Oct 30: Despite the recent approval of the Great Lakes Compact, the Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation (MCWC) and other non profit organizations announced they will launch a public education campaign, FLOW: For Love of the Great Lakes, in Traverse City on November 16, 2008. The program will launch a drive to protect the waters of the Great Lakes from private export and sale.
The event begins with the Northern Michigan premier of Irena Salina’s New York Times critically-acclaimed film, Flow: For Love of Water, at Traverse City’s State Theatre at 3:00 PM. The film is a documentary about citizen efforts around the world, including Michigan, to stop the privatization or control of water by large corporations. Immediately after the film, a panel discussion and reception will be held at the city’s historic Opera House. Scheduled speakers include: former Michigan Governor Bill Milliken; film maker Irena Salina, environmental attorney Jim Olson; author Dave Dempsey (Great Lakes for Sale); and Terry Swier, President of MCWC. The panel will discuss strategies for citizens to correct what they are calling "a loop-hole in the Great Lakes Compact authorizing the export of water for private sale out of the Great Lakes."
Jim Olson, water law attorney said, “There is a giant loop-hole in the Great Lakes Compact diversion ban that just passed Congress. The ban doesn’t apply to water produced and put in a container. That means water placed in a container will be fair game for the engines of large corporations and their teams of lawyers under NAFTA and international trade law. Citizens, landowners, and businesses in Michigan need to know what’s happened so we can protect our water from future claims by outside interests.”
Access a release from MCWC with further details (click here).
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
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