Corporations

Thursday July 8, 2010 marked the 3,000th day of action against the Coca Cola plant in Plachimada in the Indian State of Kerala where the local population has been struggling against the company over its water takings.

For more information and ways to take action visit the following websites:
India Resource Center
Killer Coke

Agitation against Coke plant crosses 3,000 days

G. Prabhakaran, 12 July 2010, The Hindu PALAKKAD - The agitation against alleged exploitation of groundwater by soft drink major Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd. at Plachimada, a remote village in Perumatty grama panchayat in Chittur taluk, completed 3,000 days on Friday.

The agitation has been described as a struggle by the local people to establish their right to natural resources such as soil and water and a fight to protect their livelihood of agriculture.

Here are a few links to sources of news and analysis from the G8/G20:

G20/G8 Breakdown: http://www.g20breakdown.com

Toronto Media Co-op: http://toronto.mediacoop.ca

G20 Alt Media Centre: http://2010.mediacoop.ca

Straight Goods: http://straightgoods.ca

Rabble: http://rabble.ca

New Report Exposes Enbridge Inc’s Destructive Gamble on Eve of Annual Meeting of Shareholders

OTTAWA, ON – In advance of Enbridge Inc.’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders scheduled for Wednesday, May 5th, the Polaris Institute and the Indigenous Environmental Network are releasing a new corporate profile of the company. In the profile, Enbridge Inc’s dirty tar sands gamble is exposed as potentially dangerous in terms of its impacts on the environment and First Nations communities.

Patricia Hurtado, February 27, 2010, Bloomberg - Coca-Cola Co. was sued by Guatemalan workers who say they endured a “campaign of violence” by people working on behalf of bottling and processing plants Coke owns or owned there after they engaged in union activities.

Jose Armando Palacios of Guatemala and eight other plaintiffs filed the complaint Feb. 25 in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan, alleging negligence, deceptive practices and other claims against Coca-Cola, the world’s biggest soda maker.

The plaintiffs said they were the victims of violence and retaliation by individuals associated with Industria de Café SA, or Incasa, which operates an instant coffee and Coca-Cola bottling plant in Guatemala City. The plaintiffs said Incasa “is or was previously owned by Coca-Cola.”

January 27, 2010, Davos, Switzerland — The Public Eye Awards' Committee announced today that the Polaris Institute's nomination of the CEO Water Mandate has won in the Greenwash category.

Since 2005, at a ceremony outside the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland, the Public Eye Awards have been given out to corporations that have exhibited irresponsible and damaging behaviour. At this year’s event Nobel Prize Laureate Joseph Stiglitz will be giving the keynote address.

In 2009, Polaris submitted a nomination of the United Nations' CEO Water Mandate in the 'Greenwash' category for its role in facilitating greater control of water resources by multinational corporations while simultaneously 'greenwashing' socially and environmentally damaging corporate behavior.

In Zurich, Switzerland the Public Eye Awards' Committee announced today that the Polaris Institute’s nomination of the CEO Water Mandate has been shortlisted in the Greenwash category.

Since 2005, at a ceremony outside the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland, The Public Eye Awards have been given out to corporations that have exhibited irresponsible and damaging behaviour.

In 2009, Polaris submitted a nomination of the United Nations’ CEO Water Mandate in the ‘Greenwash’ category for its role in facilitating greater control of water resources by multinational corporations while simultaneously ‘greenwashing’ socially and environmentally damaging corporate behavior.

On January 27th the CEO Water Mandate will join a group of corporations and institutions vying for a Public Eye Award in the ‘Global’, ‘Swiss’, ‘Greenwash’ and ‘People’s Award’ categories.

A coalition of groups including ATTAC Denmark, Corporate Europe Observatory, Focus on the Global South, Friends of the Earth International, Oilchange International and Spinwatch organized The Angry Mermaid Award to recognise the perverse role of corporate lobbyists, and highlight those business groups and companies that have made the greatest effort to sabotage the climate talks, and other climate measures, while promoting, often profitable, false solutions.

Watch the Angry Mermaid video here

Here is the Press Release from the Angry Mermaid Award website:

For immediate release: Tuesday 15 December 2009

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THE ANGRY MERMAID WINNER IS...

Monsanto wins award for worst corporate climate lobbyist in Copenhangen
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The Corporate Stranglehold over the United Nations: How Big Business Already Wields Significant Power over the UN Water Agenda is a new REPORT from the Polaris Institute that outlines how water multinationals play an increasing role in controlling the United Nations' agenda on water issues.

The report deals with the corporate stranglehold inside the UN by water services companies, the food and beverage industry, plus numerous other large water using multinational corporations and their business associations.

Read the full report HERE

Excerpt from the Introduction:

Patti Lynn, October 14, 2009, MinutemanMedia.org - Things aren’t looking pretty for drinking water these days. Recent articles from The New York Times and the Associated Press have exposed unchecked pollution, grave gaps in oversight, decaying infrastructure, and concerns about emerging contaminants.

Yet one voice sees the decay of our water infrastructure through a rose-colored glass. “We’re bullish on water in the next 10 years,” said Nestlé Waters North America CEO Kim Jeffery, on a recent call for analysts. How exactly can he say this, given recent reports?