The myth of water abundance is back! Thanks to the Fraser Institute…

For some time now Canadian academics and policy makers have been trying to kill the idea that water is abundant. But the myth persists.

The latest go-round comes from the Fraser Institute, who recently released this report (PDF) on Canada’s water. The report was complemented by a much shorter press release that you can read here.

It is the kind of report that makes several classic mistakes:

First, it doesn’t once mention First Nations, or the fact that there is a major discrepancy between the water availability and quality between First Nations and the rest of Canada.

Second, you won’t find the words ecology or groundwater anywhere.

Third, it generalizes away local problems by appealing to national statistics. So total water use for, say, energy is but a fraction of the total water in Canada. Sure, but is it a small fraction of the places where that water comes from?

These are just a few of the many errors in the report.

This report is the kind you wish will get shelved somewhere. It may be worth an op-ed rebuttal if it gets any media attention…which it should not.