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The End of the Era of Cheap Water?

Water shortages are becoming a problem everywhere, and companies are taking note. So how should we value water? And is the answer in trading it as a commodity?

Water shortages are becoming a problem everywhere, and companies are taking note. So how should we value water? Is the answer in trading it as a commodity? Dan Crossley, Executive Director at the UK-based not-for-profit the Food Ethics Council tells us how the food industry is one of the biggest consumers of water. Dr Peter Gleick, President of the Pacific Institute and a renowned authority on water issues, debates the feasability of trading water as a global commodity with Richard Sandor, CEO of Environmental Financial Products, the company that helped develop carbon trading. And speaking of shortages, James Hassam, the 大象传媒's Ethiopia correspondent, considers a shortage of imported butter in the capital Addis Ababa.

(Photo credit: Getty)

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18 minutes

Last on

Thu 7 Aug 2014 07:32GMT

Broadcast

  • Thu 7 Aug 2014 07:32GMT

Podcast