We need clean water not only to sustain ourselves, but also for other basic necessities such as farming and sanitation.

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More economic development would produce the money to help clean the now foul water and air, but also provide access to better education, one of the best ways to assure more manageable birth rates.

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Communities around the world are affected by the manufacturing of these products, not only because they are growing ever fatter as a result of so much sugar in their lives, but also because the use of water for sugar drinks means communities often go without clean drinking water (which Coke and other companies then sells to them as bottled water).

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The introduction of rehydration salts 20 years ago had had a significant impact, he said, but again there were problems with access in developing countries, where there was also no guarantee of clean water to prepare them for use.

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