11:24 a.m. - 30th April 2006
Water problems
I want to boast the biggest and best boast in the world...I slept for 10 solid beautiful, fantastic hours last night, didn't wake up once in the night and feel fabulous as hell this morning....yeah and big yeah.
All the housework is done and the sun is shining a big shiny warm smile....double and treble yeah with knobs on!!
Had a lovely relaxed sort of day yesterday, got stuff done, however didn't do it in a demented chicken sort of way. Watched some TV, sent some e-mails and had loads of lovely replies from people as the day went on (including my little nephew who has now got his own e-mail account)
Today the windows are all wide open, there is no central heating on and I feel happy as a Spring chick
Out this afternoon at 1pm to meet P from work, we are going on a big old long walk through the countryside. She has a great book the AA guide to walks which we have picked a walk from and intend to go and try not to get ourselves lost in the process this afternoon. According to the AA book it'll take 3 3/4 hours approx.....but that might be dead fit people. We are then going to take oursleves for a pub lunch/supper.
Spoke to NIS yesterday, she is feeling enormous, baby due in 28 days...she has picked really NI names, that sound lovely, however 'cause of the North/South Catholic/Protestant thing there, she is a little concerned that they may have a hard time if the troubles continue, as people will know they are "Catholic" names....it's so much easier for me I suppose, as I am not that overtly aware of that sort of thing...it really is a big thing though where she lives
Watched a really intersting programme last night about water. Which I know sounds as boring as hell, however I was totaly captivated and now realise how unaware I was.
I knew in certain parts of the world such as Asia, Africa etc that water was a problem. However had absolutley no knowledge of how places such as Detroit had so many water issues. It was absolutely devastating how privatisation of water was affecting peoples lives. The world bank and economists are just adding to the water problem, by deciding that farmers in Africa etc have to pay to use the river at the bottom of their farm...Those who can afford to do so, use millions of gallons more than they need, as they see it as a right that they have paid for. Those who cannot afford to pay, are so devasted. There are near wars taking place, in an area that used to share the resource....decisions were made by economists millions of miles from their homes too.
In Nepal, millions of children are dying since water was privatised. The connection charges to the water supply are equivalent to nine months wages, therefore the poorer communities cannot afford to connect to something that was once free to them.
In India, Cocoa Cola have built a factory. The people in the villages there had wells to get their water, but because Cocoa Cola are sucking water from the earth, all the wells are drying up completely and so they are dying by the millions.
In Detroit, the water was privatised and the new company are charging 7 times what the county used to charge, therefore the poorer communities are having their water turned off by the thousands on daily basis. They interviewed somebody who said that the target for turning people off water is being set higher and higher each year....it equates to one thousand people, turning off a water supply each every three seconds.They also put concrete into the sewage system to homes, so that if the household obtains water elsewhere, the raw sewage then backs up into thier home.
In certain parts of Asia, it's big business, with young boys making carts and getting containers, they fill up 10 gallon containers and ship it out to people charging up to 20 times what they paid for it, as in certain parts the water supply is there, but the electricity is off most of the day, so they cannot access it.
It was heartbreaking to watch and will be a something that will now affect me greatly as I do more research into it.
