Thursday, March 26, 2015

#85 / Getting Ready (To Resist)



The print version of the first section of the March 17, 2015 edition of The New York Times had a full page advertisement for a corporation now called Suez environment.

The advertisement was titled "ready for the resource revolution." The advertisement describes this revolution as follows: 

all SUEZ environment companies are now one
United Water, Degrémont, Utility Service Group and 40 other water and waste experts have joined forces to become SUEZ environment. On five continents, SUEZ environment supports towns and industries in the circular economy to maintain, optimize and secure the resources essential for our future.
ready-for-the-resource-revolution.com

What does this really mean? I am pretty sure it means that a massive multi-national corporation will now try to stand between human beings and the natural resources that support human life (water in particular), and will sell you nature, appropriating the Natural World for corporate profit.

Are you ready?

Image Credit: 
http://www.suez-environnement.com/

7 comments:

  1. I agree that their website is unadulterated marketing effluvia. But aside from conspiratorial paranoia, do you have any evidence or reason to suggest Suez Environment is insincere about its goals for sustainable development?

    As for your misconception about corporations trying to "stand between human beings and the natural resources " you have to understand that its just not possible for everyone to go to the nearest quietly burbling brook to dip their heads in the water and have a drink whenever they're thirsty. You may want to live in that world, but you don't. Accepting reality means accepting that water treatment and waste management is conducted by corporations. The simple fact is, if your local water treatment plant stopped operating, your house would not have running water. So all this talk about corporations "standing between" you and water is an unfunny joke. Unless, that is, you have some alternative solution, to which I'd be all ears.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What about publicly owned utilities?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Publicly owned utilities are, at least potentially, under the direct control of the community; private corporations are not.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Why is it good for utilities to be under the direct control of the community?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Well? Why are public utilities necessarily better than corporate/private utilities? Why is this limited to utilities? Anybody? Bueller?

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for your comment!