Boycott Bottled Water

The United Church of Canada (the largest Protestant denomination in Canada) held their annual General Council this week. Earlier this week, the CBC had reported that the Council would be voting on a boycott of bottled water.

Well, hurray!

Water as a right and resource has been a theme in all churches belonging to KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives this year, and has been taught in churches across the country. The timing was good. I think a large portion of the population would have been very receptive.

However, reading the reports from the General Council, I see that enough voters hedged on the idea of a boycott that the whole idea got "watered down" in the final decision.

Sigh. I was so looking forward to the United Church leading the way on this one. What were people afraid of? Or was it that so many of the people voting at the Council were bottled-water drinkers?

As long as "nice" people think it's okay to buy bottled water, then it's only a matter of time before the only water available comes with a pricetag.