For the Love Of Water movie at Crossroads

Hello everybody, I have a great story that hits close to home for me. On Thursday February 25, I went to my former high school Crossroads College Preparatory School for their Social Justice Club movie showing of For the Love of Water (FLOW). Being an alumnus of the school and also a member of the Crossroads Environmental Sustainability Committee, I felt this was a great opportunity to represent the River des Peres Watershed Coalition. In addition to the movie showing, there was a water taste test, water jug carrying, which was meant to simulate of the experiences of people who have to travel long distances to access their water, and an electronic petition to add Article 31: The Right to Water to the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
I had the chance to bring a rain barrel for display to the school, and to raise awareness of the River des Peres Watershed Coalition’s rain barrel program. As a special bonus too, knowing that many a sizable portion of Crossroads students are from University City, Mo I was able to inform students and parents alike about the University City’s 319 Water Quality Project. The project is to protect and improve the water quality of water entering the River des Peres therefore limiting the non-point sources of pollution entering the river. As apart of this program University City residents with contact with Lynette Hicks the Director of Public Works for University City are eligible to receive a rain barrel free of charge, with monitoring and maintenance of their rain barrels. Crossroads College Preparatory School has been focusing on increasing the environmental based curriculum, and environmental awareness (both locally and globally) of its students. Crossroads is currently a LEED certified school with the addition of their new science wing, which features sky lighting, outdoor classrooms, efficient HVAC system, and rain gardens. The RdPWC could have a role in increasing the school’s environmental sustainability due to interest from William Handmaker the school principal for installing a custom rain barrel system on the north side of the school near the gymnasium.
The movie FLOW is about water related issues from around the world. The experiences of individuals, and community organizations confronting multinational water corporations (Vivendi, Suez, and Thames Water to mention a few) were highlighted, from Michigan, to Bolivia, South Africa, and India. From the depletion of ground water resources in Michigan by water bottling companies, to the removal of thousands of people to make room for water reservoirs in India. Pertaining to water issues in Bolivia, FLOW showed how the World Bank, who provide loans for countries for development; has a lot of leverage in water access in countries like Bolivia, as a stipulation for their loans given to countries which in turn go to water corporations for profit water services; Which can leave those unable to afford the privatized water service to suffer. Here in the United States clean drinking water is often taken for granted as something that is automatic and expected. Around the world the privatization of water resources is astounding, and something that has occurred for nearly more than a century. While these companies provide a service it is often at a high financial cost, organizations can be staffed by corrupt employees and limited transparency in business dealings. Privatization brings in potable water (filtered/treated at wastewater plants) for those who can afford it, those who can’t often have to suffer with crippling debt, or substandard drinking water and the illnesses that can result from it. While, the sale of bottled water is a multibillion-dollar industry, and ironically it is difficult for many people to distinguish it from tap water (which was proven in both the film and during the taste test at Crossroads). A key point to the film is whether access to potable water is a basic human right, or is water a commodity that can be owned, bought and sold to those who can afford it? The stories from the movie were not all doom and gloom there were positive results such as villagers in India, maintain their own water purification plant. Residents of Michigan were able to limit the pumping of their groundwater by Nestle. Residents of Bolivia following the increase in water prices due to privatization (Bechtel United Utilities) protested en masse and where able to pressure their government into ending business dealings with the company.
Following the film members of the River des Peres Watershed Coalition and the Missouri Coalition for the Environment addressed water issues that can directly affect us here in Missouri, like pollution from chemicals (pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, herbicides, road salt, etc) that can be found in water. Most students were knowledgeable on the River des Peres due to the fact that they have a stream team on Engelholm creek a tributary of the River des Peres. While there was difference in goals between the River des Peres Watershed Coalition and the desires of the people highlighted in the film. The people featured in the film might not have enough water necessary for consumption and daily life, while we here in Missouri often have too much water. Our message was one of water conservation and riparian habitat improvement.
I left Crossroads that night appreciative of the fact that Crossroads students are active enough to form a Social Justice club and become more aware of the problems facing the world. Because there wasn’t a group like that when I was a student there way back when. Also, I was very impressed by the film FLOW, it gave me incredible insight to the issues faced worldwide involving the privatization of water by multinational corporations, the battle for local control over water resources, and the experiences that people face in accessing the world most precious resource and honestly makes me much more appreciative of the fact that I have access to clean water and working to improve my local watershed of the River des Peres.