Youth Leaders Challenge Coke to Stop Draining Water from World's Poorest

[liveoaktx]

Link

As a result of Coke's water extraction, at least five communities across India face severe water shortages and health problems. In Plachimada, in southern India, Coke's water extraction has dried up hundreds of hand-pumped wells, leaving people without enough water for basic needs. In Mehdiganj, in northeastern India, Coke decreased the level of groundwater by 40 feet, leaving small farmers without enough water to irrigate their crops. Across the US people are joining with allies in India demanding that Coke stop
stealing water, starting by: never reopening its Plachimada plant, closing its Mehdiganj plant and paying for the damage it has done to affected communities.
"Coke's abuses are threatening the lives and livelihoods of people in rural communities in India. The corporation's leadership needs to know that people across the US, and here in Atlanta, are joining with people in India to reject its irresponsible and dangerous actions," says Patti Lynn, Campaigns Director with Corporate Accountability International.
Coke's practices are part of a much larger problem of corporations contributing to a global water shortage. The United Nations estimates that two-thirds of the world's population will not have access to enough water by 2025 if current trends continue. According to a former vice-president of the World Bank, "The wars of the 21st century will be fought over water." Coke's water depletion contributes to this problem and is making water shortage a reality right now for some communities.
In the US alone, Coke reportedly spent $1.7 million on federal lobbying in 2003, and Coke's PACs poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into the 2004 election. Coke is a prime example of a corporation that does not abide by Corporate Accountability International's Standards of Political Conduct for Corporations.

[neweurope]

1. In some parts of the world Coke is practically a synonym for USA.

Fitting somehow... one more reason never to drink it again. Great however that Americans now, too are trying to do something about it!


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Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[w4rma]

2. Coke is called coke because it used to contain Cocaine, until it was made

illegal. Then they changed the formula (to remove Cocaine and create a new flavor) and used the publicity they gained from selling Coca-Cola (with cocaine) to expand their soft-drink enterprise. Now they use their funds from their previous enterprises to expand into new totally unrelated buisnesses.

I have trouble seeing how a company that used an addictive drug to sell their product could ever act ethically.

[jpgray]

3. Caffeine and sugar are still pretty addictive (nt)

[w4rma]

5. Not even on the same scale, from what I understand.

Neither chemical causes brain damage, either. Unlike cocaine.

[Ripley]

4. What about all that codeine in cough syrups?

I don't think the coke in Coke automatically made them unethical. But I do think they are pretty unethical when they steal water from direly poor people in 3rd world countries. I also think they're pretty shitty for selling London tap water as designer "Dasani."

[w4rma]

6. I'm sure alot of cough syrup has been sold for the codeine "high" rather

than for soothing a cough.