My family watched this documentary the other night on the world wide water "crisis". I say that this way because this movie makes you instantly present and conscious of this seemingly insurmountable global issue we have, and then brings you right back up high to realize just how simply we can augment, if not, correct it. It does an incredible job of demanding your awareness and consideration of the way water moves throughout our world, who it "belongs to" - if anyone - or everyone, and the unconscious way some cultures are using it up...
Here is a snipit I found that relays a little bit more info about the documentary:
Salina builds a case against the growing privatization of the world's dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel. Interviews with scientists and activists intelligently reveal the rapidly building crisis, at both the global and human scale, and the film introduces many of the governmental and corporate culprits behind the water grab, while begging the question "Can anyone really own water?" Beyond identifying the problem, FLOW also gives viewers a look at the people and institutions providing practical solutions to the water crisis and those developing new technologies, which are fast becoming blueprints for a successful global and economic turnaround. Run time: 84 minutes
Sound boring to you? I can understand. A few years ago, I wouldn't have even come close to picking up this film to give it a glance-over much less considered it worth spending 84 minutes of my life on. But now I am SO THANKFUL that I am in a place in my life where I don't spend much time concerned with my own well being and I have the space in my heart to consider other's lives and well being. In America, we, even the lowest income families, are some of the richest, most secure, people on earth. We truly don't have to travel far, or do something so extreme to find a place to sleep, something to eat, a helping hand, or water. I mean no disrespect to those who feel they do have these burdens here. I just mean that, if what we think or believe, is what we create, and what we live, then this country has one of the most limitless spaces for creating or believing in whatever you want. What a blessing. It always requires hard work, ample giving to receive a hefty taking. This is the cycle and FLOW of all things in this world. But wow, we have opportunity.
So if i have not caused you to turn away yet, you might like to know that this movie mentions the story about Nestle Co. and how they are pumping (for free) our water out of areas in Michigan, packaging it up and selling it back to us. Very interesting. There are so many wonderful points to this movie, it is hard to recall and post all of them. Like I said earlier, one of the main things I walked away with was a higher level of consciousness, an awareness of how I am effecting the world, of the blessing (and responsibility that comes with it) of having a faucet that, with very little effort, I can flip on and trust will supply me with adequate amounts of clean water.
I highly recommend you find 84 minutes and watch this movie. For the time it takes of your life, it will repay you many times over.
Much love,
Marlayna
Also, when these private companies come in to "clean to water" so that they can "provide more people with clean water" (when usually actually less people got it), I was shocked to learn that they were able to pass mandates that forced villages to stop using their old means of getting water (community well/pump, etc.). That is like telling someone that if they don't buy your purified air that they won't let you breathe even though there is air in nature around you... wierd.
ReplyDeleteFLOW was a good movie to watch. You don't have to agree with everything, but there were certainly many good points to get you thinkng about the greater world that we are all a part of.
-Daniel
I was reading recently an article on this bottling and reselling phenomenon, also I believe due to nestle, out in california, and the environmentalists and fisherman and local people are outraged, especially since their input was never asked for. Goes to show you that if you have enough money you can buy anything... And the argument that the small increase in jobs is enough to offset the loss of water is bull.
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