Nov 3, 2026

Earth for Sale

The Fight to Stop the Last Plunder of the Commons

Maude Barlow

Hosted by Peter Astras

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Summary

In this episode, I had the privilege of speaking with Maude Barlow, who has spent decades at the center of the global water justice movement. She is the honorary chairperson of the Council of Canadians, a co-founder of the Blue Planet Project, and served as senior advisor on water to the president of the United Nations General Assembly, where she helped win the 2010 resolution recognizing water as a human right. She has written or co-written nearly twenty books, including Blue Gold, Blue Covenant, and Still Hopeful. Her latest book, Earth for Sale: The Fight to Stop the Last Plunder of the Commons, was published by ECW Press in 2026.

Most of us agree the natural world is in crisis. Barlow's prescient warning is about who we are trusting to fix it. Governments, claiming they cannot afford conservation on their own, are inviting the same energy, chemical, agribusiness, and bottled water corporations that caused the damage to manage the recovery. On the theory that the best way to save nature is to put a price on it. Behind friendly terms like "nature-based solutions" and "ecosystem services" lies a fast-growing market in carbon credits, debt-for-nature swaps, biodiversity offsets, conservation bonds, and water futures. Drawing on detailed examples from around the world, Barlow argues that this financialization of nature is a false solution. It is one that too few people, including many environmentalists, have noticed, and she makes the case for keeping the stewardship of the commons in public and community hands.

Our conversation ranges from the rights of nature movement and the trouble with carbon trading to the new colonialism of finance conservation, the global water wars, and why, after a lifetime of activism, she still believes hope is a moral imperative. As I mention in the episode, what struck me even before we spoke is how well researched the book is, with every issue illuminated clearly and backed by a wide array of sources. It is one reason I am passionate about people reading it. Please enjoy getting to learn more about Maude and her work in this interview.