On October 14^th, I attended the Toronto premiere of Water on the Table, a compelling film by Liz Marshall showcased at Planet in Focus — Toronto’s International Environmental Film & Video Festival. Water on the Table, features Canadian water activist Maude Barlow, the National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians. The documentary addresses some of Canada’s current water crises, while highlighting their global context.

Growing up in Northeastern Brazil, I can recall taking baths with buckets of bottled water, when our taps and showers ran dry. Before moving to Canada, nearly a decade ago, I believed water crises were limited to underdeveloped countries and it had never occurred to me that Canada, a freshwater-rich country, could ever face such issues.

But, this is far from the truth. In fact, Canada currently faces several issues over water use and conservation. In Water on the Table, Barlow explains how the Alberta Tar Sands use an incredible amount of water, daily, to separate the oil from the soil. As Chris Wood — author of Dry Spring: The Coming Water Crisis of North America — explains in a recent article for The Walrus, “for every barrel of crude extracted from the oil sands in its southeastern reaches, three more of water are pumped from rivers that flow into the Mackenzie.”

In addition to compromising our water supplies and wildlife, the Tar Sands have had devastating effects on its neighbouring communities. The health and wellbeing of residents of Fort Chipewyan in Northern Alberta have been greatly affected by the pollution of Lake Athabasca. According to Barlow, the only way to address this issue and to prevent further pollution and environmental degradation is to recognize the fundamental difference between a human need and a human right.

In Water on the Table, Barlow explains that if we define water as a human need, we allow it to be bought, bottled, sold and traded, whereas, if we define it as a human right, water cannot be privatized or denied. Thanks in great part to Barlow the United Nations General Assembly recently declared clean water and sanitation a human right.

On Sunday, I had the great pleasure of watching Liz Marshal receive the 2010 Planet in Focus Best Canadian Feature Film Award for Water on the Table, a well-deserved accolade.

The more I speak to other students at York about the lack of sustainable food on campus, the more confused I become. I continually hear pleas for more sustainable food- fair trade, local, organic or even just some options that have more than one natural ingredient. So, why aren't there more student run initiatives that provide what students have identified they want?

Well, part of the reasons is that York is a complex place; there are four different organizations on campus that handle food services. First of all, there is the student center, which is technically owned by students. This space, as I am sure you all have noticed, is filled with franchises that provide largely processed, unsustainable food. Part of the reason for this is because when those franchises became a part of our student space they were locked into incredibly long contracts so that we cannot replace them until we are done suffering through the legalities that were decided upon many years ago. The second food services operation is York Lanes which is owned by the York University Development Corporation and is actually a separate entity of the University. Schulich caters all of its own food services, but this is directly a part of York University's operations. Lastly, there is York Food Services which is currently being run by Aramark. These are the cafeterias that are run in common spaces like the TEL building, Stong College,  Central Square as well as other locations.

To be fair, there are a couple of great student run initiatives left on campus including The Absinthe Pub in Winters which is student run and now selling fair trade coffee (thank you winters!), as well as the Grad Lounge.  If you are looking for more information about food services at York, you should check out the Food Report that IRIS published in 2009- it has all of this information and more about campus food services.

As convoluted and depressing as this seems... do not despair! There is hope. There are people at York who are working to integrate sustainable foods onto campus. They are working for more fair trade, more organic foods, a stronger local presence, and for a space where students  can feel proud  purchasing food from their peers--- by running these spaces as student initiatives.

On October 29th, 2010 in the Founder's Assembly Hall these people will be gathering to educate, discuss and organize to make this happen at the Sustainable Purchasing Policies Conference. On the same day, there will also be a Fair Trade Fair in Central Square, Vari Hall, the Ross Link, and the Bear Pit. There will be Fair Trade vendors selling everything from chocolate to jewelery.

I, for one, am officially sick of Wendys. I sincerely hope to see you on October 29th.