Web Letters: Blue Gold: Have the Next Resource Wars Begun?

Thanks for that overview of a frightening situation.

It isn't a perfect solution, but it looks as if worldwide public ownership of water systems would be a good first step. Privatization generally leads to less efficient service and higher costs--and to running the system for the benefit of corporate stockholders' profits before service to ratepayers.

In the very small town where I live on Clear Lake, in Northern California, our water company applied for a 273 percent rate increase in 2005. Without our intervention before the California Public Utilities Commission, they almost certainly would have gotten it. We were able to achieve a lower rate increase and discounts for our many low-income residents.

Food and Water Watch has some excellent suggestions for water conservation and political action.

Sophie Annan Jensen

Lucerne, CA