Day 4:
Culture, Religion, and Identity

Note: this was a school assignment, 2021.

My name is * and I thank you for choosing, well hopefully, my presentation. Today we will first talk about Nestle profiting off Michigan Water, then about how that affects two different communities in very different situations, and finally what you should do if put in this scenario. 

So I hope everybody knows our good ol’ neighbour to the south, the United States of America. 1 of the states is Michigan which is infamous for its abundance of water such as the great lake Michigan. Nestle, a company notorious for its business practices, has been in hot waters with Michigan. Over the past half-decade, they have gotten into some controversy and legal trouble. Nestle is the largest owner of private water sources in Michigan which they often take out of the state and profit elsewhere. Although they claim that water is a renewable resource that doesn’t matter, they still don't return the water to MICHIGAN. It’s not like the water cycle where water evaporates then condensates, and eventually, with precipitation, it falls back down. On that note let’s also debunk some of their claims: Also, bottled water is taking over the tap because you fuel that drive, not that the “people” prefer it. The company uses massive wells that can pump water at a rate of over 130 million gallons at a single site for their Pure Life and Ice Mountain brands. They still want even more. According to the New York Times “That is, it pays only a $200 annual permit fee to pump from wells it owns {a small town in upper Michigan] or leases. And while they claim that is just a registration price and that they charge much more with other fees but no such evidence has been shown on their website. A lot of this can be allocated to former Governor Rick Snyder's greed by allowing Nestle, a non-Michigan and non-American company,  to privatize much of the water supply, 

Now that we understand what Nestle is doing, let’s find out how it is impacting many communities. Flint, Michigan is a city in the lower peninsula with a steadily declining population that once thrived as the home to the largest General Motors plant but now has also had a declining economy. Around early 2012  a new pipeline from Lake Huron was being constructed to overcome the current water fund shortfall. The city turned to the Flint River as its primary water source for the time being. Various agencies and universities have said there is lead contaminating the water that can lead to damage for the heart, kidneys and nerves. In children disastrous effects include impaired thinking, behavioural disorders, hearing problems and delayed puberty. The water wasn’t properly treated and was also brown because of iron erosion either from pipes or other wreckless causes. The Flint River has been contaminated with much of the litter thrown away and the people felt the ripples of that. This crisis still has not finished but for the most part, many citizens can now drink their water without worrying about permanent damage. Though many citizens still do not trust the government so they use filters. The political irony is that Michigan borders all the great lakes except Lake Ontario, coincidentally the smallest one. Yet Flint still relies upon one of the most contaminated water sources while Nestle guzzles water out of the state. This is a very basic rundown of what has happened with many more even sadder details such as unfairly resolved lawsuits that hurt the vulnerable populations. In a tiny Osceola Township in the upper peninsula. Residents despise Nestle for the company's water extraction techniques. There are only about 1841 citizens of the small area yet they have made national news. In early 2018 they argued with each other about the water level's consistency. They don’t want Nestle to build a pumper booster station along a water pipeline. "Nestle has a reputation worldwide of going to poor rural communities, offering all kinds of economic benefits to the community that never really materialize, and taking as much water as they can get and when the stream runs dry they leave," said Peggy Case, president of the Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation. Along with Case’s statement, Nestle also rankles many because the natural resource gets drawn out of the local’s reach for private profit, not used for feeding people or stopping them from being homeless. This also promotes the issue of plastic pollution. These lawsuits have favoured both sides such as one that declared “We conclude that [Nestlé’s] proposed booster-pump facility is not a ‘public water supply under [Michigan law],” one court wrote.

Now you may be asking me “* why do you want us to know all of these things from a few areas in Michigan, America. Although this problem happened in America, it really could occur anywhere including Ontario. Make sure you can prevent it by using the stories before as guidance of what can happen and also advocating change and justice. First is highly effective corporate practices based on loopholes and laws that are mostly motivated by greed. Bring these issues to light so that many more people will suggest getting these companies out. The economy does not come before people. Second is corruption, stupidity, and accountability that many elected officials and politicians portrayed during a time of need. Hold them accountable for their actions by voting regularly and make sure you have your voice heard by either calling your local MP's phone line or going to a town hall meeting and understanding the issues surrounding your community. Just as recent as two weeks ago, the governor that presided over the majority of the water crisis in Flint has been charged. Governor Snyder, who we mentioned earlier, is being charged with willful neglect of duty. Remember never to become complacent because trust me, you will regret it. Having a say in decisions that affect you can only improve your life quality no matter the age. Well thank you for listening to my presentation please feel free to ask any questions.