> Water is a scarce resource. Water is not scarce! We got plenty. The model of water being a limited resource we have to save does not represent an economic reality. We have an entire planet worth of water and we are not shooting it out to space. We know how to use it, how to clean it, etc. We will never run out of water. We might run out of 'free' water, but thats the whole point of using a resource, consuming it.
If water isn't scarce, why complain that Coca-Cola is using so much?
I wonder what could someone extract from coca-cola for their own self interest.
> ...the company has permits for two wells to extract a total of 499,918 cubic meters of water per year, or 499.9 million liters. In 2016, the company extracted 78.8 percent of the permitted total. So the government gave Coke the permits, Coke used under 80% of the agreed amount, and now it's a crisis? It has the markings of some severe utilities planning blunder. > "The city has been growing significantly since the…
So the government gave Coke the permits, Coke used under 80% of the agreed amount, and now it's a crisis?
No - it's how these permits are allocated -- and who pulls the strings on those making these "decisions" -- that's the crisis.
If that's that case, what's stopping another company from selling bottled water today?
Um, the fact they would have to have deep wells to get any out of the ground, and that the water authority doesn't have any to extra water reserves to sell them. So, yea, it seems like there is quite a lot keeping competitors from selling products.
Sure, for now at least. Perhaps Coca-Cola is thinking longer term, or perhaps they are just doing what has worked for them elsewhere.
But if something changes the water shortage, either environmental or technological, then Coca-Cola is still in a good position.
> The water isn't safe to drink, and Coke can be cheaper than milk or formula, so many moms feed their babies Coke instead [1]. So, the unsafe water, gets treated, margin added and still cheaper as coke than local drinkable water. Not sure what to say at this.
On its face, it seems like it cannot be true. The main ingredient in Coca-Cola is filtered water. If Coke is cheaper than water in these communities, then why isn't the company selling bottled water for the same price? Their bottling and distribution costs would be the same, while the cost of ingredients would decrease . It makes no economic sense for Coca-Cola to not sell bottled water in this context. Lacking an ec…
Coca-cola is selling bottled water in Mexico.
They sell it under the brand Agua Ciel. It's the biggest bottled water provider in Mexico.
Keep in mind that everyone in Mexico uses bottled water. The tap water is not safe to drink.
> Why isn't water priced accordingly? Are you OK with your family dying of thirst if you can't pay for water?
It beats my family dying of thirst because of government policy - enforced by legions of armed agents, if necessary - prevents my access to it. If the price of water is artificially set below market value, then demand is higher and supply is lower than it would otherwise be. If it costs $3 / gallon to transport water to where I live, and the government sets the price of water at $2 / gallon, guess what? No one transp…
What if nobody needs to die of thirst because drinking water is considered an inalienable right?
> ...the company has permits for two wells to extract a total of 499,918 cubic meters of water per year, or 499.9 million liters. In 2016, the company extracted 78.8 percent of the permitted total. So the government gave Coke the permits, Coke used under 80% of the agreed amount, and now it's a crisis? It has the markings of some severe utilities planning blunder. > "The city has been growing significantly since the…
> d it shouldn't be for armchair economists thousands of miles away to decide.
For someone who's critical of Armchair economists, you certainly are doing just that yourself in your post. And people thousands of miles away are able to discern whats morally right, and whats morally wrong. Your post reads like you are on the coke PR team.
This. > We in the developed world enjoy a dream-like existence few in the whole of human history have ever known. You just have to ask yourself; how many of my ancestors were able to afford a hot shower in the morning and you begin to realize, how mind-fuckingly amazing the life we have actually is. Thanks for putting it into words.
That's no excuse for locking a child in a closet. Your ancestors may not have had hot showers or supermarkets but the children would either be with their parents or roaming free. A kid helping farm is better off in so many ways than one trapped in a tiny room.
I was surprised to hear people compare being locked in a closet with agrarian life.
> The water isn't safe to drink, and Coke can be cheaper than milk or formula, so many moms feed their babies Coke instead [1]. So, the unsafe water, gets treated, margin added and still cheaper as coke than local drinkable water. Not sure what to say at this.
On its face, it seems like it cannot be true. The main ingredient in Coca-Cola is filtered water. If Coke is cheaper than water in these communities, then why isn't the company selling bottled water for the same price? Their bottling and distribution costs would be the same, while the cost of ingredients would decrease . It makes no economic sense for Coca-Cola to not sell bottled water in this context. Lacking an ec…
I live in California, and I travel to Mexico occasionally. It is not uncommon, in my experience, to find vendors selling bottles of water that are simply bottles fished out of the trash and filled with tap water. As a tourist, I try to avoid this scam by drinking liquids that are easier to recognize as genuine. I'm not sure how much this contributes to a general societal influence towards non-water beverages though.