Environmental Day, June 5, is this year focusing on ending plastic pollution.
Pledge 3 of the Blue Community states:
PROMOTE SAFE PUBLIC DRINKING WATER EVERYWHERE TO END THE NEED FOR BOTTLED WATER.
Plastic bottles are a major source of plastic pollution on land, in rivers, and in the sea.
However, the problem extends far beyond plastic bottles. The fact that private companies are permitted to grab water and sell it is at the root of this problem. Remember: Companies like Nestlé, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo do not produce water. They only produce plastic bottles! Therefore, pledges 1 and 2 of the Blue Community lay the groundwork for pledge 3:
1. RECOGNIZE THE HUMAN RIGHTS TO WATER AND SANITATION
2. PROMOTE PUBLICLY FINANCED, OWNED AND OPERATED WATER AND WASTEWATER SERVICES
Only if water is in public ownership and under public control can we ensure that it is used in the best interests of us all, rather than for the profit of shareholders. Public ownership and control are therefore the best ways to reduce plastic bottle use and the pollution it causes.
And don’t forget: Plastic bottles are produced from oil. And oil itself is a major source of water pollution, as the oil spill in the river Niger Delta Region in Nigeria and the fight of our Nigerian Blue Community Peace Point Development Foundation just shows (see here).
World Environment Day on 5 June must first and foremost be a day for public water. Water is what makes this planet different; it is what makes it blue and green, and it is what allows life. Without clean, safe water, the environment would resemble Mars. Perhaps Elon Musk and his colleagues should take SpaceX rockets and go there. But let’s keep our water safe here!
Best wishes for World Environment Day 2025 and to stop plastic pollution.
Roland Brunner, Blue Community Network
