#227 / Fiji Water

Speaking of cannibalism, American corporate interests are dismembering the environment in Fiji, and are selling "Fiji Water" to rich consumers around the world. You pay a price for "quality," of course. Here's what the company says about its "premium" water:

Have you ever wondered what pure water tastes like? Just open a bottle of FIJI Water and you'll find a taste that's smooth, refreshing, and uncompromised. It begins as rainfall filtering through layers of ancient volcanic rock over the course of hundreds of years. As a result of this natural filtration process our water gathers minerals like silica, calcium, and magnesium which contribute to our distinctly soft smooth taste.

You want to know who really pays the price? Among others, the people of Fiji. The Wikipedia article on Fiji Water notes that the Fiji Water brand is "controlled by American billionaires Stewart and Lynda Rae Resnick." It also notes that "Fiji Water has ... established a foundation to provide water filters to Fiji communities, many of which lack access to clean water." No representation is made that this filtered water, provided to the natives, has a "soft smooth taste." Or that it is "uncompromised." Native resources have been removed to profit rich people elsewhere. I think Melville wrote about that!

If you'd like to know more about the Reznick family, which is a power in California politics, click the link. Corporations controlled by the Reznicks are now the owners of the Kern Water Bank, at one time an asset of the people of the State of California which was given away to private interests (disguised as public entities) by Governor Pete Wilson. I'm proud to say that the Planning and Conservation League fought this outrageous action, while I was General Counsel. Litigation is still underway, with the Center for Biological Diversity and the California Water Information Network, carrying on the fight.