to turn the state around if we were making money from the sale of our water. If we're getting money for it, there aren't as many problems that I see with it. But if we're giving away one of our public resources for free to a company to make money from it, this state is really making a lot of poor decisions!

Irrigation wells pump more, they benefit the farmer to sell his crops for profit. How do you feel about that?

jeffncandace · 08-03-2007, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Driller1

Irrigation wells pump more, they benefit the farmer to sell his crops for profit. How do you feel about that?

I see it differently.

Don't tell us you're DEFENDING them!

Driller1 · 08-03-2007, 03:18 PM

I am saying they are within the rules. Who owns the groundwater? They are creating jobs, which we need. The aquifer flows into the lakes, not from them. That is why one of some of the hardest areas to drill is close to a river or lake. Odd, but true.

Siberia · 08-03-2007, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philip T

But for real, why are you all not out with pitchforks and torches burning down the houses of CEOs whose corporations dump crap into the water?

But first start a corporation, that way you can be more immune to US laws. I have a name, "Pitchfork Justice Institute of American Citizens"...has a nice ring, doesn't it?