Ray Rogers, head of Corporate Campaign, Inc. offered this analysis:
"They are right at the top of the worst companies in the world, and yet they've created an image like they are American pie. When people think of Coca-Cola, they should think about great hardship and despair for people and communities around the world."
What are some of the hardships and despairs associated with Coca Cola?
India is the scene of some of Coke's most serious crimes.
In the remote village of Plachimada, Coke's $25 million bottling plant depleted the water wells of locals. Adding insult to injury, Coca Cola also distributed "free fertilizer" to indigenous farmers. The "fertilizer" was a by-product of its production process and was loaded with cadmium, a carcinogenic toxin. Locals staged an ongoing demonstration at the plant starting in 2002. In 2005 the Kerala State Pollution Control Board shut down the Coke facility.
A Coke plant in Mehdiganj has caused Indian citizens in twenty towns to face significant water scarcity with water tables dropping by 18 feet.
Pesticide levels in Coke produced in India average 25 times the maximum levels established by the Bureau of Indian Standards. As a result, the Indian state of Kerala has banned the sale of Coke.
It is instructive to note that the Bush administration, ever the corporate champion, dispatched U.S. Undersecretary for International Trade Franklin Lavin to issue this thinly veiled threat to India:
"In a time when India is working hard to attract and retain foreign investment, it would be unfortunate if the discussion were dominated by those who did not want to treat foreign companies fairly."
Yes, Franklin. It is indeed unfair that people in India don't want to drink pesticide to enhance Coke's profits. And Coca Cola thanks you for providing a return on its investment of $380,000.00 to the Bush presidential campaign in 2004.
In his April 2006 ZNet article, Sucking Communities Dry , Joe Zacune of War on Want wrote:
The company admits that without water it would have no business at all. Coca-Cola's operations rely on access to vast supplies of water, as it takes almost three litres of water to make one litre of Coca-Cola. In order to satisfy this need, Coca-Cola is increasingly taking over control of aquifers in communities around the world. These vast subterranean chambers hold water resources collected over many hundreds of years. As such they the represent the heritage of entire communities.
It is indeed ironic that the company that once used the tagline "Delicious, wholesome, thirst quenching" is depriving significant numbers of people around the globe of ready access to potable water.
And do the ends justify the means? To offset its theft and poisoning of water supplies, does Coca Cola create an elixir that benefits humanity in a substantial way? Hardly....
Here's to your (deteriorating) health...
Coca Cola easily dissolves tooth enamel. Its high phosphorus contact causes the depletion of calcium in the body. Calcium depletion increases the risk of osteoporosis in adults and of bone fractures in adolescents. As calcium leaves the body, it is often collected in the kidneys to form kidney stones. Coke can also impede proper digestion and exacerbate acid reflux.
"They are right at the top of the worst companies in the world, and yet they've created an image like they are American pie. When people think of Coca-Cola, they should think about great hardship and despair for people and communities around the world."
What are some of the hardships and despairs associated with Coca Cola?
India is the scene of some of Coke's most serious crimes.
A Coke plant in Mehdiganj has caused Indian citizens in twenty towns to face significant water scarcity with water tables dropping by 18 feet.
Pesticide levels in Coke produced in India average 25 times the maximum levels established by the Bureau of Indian Standards. As a result, the Indian state of Kerala has banned the sale of Coke.
It is instructive to note that the Bush administration, ever the corporate champion, dispatched U.S. Undersecretary for International Trade Franklin Lavin to issue this thinly veiled threat to India:
"In a time when India is working hard to attract and retain foreign investment, it would be unfortunate if the discussion were dominated by those who did not want to treat foreign companies fairly."
Yes, Franklin. It is indeed unfair that people in India don't want to drink pesticide to enhance Coke's profits. And Coca Cola thanks you for providing a return on its investment of $380,000.00 to the Bush presidential campaign in 2004.
In his April 2006 ZNet article, Sucking Communities Dry , Joe Zacune of War on Want wrote:
The company admits that without water it would have no business at all. Coca-Cola's operations rely on access to vast supplies of water, as it takes almost three litres of water to make one litre of Coca-Cola. In order to satisfy this need, Coca-Cola is increasingly taking over control of aquifers in communities around the world. These vast subterranean chambers hold water resources collected over many hundreds of years. As such they the represent the heritage of entire communities.
It is indeed ironic that the company that once used the tagline "Delicious, wholesome, thirst quenching" is depriving significant numbers of people around the globe of ready access to potable water.
And do the ends justify the means? To offset its theft and poisoning of water supplies, does Coca Cola create an elixir that benefits humanity in a substantial way? Hardly....
Here's to your (deteriorating) health...
Coca Cola easily dissolves tooth enamel. Its high phosphorus contact causes the depletion of calcium in the body. Calcium depletion increases the risk of osteoporosis in adults and of bone fractures in adolescents. As calcium leaves the body, it is often collected in the kidneys to form kidney stones. Coke can also impede proper digestion and exacerbate acid reflux.
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