Maude Barlow's Water Incorporated: The Commodification of the World's Water gives voice to a very real but largely unknown problem: the privatization of water. I call it largely unknown because it was only after this article that I was aware that such a power struggle existed. Barlow first introduces surprising statistics, intended to grab the reader's attention. Once it has your attention, it introduces the “next generation of trade and investment agreements”. (306) This includes reference to many different acronyms such as FTAA, NAFTA, GTAA and WWF. FTAA, NAFTA and GTAA are the villains in this story. Simply put, water privatization would lead to socioeconomic unrest and dehydration around the world. First, let me explain what the privatization and commodification of water actually refers to. Privatization is the transfer of ownership from a local company to a private economic entity. Water privatization gives private entities control over water and its systems. Barlow believes that owning the water constitutes a violation of human rights. This article does two things successfully; raises awareness of an important issue and communicates exactly how the issue will affect the world. Barlow's argument uses pathos and logos to impose his ideals on his audience. However, although his use of appeals is inspiring, he fails to reach a final solution to resolve the previously posed problem. Sure, 2/3 of the world's population living with water scarcity is a statistic scary enough to send shivers down your spine. Barlow doesn't stop there though; it goes on to state that only 2% of the rivers and wetlands in the United States remain intact. What does this mean for the creatures that lived there? Again, “37% of freshwater fish are at risk of…half the paper…education and broadening the knowledge base, but with something as serious as water privatization a little ' greater purpose is needed. Barlow does well to identify who the major players are in the privatization and commodification of water systems, as well as identifying exactly why the public should disagree with this. However, it fails to provide a universally understandable argument and propose a solution to any problem. I would suggest adding a solution at the end of the article, a call to action that sparks a movement. First though; an attempt should be made to slightly alter the language used and make it more accessible to those who may not have a PhD in economics. This is important because the younger generations will be responsible for our future. How can they help if they can't get past the first page?

Topic > Maude Barlow's Water Incorporated: The Commodification of the World's Water gives voice to a very real but largely unknown problem: the privatization of water. I call it largely unknown because it was only after this article that I was aware that such a power struggle existed. Barlow first introduces surprising statistics, intended to grab the reader's attention. Once it has your attention, it introduces the “next generation of trade and investment agreements”. (306) This includes reference to many different acronyms such as FTAA, NAFTA, GTAA and WWF. FTAA, NAFTA and GTAA are the villains in this story. Simply put, water privatization would lead to socioeconomic unrest and dehydration around the world. First, let me explain what the privatization and commodification of water actually refers to. Privatization is the transfer of ownership from a local company to a private economic entity. Water privatization gives private entities control over water and its systems. Barlow believes that owning the water constitutes a violation of human rights. This article does two things successfully; raises awareness of an important issue and communicates exactly how the issue will affect the world. Barlow's argument uses pathos and logos to impose his ideals on his audience. However, although his use of appeals is inspiring, he fails to reach a final solution to resolve the previously posed problem. Sure, 2/3 of the world's population living with water scarcity is a statistic scary enough to send shivers down your spine. Barlow doesn't stop there though; it goes on to state that only 2% of the rivers and wetlands in the United States remain intact. What does this mean for the creatures that lived there? Again, “37% of freshwater fish are at risk of…half the paper…education and broadening the knowledge base, but with something as serious as water privatization a little ' greater purpose is needed. Barlow does well to identify who the major players are in the privatization and commodification of water systems, as well as identifying exactly why the public should disagree with this. However, it fails to provide a universally understandable argument and propose a solution to any problem. I would suggest adding a solution at the end of the article, a call to action that sparks a movement. First though; an attempt should be made to slightly alter the language used and make it more accessible to those who may not have a PhD in economics. This is important because the younger generations will be responsible for our future. How can they help if they can't get past the first page?