Satire

It's Tuesday November 21st, after an onslaught of criticism, the plug has been pulled on both O.J. Simpson's book and the Fox TV special called "If I Did It."

Currently...no word yet on the kill fee.

This is The Current.

Bottled Water – Councillor

Vancouverites are heading into Day Six of their epic water woes--also known as the single biggest boil water advisory in Canadian history. The warning was sparked after unrelenting wet weather stirred up sediment at the bottom of the civic supply--turning tap water into a murky stream of brown liquid. Since last Thursday, almost a million people in Vancouver, Burnaby and the North Shore have been boiling their water, or, mostly, buying it bottled.

So this morning we examined our increasing reliance on bottled water, and how it has affected not only our personal health, but our social welfare. Suzanne Anton is a Vancouver City councillor and is on the frontlines of this current water debacle in Vancouver. She joined us now to tell us how residents are coping.

Bottled Water – Debate

As you just heard, thirty years ago the water problem in Vancouver would have been a full-blown civic crisis. But the availability--or rather ubiquity--of bottled water, has turned the dilemma of undrinkable tap water into a major inconvenience at worst.

Freelancer Jen Moss stopped by a Vancouver grocery store to find out if tap water's latest downfall has made people more dependent on bottled water than before.

But even before Vancouver's taps spewed brown, bottled water usage has been on a constant consumer uptick, turning a free-flowing commodity--and a source of life--into a name brand. There's Dasani, Aquafina, Pure Life, to name a few. And their popularity--even to those unburdened by boil water alerts---highlights how often our water supply has come into question in recent years.

To quench our curiosity about the kind of impact bottled water has had on our lives, we were joined by two people---Tony Clarke was our Ottawa studio. He's the Executive Director of the Polaris Institute in Ottawa and the author of Inside the Bottle. And Elizabeth Griswold is the Executive Director of the Canadian Bottled Water Association, and she joined us from her home in Markham.

Water Bling

hen it comes to the commodification of water, you can't beat Bling H2O. Billing itself as a luxury item, starting at 40 dollars a bottle, Bling H2O water is as high-end as it gets. It's the liquid brainchild of company co-founder Kevin Boyd. He's a writer and producer in Los Angeles, where apparently you're even judged by what quenches your thirst.

Listen to The Current: Part 1

(Due to various rights issues some segments may be edited for internet use)

The Current: Part 2

Epigenetics – Talk Tape

The debate over nature versus nurture is becoming a lot more complicated these days, thanks to a relatively new field of study called epigenetics.

And it's at the center of a revolution happening in the world of genetics and it's challenging much of what we think we know about how our bodies develop--let alone our minds.

So as the concept of epigenetics slowly begins to wend its way into our discussions about genes and destiny, we thought we'd offer a primer on the subject. Jeff Warren is a producer for The Current and he joined Anna Maria in our studio.

The book mentioned in this item is called: Evolution in Four Dimensions: Genetic, Epigenetic, Behavioral, and Symbolic Variation in the History of Life by Eva Jablonka.

Music Bridge

Artist: Elliott Kirk
CD: "Fiddler on the Rocks"
Cut: CD 6,"Moon in Broad Daylight"
Label: Custom/Elliott Kirk
Spine: FOTR 05
http://www.kirkelliott.net/

Listen to The Current: Part 2

(Due to various rights issues some segments may be edited for internet use)

The Current: Part 3

UN Aboriginal Vote - Indigenous Representative

It's no surprise that a document calling for the rights of indigenous peoples around the world would take twenty years to write. The surprising thing is Canada voted no in a prelimary June resolution to implement it---even though this country was involved in drafting The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Also not surprising to Canadian critics of that decision insist the change of heart happened with the change of government.

The vote is expected before the end of the year to pass and it will provide guidelines for rights of indigenous people around the world. Though it is not legally binding because the laws of signatory nations will still take precedence.

Victoria Tauli-Corpuz is the Chairperson of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. She joined us in our Toronto studio.

Government Response

As we mentioned, though it was once one of its main proponents, Canada will likely vote against the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples when it comes to a final count in the weeks to come.

To tell us how the government came to this decision, we were joined by Fred Caron, Assistant Deputy Minister in the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs. He was in Ottawa.

Canadian Native Response

Many in Canada's aboriginal communities consider Canada's reversal of its historic support for the Declaration a bitter betrayal.

And one of those critics is Grand Chief Edward John, who has also been working on this document as a representative of the Assembly of First Nations for years. He was in Vancouver this morning.

Last Word

We began our program discussing water, water everywhere---and for everyone---whether you can afford little plastic bottles of it or not. So we thought we'd close the program with a bit of tape from way back when water was far less of a commodity than it is today. In fact, water was so ubiquitous, cities were practically giving it away.

To explain further we leave you now with a moment in CBC radio Morningside history. We aired a moment where Stuart McLean answered a challenge proffered ten years ago by the late, great host Peter Gzowski -- to buy as much as he could with a dollar. Among his bargains: penny matches, chalk and a near-dead cricket---which is a whole other piece of radio for another day. But there was another great deal he discovered.

We ended the show today on The Current, with the one thing Vancouverites would probably pay quite a lot for these days.

Listen to The Current: Part 3

(Due to various rights issues some segments may be edited for internet use)

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