Poor
      hardest
      hit
      by
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Hamish
      Copley
      conference
      of
      activists
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Source;
      The
      Link
     
    
   
   
    
     
      MONTREAL
      (CUP)
     
     
      -
      The
      world's
     
     
      environment
      is
     
     
      worsening
      and
      the
     
     
      biggest
      losers
      are
      poor
     
     
      countries,
      said
     
     
      delegates
      at
      a
      recent
     
    
   
   
    
     
      from
      across
      the
     
     
      Americas.
     
    

    
     
      The
      three-day
     
     
      gathering,
      held
      at
      the
     
     
      Université
      de
     
     
      Montréal,
      discussed
     
     
      links
      between
      injustice,
     
     
      ecological
      collapse
     
     
      and
      the
      global
     
    
   
   
    
     
      economy.
     
    

    
     
      Delegates
      from
     
     
      North
      and
      South
     
     
      America
      focused
      on
     
     
      the
      effect
      of
     
     
      environmental
      damage
     
     
      on
      the
      poor
      and
      the
     
     
      powerless.
     
    

    
     
      "There's.
      -.no
     
     
      water
      left
      to
      drink
      in
      El
     
     
      Salvador,"
      —
      said
     
     
      Rosendo
      Mauricio
     
     
      Sermeifio,
      an
     
     
      environmental
      activist
     
     
      from
      Central
      America.
     
     
      "Sometimes
      you
      get
     
     
      earthworms
      out
      of
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      tap.
      The
      [logging]
     
     
      companies
      call
      this
     
     
      drinkable
      water."
     
    

    
     
      Mauricio
      said
     
     
      logging
      in
      El
      Salvador
     
     
      has
      destroyed
      the
     
     
      country's
      water
      table
     
     
      and
      polluted
      its
      rivers
     
     
      and
      lakes.
     
    

    
     
      "A
      large
      part
      of
     
     
      the
      territory
      can
      no
     
     
      longer
      support
      life,"
      he
     
     
      said.
     
    

    
     
      Mauricio
      added
     
     
      that
      between
      the
     
     
      eoun
      tiriy
      -s
     
     
      environmental
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      r
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ae
     
     
      tome
     
     
      —]
     
     
      ed
     
     
      ond
     
     
      oa
     
     
      paard
     
     
      bow
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ivi
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Department
      of
      Foreign
      Affairs
     
     
      and
      Intemational
      Trade
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      New
      Canadian
     
    
   
   
    
     
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      Guide
      to
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
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      Ministére
      des
      Affaires
      étrangéres
     
     
      et
      du
      Commerce
      intemational
     
    
   
   
    
     
      .
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      collapse
      and
      its
      civil
     
     
      war,
      one-fifth
      of
      El
     
     
      Salvador's
     
     
      population
      has
      left
      the
     
     
      country
      in
      the
      span
      of
     
     
      a
      few
      years.
     
    

    
     
      He
      said
      native
     
     
      populations,
      who
      are
     
     
      the
      poorest
      segment
     
     
      of
      society,
      are
      the
     
     
      hardest
      hit.
     
    

    
     
      M.-
      a
      ft.e¢
     
     
      Mazalto,
      from
     
     
      group
      Eau-Secours,
     
     
      said
      the
      first
      world
     
     
      has
      no
      reason
      to
      feel
     
     
      safe
      about
      its
      supply
     
     
      of
      drinking
      water.
     
    

    
     
      She
      said
      many
     
     
      countries
      have
      sold
     
     
      off
      their
      water
      supply
     
     
      system
      to
      private
     
     
      companies,
      causing
     
     
      the
     
     
      price
      to
      rise.
     
    

    
     
      a
      ie
     
     
      repercussions
      have
     
    
   
   
    
     
      been
      shocking
      in
     
     
      Great
      Britain,"
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Mazalto
      said,
      "where
     
     
      running
      water
      has
     
     
      become
      expensive
     
     
      for
      the
      poor."
      She
     
     
      added
      that
      in
      one
     
     
      region
      in
      France
      the
     
     
      price
      of
      water
      tripled
     
     
      after
      privatization.
     
     
      Lucia
      Antonio
     
     
      Montero,
      a
      native
     
     
      activist
      from
      southern
     
     
      Mexico,
      said
      large
     
     
      corporations,
      with
      the
     
     
      help
      of
      the
      Mexican
     
     
      government,
      are
      now
     
     
      pushing
      native
     
     
      farmers
      off
      their
      land
     
     
      and
      cutting
      down
      the
     
     
      region's
      forests.
     
     
      na
      ee
     
     
      government
      has
     
     
      privatized
      land
      that
     
     
      belonged
      to
      the
     
     
      community,"
      she
      said.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Le
      ee
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "[The
      new
      owners]
     
     
      plant
      eucalyptus
      trees,
     
     
      which
      destroy
      the
      soil."
     
    

    
     
      Montero
     
     
      described
      the
      situation
     
     
      as
      a
      "debauchery."
     
    

    
     
      "It's
      a
      question
      of
     
     
      life
      or
      death,"
      she
      said.
     
     
      "The
      destruction
      of
      our
     
     
      forests
      and
      rivers
      matter
     
     
      to
      all
      our
     
     
      peoples.
      [Canada
      and
     
     
      the
      U.S.]
      invests
      the
     
     
      most
      money
      into
      these
     
     
      companies."
     
    

    
     
      For
      those
      who
     
     
      want
      to
      change
     
     
      corporate
      policies,
     
     
      Toronto
      activist
     
     
      Frangois
      Meloche
     
     
      suggested
      making
      a
     
     
      small
      investment
      in
      the
     
     
      corporation
      doing
      the
     
     
      damage.
     
    

    
     
      "For
      three
     
     
      dollars,
      I
      become
      a
     
     
      shareholder,"
      he
      said.
     
     
      "Then
      I
      can
      present
      the
     
     
      point
      of
      view
      of
     
     
      [protesters]."
     
    

    
     
      Meloche
      is
      one
     
     
      of
      the
      activists
      fighting
      to
     
     
      get
      Talisman,
      a
      Calgary-
     
     
      based
      oil
      company,
      out
     
     
      of
      the
      Sudan.
      A
      recent
     
     
      Canadian
      government
     
     
      report
      said
      Talisman's
     
     
      drilling
      interests
      in
      the
     
     
      African
      country
      are
     
     
      helping
      fuel
      Sudan's
     
    

    
     
      Meloche
      said
     
     
      activists
      should
      invest
      in
     
     
      companies
      that
      are
     
     
      environmentally
      and
     
     
      socially
      conscious,
      to
     
     
      encourage
      other
     
     
      companies
      to
      do
      the
     
     
      same.
     
    

    
     
      "It
      is
      possible
      to
     
     
      buy
      ‘ethical
      funds'
      at
      a
     
     
      Caisse
      Desjardins,"
      he
     
     
      said.
      "Anyone
      can
      buy
     
     
      these
      at
      any
     
     
      bank,
      for
      $20
      a
      share."
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SESEILESSIESS