TAPthirst

2012-03-07T09:42:00.003-08:00

Bottled Water Free Day with L'Archipel!!!

Join us for a free performance of the original rock opera about water privatization, La Siren!

March 15th at 1pm in the Hall Building, 7th floor.

https://www.facebook.com/events/328053940573575/

2012-02-08T11:43:00.001-08:00

The Water Web Panel Discussion and workshop!

TAPthirst Concordia is looking for representatives from all faculties/ areas of study to take part in a panel discussion on the interconnectedness of water, taking place on March 19th as part of Sustainability Week’s water day. The discussion will go hand in hand with the creation of an art piece exhibiting the “Water Web”- linking all topics discussed with each other through sustainable water practices.

To participate, please send your topic proposal to tapthirst@gmail.com. Each presenter is expected to be knowledgeable enough about their topic to answer questions or help guide a short discussion that will happen after they speak, and all speakers will be given 7-10 minutes to present.

We will accept submissions until Friday March 2nd, and will contact chosen applicants by Tuesday, March 6th.

Sustainability Action Fund Public Consultation 2012

2012-01-28T07:53:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!
There is a really cool event coming up, one where YOUR opinions are sought out regarding where the S.A.F. will allocate its funds!
Come check it out with the TAPthirst crew (which is funded in large part by the Sustainability Action Fund!)
February 1st from 12:30-2:30 in the Hall building at Concordia. Check out the Facebook event for more details: https://www.facebook.com/events/305790912790824/

Take back the tap: Bottled Water Free Day on March 10, 2011

2011-03-07T02:01:00.000-08:00

March 10th is the international Bottled Water Free Day (BWFD) and TAPthirst as well as other Concordia groups are planning awareness raising events. The Bottled Water Free day events are a part of our ongoing campaign to ban the sale of bottled water on campus. This campaign will culminate in a referendum question put to the students later this month. The referendum question will hopefully be the last stepping stone towards making Concordia a bottled water free campus.

This year for Bottled Water Free Day (March 10th 2011), TAPthirst and R4 will be handing out free water at their tabling spot in the EV building between 10 and 4. At 4:30 pm there will be a demonstration at Norman Bethune Square (corner of Guy and de Maisonneuve) where we will attempt to illustrate the high levels of wasteful bottled water consumption at Concordia by dumping emptied water bottles onto the square and handing out information pamphlets. Finally, through out the whole day water fountains will be decorated and posters will light the halls promoting the use of tap water on and off campus.

If you have any time, come out and help us all throughout this week. Contact us at tapthirst@gmail.com to work towards a bottled water free campus.

TAPthirst Newsletter – February 17, 2011

2011-02-16T21:29:00.000-08:00

Dear fertile followers,

Holy flip! It’s been so long guys, have you missed us? Do you remember us? Aw well, you’ll get caught up on what we at TAPthirst are doing these days if you read on. I’m sure there’ll be something that’ll float your boat (i.e. tap water).

SMART WATER – How smart is bottled water? Thes smrt. So that’s why we decided to make fun of it. We did a lovely photo shoot and played around with the Smart Water advertisements to come up with some sweet posters that you’ll soon be seeing around school. Smart Water is a bottled water company that is the leader of the “enhanced water category”, a.k.a. the leader of “polluting and deliberately destroying livelihoods without a care in the world whilst continually increasing profits”. If you’d like to come help put some posters up or just hang, please contact us: tapthirst@gmail.com

TABLING – ¬We decided that more people need to get to know us for a few reasons. For one, we’re hot. Secondly, bottled water is not. So thirdly, we can make a change if we work together and all become hot. Math was never our strength, but we can sure sing loudly about the benefits of tap water. Please come out and say hi, tell your friends to, or come and help table with us. We’ll put you on table duty with someone who has gotten the spiel down so that you can ease into the loving world that flows from the tap. Email us: tapthirst@gmail.com

BOTTLED WATER FREE DAY (BWFD) – March 10, 2011 is the second annual BWFD and it’s bound to be a good one. We’re collaborating with universities across Québec to have some coordinated events on all the campuses. We’re going to set up some sweet signs and footprints so you can make your way from the treacherous vending machines to the glorious, free water fountains. Oh yeah, we got our buds from the Concordia’s Facilities Management on board with fixing up and hopefully increasing water fountains. Things are moving slowly, but surely (“don’t call me Shirley” is what they said to us). Anyway, if you want to help out with this event by attending, decorating fountains, poster making or giving us some ideas, feel free to contact us: tapthirst@gmail.com

WORLD WATER WEEK (WWW) and WORLD WATER DAY (WWD) – Swish, slosh, pish, posh: BLUB, BLUB, BLUB! World Water Day and Week are back for the attack against water privatization. Join us for a documentary, a panel discussion, a taste test, a live music and theatre party, and whatever else you would like! Come give us your thoughts, listen to ours or play music at the party! The possibilities are endless, but don’t wait as this offer ends soon. Well, it actually starts on the 21st of March and goes until the 25th, but let’s start planning right away: tapthirst@gmail.com

THE REFERENDUM – Yes, that is right. We are having an official referendum question to see if students want bottled water on campus. Let’s exercise our rights and our love for the tap by voting to ban bottled water on March 23rd, 24th and 25th. All you have to do is tell all of your friends about that nasty stuff wrapped in plastic, attend our events, join our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/group.php?gid=54874236629) and then invite all your friends to that too!

As you can see, there is a lot going on here at TAPthirst. Some of you may find this interesting and you might, just maybe, want to help out. This may seem a bit nerve-racking or time-consuming, especially for those who have not been involved with this sort of thing before. But guess what? There’s no need to worry as our hearts are open wide to welcome you. Also, the thing about volunteering is that it’s completely voluntary. Therefore, no commitments, no guilt and sweet perks including laughs, love and … leadership? Apparently alliteration is not our forte either, but maybe you’re just the person so set that straight! So, come on out!

From all those tap-drinking, bottle-reusing, happy people at TAPthirst
tapthirst@gmail.com

Oh, p.s. Here’s our blog: http://tapthirst.blogspot.com/

Hé, p.p.s. Find an article attached that we wrote and submitted to the QPIRG working groups journal!

Ah! Triple p to the s dot – here’s who we are in case ya didn’t hear:

TAPthirst (tap drinkers against privatization) is an initiative dedicated to promoting awareness of the social, environmental and monetary costs of the bottled water industry, and water privatization as a whole. We aim to empower people at a grass roots level by supplying them with the information and tools necessary to question the bottled water industry and its impacts on our environment, health and communities. In doing this we hope to bring people one step closer to ethical water consumption in the fight against privatization of one of the world’s most important resources.

Wednesday November 17th, Discussion about Tuition & Corporatization

2010-11-16T06:59:00.000-08:00

On November 17th, the International Student Movement's Global Day of Action, you are invited to the following event..

'WHY?' Public Discussion about Tuition & Corporatization at Con U
Wednesday November 17th, 5pm - 8pm
CSU Lounge, Hall Building 7th Floor

Featuring...

*KEYNOTE SPEAKER: DAVID BERNANS, Author of 'Con U Inc.'

In 2001, the Concordia Student Union published a book written by David Bernans, the union’s very own Researcher/Archivist. The book was called Con U Inc: Privatization, Marketization and Globalization at Concordia University (and beyond).

Con U Inc contrasts Concordia’s claim to offer public education and research in the public interest with the reality of an institution whose campus increasingly resembles a shopping mall, whose students are increasingly treated as “customers” and “human resources” and whose corporate partners increasingly influence research and even curriculum, using public resources for private gain.

Dr. Bernans will discuss developments that have taken place at Concordia in the decade since Con U Inc was published. In what ways have private interests succeeded in remaking the university in their corporate image? What strategies have been used to resist privatization and how successful has such resistance been? And most importantly, what is the way forward? Come and participate in the discussion about the past and the future of your university.

David Bernans was once a faculty member in Concordia’s Political Science Department and he is a past President of Concordia’s GSA. On the fifth anniversary of 9/11, Concordia University’s secret “Risk Assessment Committee” banned Dr. Bernans from doing a public on-campus reading from his novel, North of 9/11 (Cumulus Press, 2006).

*'TUITION 202'
The continuation of 'Tuition 101' from September...
...Ask all your questions about tuition to Roddy Doucet (Advocacy Manager of the GSA) and Martin Robert (Research Committee of ASSE)

*POST-TALK LIBATION

After the talk, continue to Ask Why over Beer with Bernans (at Reggie’s!)

** Organized by Free Education Montreal (FEM), TapThirst, Uberculture and the Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA), part of ASFA's 'Ask Why' campaign! For more information, see http://freeeducationmontreal.org/?p=1625 or the Free Education Montreal facebook page

water IS a human right!

2010-08-05T09:36:00.001-07:00

As this new fall semester kicks off so too does one of the biggest sustainability campaigns to ever hit Concordia University. The battle against bottled water has come to a head this year - Concordia's exclusivity contract with Pepsico is due to expire in December 2010 and the support for a bottled water campus and a better (more environmentally and socially responsible) beverage contract has come pouring in from students, student associations, faculty members, staff and Concordia's own Environmental Advisory Committee.

The fight for water rights is echoed around the globe. This July, after more than 15 years of debate, the United Nations General Assembly formally recognized access to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right. This is a gigantic step forward in the battle to halt the privatization of water, the stuff of life that sustains us all. Indeed, the recognition that water is a necessity to life and should not be commodified (as bottled water, for example) like so many other natural resources represents a pivotal shift towards global sustainability. This shift in ideology is reflected in bottled water sales across North America – for the second year in a row sales have gone down, by 1.0% in 2008 and by 2.5% in 2009. Add to this the increase in sales for reusable drinking bottles and it is clear that the trend towards taking back the tap is on the rise.

With the expiration of our Pepsico beverage contract Concordia could become the 8^th campus in Canada and the 1^st university in Quebec to boast a bottled water free campus. It is an incredible opportunity to reconsider the way that the university sources its beverage products and to apply Concordia's own environmental policy and honour our committment to sustainability.

“Wherever feasible in terms of financing, sourcing and availability, the University shall attempt to purchase goods that are ecologically benign, including items that are energy efficient, locally produced, made from post-consumer recycled and/or renewable materials, are recyclable, non-toxic and/or organic, should they meet or exceed the requirements as specified by the departmental end users. The University shall also work to consider life cycle costs and impacts when assessing products and equipment for procurement and, when possible, will tender to suppliers that are local and/or committed to environmental sustainability.”

Concordia University Environmental Policy, page 2, paragraph 5.

To sign the petition for a bottled water free Concordia:

http://www.csu.qc.ca/index.php?module=bkbPetition&func=sign&id=5&catid=-1

For more information visit:

http://storyofstuff.org/bottledwater/

http://tapthirst.qpirgmcgill.org/

www.insidethebottle.org

www.tappedthemovie.com

To get in contact:

TAPthirst (Tap Drinkers Against Privatization)

tapthirst@gmail.com

better beverage contract campaign

2010-06-11T11:16:00.000-07:00

The bottled water free campus campaign is well underway this summer. TAPthirst has been working hard to mobilize students, staff and faculty at Concordia to take a stance on bottled water and to encourage the administration to negotiate a better beverage contract with the termination of our exclusivity contract with Pepsico. TAPthirst and the university's Environmental Advisory Committee have outlined a number of objectives for the upcoming beverage contract. With your support we hope to have these objectives recognized by the administration so that they may guide the negotiation of our new beverage contract.

These objectives include:

I) No individually packaged bottled water will be sold through any contract on campus

II) The contract(s) will ensure health conscious, environmentally, and socially conscious products, in keeping with the University's Sustainability Mandate, as specified in the University's Strategic Plan, with 30 percent of all products supplied locally.*
*based on research of local supply capacity and definitions of local criteria to be determined.

III) The contracts will be non-exclusive. The criteria for the contracts will not include exclusivity rights, therefore allowing for the opportunity of having alternatively supplied beverages on campus and multiple suppliers.

IV) Negotiation of the contracts will be clear, democratic and transparent as per Law C-65.1 (Act Respective Contracting by Public Bodies)
This implies that:
a) contracts will be open to bidding by multiple companies
b) criteria for prospective suppliers, in the form of a RPF (request for proposal), will be public information
c) the selection process will be transparent, publicly available, and publicized.
d) the selection process will be fair; no one company will be favored over another.

In the past year municipalities, schools and universities have stood up for Canada's public water services by phasing out the provision and sale of bottled water, while at the same time taking a principled stance against the commodification of a basic human and ecological right. At present there are 79 municipalities (from 8 provinces and 2 territories), 7 school boards, 7 universities and colleges and 1 province that have announced restrictions on bottled water. Additionally, a number of associations, such as the Canadian Federation of Municipalities (FCM), have encouraged their members to restrict bottled water. The movement towards free, accessible public water is growing nation-wide.

Please take the time to sign our online petition and join us in creating a more sustainable campus.

http://www.csu.qc.ca/index.php?module=bkbPetition&func=sign&id=5&catid=-1

For more information email tapthirst@gmail.com

Petition!

2010-05-21T08:54:00.000-07:00

Sign the petition!

Concordia currently holds an exclusivity contract with Pepsico. This contract terminates in December of 2010. Renegotiations are set to begin mid-June. Concordia has a unique opportunity to negotiate a new beverage contract which will ensure the removal of bottled water from all vending machines and beverage outlets on campus.

Please join us in creating a more sustainable campus

Bottled Water Free Campus Petition

WORLD WATER WEEK SCHEDULE

2010-03-21T14:40:00.000-07:00

An international week of water activism and awareness!

check out one of our WWW events:

Monday March 22nd:
challenge your pallet to the Water Taste test. Can you tell the difference between tap water and bottled water? Come find out in the Hall building Mezzanine from 10-6 (or tuesday @ the McGill SMMU)

Thursday March 25th:
4pm-6pm
PANEL DISCUSSION co hosted with the CSU
"Tributaries of a Water Crisis: linking perspectives of a growing movement"
your chance to hear from a panel of local activists and advocats of water issues in and around montreal; a brief introduction to several perspectives on the issue followed by open discussion/audience Q & A
speakers include:

-Dana Holtby and Rosie Simms (Uncharted waters): Bridging the gap between student activism and academia
- Alex Oster (VP sustainability, CSU): facilitating sustainable change on campuses
- Laura Beach (TAPthirst): situating bottled water within a global water crisis
- Fran Bristow (Alliance Romaine): a perspective on Fresh water conservation efforts

Free Food and Refreshments
7th Floor Lounge of the Hall building

Friday March 26th
TAPthirst encourages everyone to check the

Uncharted Waters Conference at McGill march 26-28th.
An amazing conference aimed at connecting Acedemia and Activism on Water issues, with workshops such as:

- First nations water issues and the Tar sands w/ Clayton Thomas-Muller

- Youth and water activism w/Zoe Barrett-Wood and Ashley Hellyer

- Bottled water awareness and action workshop w/ Elly Adeland

- Water Justice! w/Meera Karunananthan

-Thinking Beyond Pipes and Pumps w/Susanne Porter-Bopp

- Tar Sands and Water w/montreal contre les sables bitumineux

and More!

information and registration online at:
http://www.unchartedwatersconference.ca/

Saturday March 27th
Uncharted Waters Keynote address

Bob Sandford

When the Wells Run Dry: The World Water Crisis and What it Means to Canada

Saturday March 27th, 18h30, Leacock room 26 McGill

free of charge
"This carefully researched presentation will place the main threats to water supply and quality world-wide into a Canadian context. It will demonstate how many of the same problems have come into existence in Canada and what we have to do to ensure that we don't wake up one morning with the same tensions and conflicts over water resources faced by so many other nations.In conclusion, one of this country's leading experts in water policy will identify possible reforms to Canada's national water policy and explain why it is an exciting time for a next generation of bright young people to consider careers in water resources."

Bottle Water Free Day

2010-03-03T13:06:00.000-08:00

March 11th is Bottle Water Free Day!!

TAPthirst will be building a tower of consumption in the mezzanine and offering out information on water issues and resources of organizations and events happening in solidarity with the struggle to avoid a global water crisis.

We will also be giving a workshop entitled "living the pledge", which will aim to bring these looming water issues to light and engage in discussion as to what we can do, on scales big and small, to make a difference. The Workshop will be held at 2:00pm @ the sustainable concordia office (time/place subject to change).

To learn more about tap water vs bottled water heres a fun little video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0rJRYQY8qoEnjoy Tap WaterTAPthirst

WORLD WATER WEEK

2010-03-03T13:02:00.000-08:00

March 22-26 marks World Water Week, a week devoted to education and action around fresh water issues.

TAPthirst will be putting on a number of events throughout the week, including a tapwater/bottled water taste test, a panel discussion focusing on water security and a wine and cheese mixer happening tuesday march 23 @ the sustainable concordia office (all events subject to change).

QPIRG Shows "Tapped" Second Canadian Screening

2010-03-02T12:43:00.000-08:00

The First Eastern Canadian Screening of the Film "Tapped" will be held Friday March 19th at 7:30PM in Concordia's H-110 auditorium.

QPIRG Concordia in association with Sustainable Concordia and tapthirst will be showing the documentary. This will be the second Canadian screening of the documentary. The first Screening in Eastern Canada (the first screening will be the 10th at UBC (University of British Columbia)).

From the Producers of "Who Killed the Electric Car" and "I.O.U.S.A.,"

Is access to clean drinking water a basic human right, or a commodity that should be bought and sold like any other article of commerce?

"Tapped" gives a behind-the-scenes look into the unregulated and unseen world of an industry that aims to privatize and sell back the one resource that ought never to becaome a commodity: our water.

From the plastic production to the ocean in which so many of these bottles end up, this inspiring documentary trails the path of the bottled water indystry and the communities which wew the unwitting chips on the table. A powerful portrait of the lives affected by the water industry, this revelatory film deatures those caught at the intersection of big business and the public's right to water.

FILM BLURB FROM THE WEBSITE http://www.tappedthemovie.com/