Book Description
In this groundbreaking book, veteran science correspondent Fred Pearce travels to more than thirty countries to examine the current state of crucial water sources. Deftly weaving together the complicated scientific, economic, and historic dimensions of the world water crisis, he provides our most complete portrait yet of this growing danger and its ramifications for us all.
"A strongâand scaryâcase that a worldwide water shortage is the most fearful looming environmental crisis. With a drumbeat of facts both horrific (thousands of wells in India and Bangladesh are poisoned by fluoride and arsenic) and fascinating (it takes 20 tons of water to make one pound of coffee), the former New Scientist news editor documents a 'kind of cataclysm' already affecting many of the world's great rivers."
âPublishers Weekly, starred review
"Oil we can replace. Water we can'tâwhich is why this book is both so ominous and so important."
âBill McKibben, author of The End of Nature
"An enriching and farsighted work."
âJai Singh, San Francisco Chronicle
"Pearce cogently presents the alarming ways in which this ecological emergency is affecting population centers, human health, food production, wildlife habitats, and species viability. Having crisscrossed the globe to research the economic, scientific, cultural, and political causes and ramifications of this under publicized tragedy, Pearce's powerful imagery, penetrating analyses, and passionate advocacy make this required reading for environmental proponents and civic leaders everywhere."
âBooklist
"If you want to quickly get up to date on climate change and its consequences, I recommend With Speed and Violence: Why Scientists Fear Tipping Points in Climate Change. If you can read only one book on climate change, this is it."
âLester Brown, president, Earth Policy Institute
". . . perhaps it is time for you to spend some time with Fred Pearce and his wonderful When the Rivers Run Dry."
âDaily Kos, July Review
Fred Pearce has been writing about water issues for over twenty years. A former news editor at New Scientist and currently its environment and development consultant, he has also written for Audubon, Popular Science, Time, the Boston Globe, and Natural History. His books include With Speed and Violence, Turning Up the Heat, and Deep Jungle.
Customer Reviews:
Just as scary as global warming.......2007-09-10
I read this book back to back with the author's book on global warming, With Speed and Violence, and I was very impressed with the way both books cover all the bases in concise, thorough chapters that are compelling and engrossing, not just because of the interesting subject matter, but because the author is a terrific writer who knows how to clearly present the science while telling a good story. Although climate change has the potential to remake our planet in the longer term, water scarcity has the potential to affect hundreds of millions of people's lives in the shorter term, yet it doesn't get as much coverage in the media. So I was glad to come across Pearce's book, and I hope it brings more attention to this important issue.
No Notes,No Sources, Sadly Flawed.......2007-08-10
This is a fascinating story, it really is. But how much is true, how much is exaggerated, how much is down right false? The author left no way to verify what he reports, not even his own research notes. I personally believe the main theme of disappearing water supplies due to watering of thirsty high yield crops. But I certainly wouldn't use Pearce's specific facts without double checking them. Too bad, it is a very readable book with many possible insights. If his sources had been included this would easily be a 5+ book.
A Wonderful Book........2007-06-18
I used this book in my water resource and policy class during the spring semester of 07. If you've ever truly wanted to understand what one of the largest dilemmas mankind is going to have to face in the coming years, then you should read this book! The author breaks down water in our world in a very detailed manner. One can understand ancient water history, why much of the world is suffering from a water crisis, how much water affluent life styles use, and get a feel for modern water wars in our world. This book alosm makes a great reference for interesting statistics and figures.
Water Facts, a new understanding.......2007-06-12
This book is an easy read, one you won't want to put down. The author traveled extensively while researching his topic and does an excellent job warning the rest of us of another approaching crisis.
Living in the Western world causes me to take clean water for granted. After reading, "When the Rivers Run Dry", I now realize that water is a very precious and scarce commodity in some other parts of the world and this precious commodity is running low, aquifers are drying up. This book illustrates the importance of wetlands and the far ranging impact to the populations living there, but the wetlands are being destroyed. The rivers are being dammed up and their silt rich outflows don't even make it to the ocean any more. Centuries old wells are drying out and the implications to all this will be future wars and aggressions by governments all over the world.
Facts and prose together.......2007-06-01
This book in FUN to read. Forget that the subject is a looming catastrophe, and that the author has done beautiful step by step research, it's really fun to read. AlGore should make this his next movie.
Every kid in the world should read this in Social Studie classes along with Howard Kuenstler's The Long Emergency and then their might be hope for future generation af mankind. If we go on as we are, it's over.
Book Description
An International Rivers Network Book
translated by Nancy Yang Lui and Lawrence R. Sullivan
China's Water Crisis (Zhongguo shui weiji) is the most comprehensive, authoritative, and up-to-date-source of information on the enormous water resource crisis confronting the People's Republic of China. The author describes in great detail the floods, water scarcity, and pollution problems existing in all seven of China's major drainage basins—large and small—and proposes workable solutions for sustainable management.
Of greatest concern to Mr. Ma is the condition of China's two major rivers, the Yellow and the Yangzi. The very existence of the Yellow River is threatened by massive reductions in water flow caused by a variety of man-made programs while chronic soil erosion resulting from defor-estation together with dam construction has led to a cycle of flood and drought in the Yangzi River basin. The same issues are reflected in China's smaller rivers. Mr. Ma documents the persistent drought conditions in the southeast, the impact of pollutants on the Tibetan plateau, the defects in China's large-scale reservoirs, steadily diminishing underground water tables, and the growing abuse of aquifers for urbanization and industrialization.
Despite his alarming findings, Mr. Ma feels that there is hope if major remedial programs are put in place very soon. Otherwise, he paints a compelling picture of a nation which will experience—over the next several decades—dramatic deterioration in its clean water.
Book Description
Always Be Prepared
What if your life was disrupted by a natural disaster, food or water supply contamination, or any other type of emergency? Do you have the essentials for you and your family? Do you have a plan in the event that your power, telephone, water and food supply are cut off for an extended amount of time? What if there were no medical or pharmaceutical services available for days, weeks, or months? How prepared are you?
With this guide by your side, you and your family will learn how to plan, purchase, and store a three-month supply of all the necessities—food, water, fuel, first-aid supplies, clothing, bedding, and more—simply and economically. In other words, this book may be a lifesaver.
Inside you'll find 10 steps to an affordable food storage program plus how to:
·Prepare a home "grocery store" and "pharmacy"
·Use what you store and store what you use
·Store water safely and provide for sanitation needs
·Create a first-aid kit, car kit, and 72-hour emergency kit for the whole family
·And many more invaluable hints and tips
"This clear, concise, step-by-step program is not only affordable and doable, it's essential in these uncertain times. Now, everyone from apartment dwellers to basement owners can store a three-month supply of the essentials, including peace of mind!"
— Joni Hilton, author of Once-a-Week Cooking Plan and Cooking Secrets My Mother Never Taught Me
Customer Reviews:
Helpful, but not quite enough.......2007-10-18
I've read this, and continue to use it as a reference. While it has a breadth of information useful for planning, what I really missed is a very detailed list of shelf-life for various foods. There are generalized numbers for general food categories, but I'd like much more. If you are truly planning for an emergency, you'll need more than just this book.
Everyone should have this book!.......2006-11-10
This is a very helpful book that everyone should have!
Book does exactly what the title says........2006-11-03
Just like the title says the book is full of hints to store food for a crisis. There are a number of excellent hints such as storing food that you would normally eat and turning over your stored food through your regular eating habits. The book also mentions having emergency clothing, food and water packed and ready to go because when a crisis occurs there will likely be no time to pack up supplies. You want something you can just grab on the way out the door. Hurricane Katrina is a good example. Having emergency supplies in your car is another excellent idea. Time and again we read about families being stranded without adequate clothing, food and water. Finally, one of the best ideas is to always have a ready store of hundreds of dollars in cash on hand.
Disaster Preparedness Books.......2006-10-05
If you're like I was, you're looking through the various disaster preparedness books wondering which one is best. I have worked my way through 7 of the most popular books and offer a shared review of all of them here. I hope this comparison helps you make a decision.
Book 1: Crisis Preparedness by Jack A. Spigarelli
Like many of the disaster preparedness books, this one begins by answering the question, "Why bother being prepared?" It also outlines a framework for being prepared that includes accumulating supplies, getting mentally and physically prepared, and having your finances in order. One thing I particularly liked was the emphasis on the importance of knowledge. It wasn't just about what items you need, but also what skills and knowledge you should develop. But this book is mostly about food preparation for a major disaster, with emphasis on having a year's food storage, milling your own grain, growing sprouts, home canning, dehydrating, freeze-drying, etc. There are detailed tables showing the calories of various foods including their protein, fat, and carbs. The final third of the book offers advice on other topics, including weapons, hand tools, clothing, energy, medical, sanitation, transportation, communications, and home preparation. The book concludes with a list of recommended books and a brief listing of companies that sell disaster preparation items. Overall, this is a very good preparedness book. I probably should have given it 5 stars, but I thought it went a bit overboard on the food plan. That said, it is the most comprehensive of the preparedness books.
Book 2: Preparedness Now! By Aton Edwards
This is another thorough disaster preparedness book, one that focuses more on emergency situations (fire, chemical attack, etc.). It is organized into brief chapters (some only a few pages) on a variety of important topics, including: water, food, shelter, sanitation, communication, transportation, and protection. It is also filled with many packing lists detailing what you should get in preparation. It introduces the e-kit (a very lightweight kit to keep with you) and grab-n-go bag with more extensive items. Final chapters of the book discuss various possible disasters, including earthquakes, tsunami, infectious diseases, chemical and bio warfare, crime, fire, and extreme weather. Some of the commentary is a bit questionable, but the technical content is good. Note the deficiency with this book is that it does not offer any detail on food storage.
Book 3: Disaster Preparedness for Dummies
First of all, this isn't a book. It's a DVD video. I wasn't paying attention when I bought it, and was a bit surprised when it arrived. I generally like the Dummies series. They are well researched and serve as a good summary. This DVD offers a lengthy video discussing many disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, etc.), briefly outlining how you might prepare for them. It also has an overview of how you should react in case of a terrorist attack (nuclear, chemical, and biological). But the advice is all very general, and is more like what you'd expect to hear from your local weather station. For example, the video repeatedly advises you to "stay calm" and "evaucate in an orderly fashion." The videos are high quality, but don't expect detailed outdoor survival tips or food storage suggestions. Everything presented is relevant and useful, but it feels more like a FEMA public service announcement.
Book 4: Emergency Food Storage and Survival Handbook by Peggy Layton
This book is broken into six main sections. The first section offers decent but very incomplete summaries on preparing for short-term emergencies. The second section discusses how to store and purify water. The third part talks about the logistics of setting up a food-storage program, and has some suggestions on how to store food. The fourth section details what types of foods you should store. The fifth section has blank inventory planning pages. And finally the last section has some recipes. About half of the 285 page book is either blank planning pages or simple recipes. The first half of the book is pretty good stuff, but I found this book to be incomplete. It does however offer some good advice on food storage.
Book 5: Organize for Disaster by Judith Kolberg
This book goes an entirely different direction than the other preparedness books. Emphasis is on understanding the federal resources (i.e. FEMA, Red Cross, etc.) available, creating a personal intelligence network, organizing essential documents, maintaining insurance coverage, listing a home inventory, preparing your house for disaster, basic first aid, and having a good family communication plan. There is also a good list of necessary items to have on hand that would suit many common disaster. I recommend this book for its common-sense look at disaster preparedness. However, it is not the only book you would need, because it doesn't detail food storage, water purification, heating, etc.. That said, it covers some topics that the other books overlook.
Book 6: Making the Best of Basics, Family Preparedness Handbook by James Talmage Stevens
This book is almost completely about in-home food storage and preparation. There is little discussion outside that (except for basic water issues). Many chapters discuss food in significant detail, to include things like grains, recipes, preparing sourdough breads/biscuits, dairy products, honey, sprouting, drying of fruits/vegetables. At the end of this book is a huge compendium of preparedness resources, telling where things can be purchased in every US state.
Book 7: No Such Thing as Doomsday, by Philip L. Hoag, revised in 2001
This book offers well-researched insights into disaster preparedness. Topics include water, food, heating/cooking, light, power, communications, medical, sanitation, and security. Those subjects are well done. However, much of the book reads like a bit of doomsday prediction, with many pages devoted to scaring the heck out of the reader... focusing on missile attacks, chemical dangers, nuclear war, radiation, decontamination, communist threat, etc. For me personally, I would have like to see more pages devoted to likely threats (e.g. hurricanes, floods, earthquake, blackout, fire, etc.). Also note that Amazon may not carry the latest version (updated in 2001), so you may want to buy directly from the author.
Overall, if you can only purchase three books, I would recommend Book 5, Book 6, and either Book 1, 2 or 7. With those three, you should have a balanced look at common sense organizing, food storage, and emergency items to have on hand. If you can buy only one book, I recommend Book 1.
I've created a useful disaster preparedness list for your automobile on my Amazon author blog (just click on my name above the review).
Written by Arthur Bradley, author of "Process of Elimination" - an intense thriller in which a martial artist, a greedy corporate attorney, and a conspiracy theorist try to stop a world-class sniper out to shape the next Presidential election.
Please be kind enough to indicate if reviews are helpful.
basic start.......2006-09-12
I found the book informative but a little on the basic side. It would be good if it gave a more indepth list on individual storage times for foods.
Book Description
Former Senator Paul Simon delivers stirring eveidence of a catastrophic water crisis which will explode upon the global community unless drastic measures are taken in all corners of the world, including in our own backyards.
Customer Reviews:
A Powerful Call to Action.......2001-11-28
Wnen it comes to water and environmental issues, the United States looks much more like a third world banana republic than a first-world, top-of-the-heap military and economic superpower. Years ago, former US senator Paul Simon alerted our government to a problem that could be mankind's undoing: the uneven distribution and wasteful consumption of water for agriculture, industry, and urban consumers across the nation and the greater world. His book, Tapped Out not only explains the problems associated with world supply, it also engages the average the person to contribute to the solution.
Water is the only resource for which there is no substitute. The world's water resources are plagued with a great variety of problems, and they typically fall into one of five broad groups- availability, quantity, quality, distribution, and competing agendas. Rich countries are increasingly finding themselves pitted against poor countries for limited water resources. In many instances, large and wasteful consumers are taking needed, precious quantities from others to slake their insatiable demand. Furthermore, more societies are reaching farther and farther to acquire this precious and critical resource.
Tapped Out has a number of favorable attributes. The book introduces the reader to the problem in an easy to understand manner. All technical terms are clearly defined as they are presented, and the book succeeds immensely in achieving its stated goal- eliciting the reader's interest in water issues. Moreover, Mr. Simon goes beyond lamenting the situation, and offers practical solutions to the problem. Finally, Mr. Simon shows the reader how the average person can be part of the solution to the problem. The reader is not left feeling overwhelmed and powerless in the face of the sheer magnitude of the problem. As such, the book is a good call to action overall.
However, there are a few moderate demerits, primarily structural, to the text. First, Mr. Simon cites too many examples in the first half of the text. These examples, while informative, come one after another and at times made the reading rather plodding. Instead, each major point should have been isolated, described in general terms, and then two to three examples which elaborate on each point should have been cited. That way, the reader gets a true sense of the problem while at the same time learning and more importantly retaining the pertinent facts. Second, the book relies too much on text, making the book very monotonous at times. Pictures would have added considerable value to the text. In addition a global map that explicitly displayed the distribution of the world's water resources, as well as the areas where water shortages are a problem, would also have been helpful. Moreover, the inclusion of graphs depicting trends in population, water supply and water consumption would also have been useful. Finally, future editions of the text should include a more balanced discussion of the technical challenges associated with water purification, desalination, and energy requirements and costs.
While I agree in principle with many of the points that Mr. Simon raises in his book, I have very strong reservations about Mr. Simon's solution to the water supply problem. Unfortunately, American bays, coastlines, rivers and lakes have earned the dubious distinction of becoming our nation's `Great Toilet'. Mr. Simon has very high hopes that one day in the near future, we will desalinate the dirty water from this make-shift natural toilet for the purposes of human consumption and agricultural production.
Given the current state of the art, it may not be possible to use reclaimed water or seawater on any appreciable scale to avert water shortages. Traditionally, wastewater treatment is used to bring microbial and organic loads down to a `safe' level so that the wastewater can be discharged to natural water systems. These natural systems then do the rest, primarily via dilution, entrapment, and degradation processes. Considering the deplorable state of the nation's waterways and coastlines, a desalination plant on the coast would have to be immediately adjacent to and downstream of a wastewater treatment plant. Moreover, each step in the process would create waste- effluents that would either have to be disposed of or put in some way to use. Finally, the process would also require a dedicated energy source. Desalination schemes currently require large amounts of energy for their operation, and as they are envisioned, will require huge energy input. As such, I am afraid that these schemes will ultimately play into the already strong hand of the energy companies. Solar energy, while a possibility, depends on area, and a given area, usually quite large, is required to satisfy a very limited water demand. Should demand increase, one would have very little maneuvering room when looking to scale up a solar-driven process. Therefore, solar-driven processes may be extremely limited, leaving only fossil fuels and nuclear power to provide the necessary energy. As a result, the cost of desalinated water if deployed on a large scale would inevitably track the cost of energy very closely. Thus, I suspect that energy companies are salivating at the prospect of such large-scale desalination schemes becoming reality.
In conclusion, this book, along with J R McNeil's Something New Under the Sun, has forced me to seriously consider the social, ecological, and environmental consequences associated with the adoption and deployment of any techno-economic process. After reading this book, I am now one more person who is strongly motivated to work towards a practical solution to a problem that affects all of us in the global community.
A compilation of quotes.......2000-04-05
"Tapped Out" is a good primer for those just beginning to study the issue of water scarcity, but there is little new in the book. Simon has taken quotes from news articles and studies and compiled them into a fairly credible call for action, however most of the information he references in the book dates from the early to mid-90s and is pulled from news sources. He calls for more development of desalinization technologies and more conservation, but his suggestions lack insight into the biggest problem facing the world--too many people seeking the good life where adequate water is taken for granted. In the US, where the problem is related to a growing population, and primarily to the country's addiction to water-wasting recreation and industry, he addresses water restriction almost as an afterthought. "Tapped Out" should be just the beginning of an investigation into the future of a thirsty world.
Finally,dams are being removed.......1999-06-03
Some progress in saving water resources is being made by removing dams-up to & including Glen Canyon Dam. Follow Simon's requests--last 3 pages-take action,this forboding crisis will be exacerbated by Y2K....
Book Description
Throughout history water has confronted humanity with some of its greatest challenges. Water is a source of life and a natural resource that sustains our environments and supports livelihoods - but it is also a source of risk and vulnerability. In the early 21st Century, prospects for human development are threatened by a deepening global water crisis. Debunking the myth that the crisis is the result of scarcity, this report argues poverty, power and inequality are at the heart of the problem.
*Investigates the underlying causes and consequences of a crisis that leaves 1.2 billion people without access to safe water and 2.6 billion without access to sanitation
*Examines the social and economic forces that are driving water shortages and marginalizing the poor in agriculture and examines the scope for international cooperation to resolve cross-border tensions in water management
*Includes special contributions from Gordon Brown and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, President Lula, President Carter, and the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan.
Average customer rating:
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When the Rivers Run Dry: Journeys Into the Heart of the World's Water Crisis
Fred Pearce
Manufacturer: Key Porter Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Environmental Science
| Earth Sciences
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Rivers
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General
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Conservation
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ASIN: 1552637417 |
Book Description
Nothing seems more abundant than water. In fact, the world is confronting a global water shortage that could make the oil crisis trivial by comparison. To put the problem in perspective, it takes a staggering 11,000 litres of water to feed the cow it takes to make one McDonald's quarter pounder. As Fred Pearce warns, "The planet is running out of water." Many of the world's most powerful rivers have been so devastated by consumption and irrigation drain-off that they no longer reach the sea. Two-thirds of all the world's supply of water is used to irrigate crops. It takes enough water to fill one hundred bathtubs to irrigate the cotton fields required to make one t-shirt. When the Rivers Run Dry is a journey into the world water crisis. Internationally acclaimed environmental writer and water authority Pearce traverses the globe in this eye-opening portrait of what is fast becoming the planet's most serious potential catastrophe. From Canada and Texas to India and Palestine, Pearce examines in fascinating and compelling detail how galloping, un-regulated consumption, economic greed and political indifference are putting the world's water systems at grave risk. As important, the implications of a shortage will have--in fact, already have had--profound and serious consequences on the fragile international political situation. Though the warning signs are dire, Pearce passionately contends that they point to the solutions that will avert the crisis and put the world on the path of sustained and renewable consumption. It's a challenge we cannot afford to ignore.
Book Description
What do Chris, the narrator, and his two travel buddies, Seb and Leo, have in common with Cuba, Israel, Turkey, and Bulgaria, the main countries they encounter in Bottled Water? They all are in the midst of a profound transition. Right after graduating university the three guys set off for Thailand, where their outlooks on the world and life will, unknown to them, change forever. Soon after the inspirational trip to Asia, Chris finds himself mired in the drudgery of a broken relationship and the relentless nightmare of his career in the financial world. When Chris and his friends figure out how to break away from their jobs and travel again, they are granted another chance to seek out the truth about love, job fulfillment, and the common threads woven through human lives everywhere. The turmoil they witness first-hand in these intense countries and the resulting adventures end up being their ultimate teacher. Bottled Water is replete with wonderment, passion, comedy, and challenges to the human heart of some of the world's most difficult conflicts.
Customer Reviews:
La aventura de los viajes!.......2007-01-10
Me pareció un libro muy rico y interesante, donde se puede no solo descubrir distintas realidades del mundo, pero también conocer el estilo de viajar y de con-vivir de un equipo muy bien equipajado!!! Es apasionante la manera del autor de pasar a hablar de descricciones muy dettalladas de ambientes y hechos a estados de animo personales intimos que el lector puede apriciar con la misma humildad con la que fueron pensados!Lo aconsejo a todos aquellos que quieren hacer un viaje, por lo menos virtual, alrededor del mundo, no pèrdiendo nunca de vista el sano divertimento, la pasion de descubrir y un gramo de locura...que va siempre bien!!!
Bottled Water............2006-11-08
Sometimes literature can vividly evoke an image of a time, place, or city, stirring up the desire to visit and track down distant locations and adventure. Have you ever entertained the idea of taking a prolonged sabbatical from your job or day to day grind to circle the world? The author of Bottled Water does just that and he is able to conceptualize the meaning of journey based on location and situation. Here is something novel to think about. Let us suppose for a moment that we all have the time and ability to travel around the world in search of something but you don't know what that something is. How would you go about doing this, what would you search for, what would you discover about yourself and those around you? During the voyages of bottled water, we witness lost love, unforgettable scenes, and situations that are thought provoking while others perhaps humorous. A great read!
Life is Adventure; Live it!.......2006-10-20
Most of us only dare to dream of chucking the 9 to 5 gigs for world travel and more importantly, adventure. What Chris and his two friends find while they are away is more than a vacation but nothing short of life lived to its fullest.
I enjoyed reading the book because it caused me to ache for my lost youth. I realized that the adventure of life is somewhere between what you actually do everyday and what you dream of doing everyday. If you are still stirred by travel to far away lands and the mystery of meeting new people, you will love this thrill ride!
Wow! What a book........2006-10-19
Fantastic depiction of the trips all of us take when young and in search of ourselves. The author and his crew were lucky to have such action packed travels to far away places and cultures, traditions and realities. I liked the way each place was presented and how the best features were emphasized. It doesn't sound the trips were well planned so the spontaneity of events keeps the reader on the edge of his seat. I like the open mind of the crew and how they land at places without any prejudice and feel of American superiority. Very often we all see how Americans are very close minded and opinionated when they set foot across the Atlantic or Pacific and how they make fools of themselves when something not related to the Yankees or Lakers is discussed. The World is not flat and it certainly does not look like a Wal-mart parking lot. I liked the author as he escapes from this well familiar stereotype. I certainly hope he has more coming!!!
Laughter, tears, excitement, foreign places.......2006-10-11
Bottled Water is a novel that makes the countries we read about in the news real and vivid to us, and it makes us laugh, cry a little, and pause for thought about the lives of others, whether in Cuba, Israel, Turkey, or the more off-beat location of Bulgaria. Somehow, the main character gets himself adopted by local families in these countries to see and feel how they live, and he and "the brotherhood" (the other multicultural Americans in their mid-twenties he travels with) also manage to get into exotic and exciting adventures from the Full Moon Party in Thailand to meeting a multi-millionaire with body guards up close in Bulgaria. And throughout is woven a thread of love. This book is fresh and entertaining!
Book Description
This book shows why the protesters are wrong and how more reforms could save the millions of lives and improve the lives of hundred of others.
Average customer rating:
- Well-Presented Material
- Truths, lies, and myths surrounding a range of water issues
- For water ignorants
- Most amazing book series ever by a business person
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Troubled Water: Saints, Sinners, Truth And Lies About The Global Water Crisis
Anita Roddick ,
Brooke Shelby Biggs ,
Robert F., Jr. Kennedy ,
Vandana Shiva ,
Maude Barlow , and
Tony Clarke
Manufacturer: Chelsea Green Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
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The Hospital by the River: A Story of Hope
ASIN: 095439593X |
Book Description
Around the world, one billion people lack access to clean water. Droughts, floods, and waterborne diseases kill tens, perhaps hundreds, of millions of people (mostly children) every year. And huge multinational corporations see a profit opportunity unparalleled even by oil or gold. From Bolivia to Britain, water supplies are being privatized and sold for profit, cutting millions off from the single most crucial human need. Meanwhile, consumers in industrialized countries such as Italy, Britain, Australia, and the United States eagerly drink millions of liters of bottled water every day--some of which is less pure than the stuff flowing from their taps at home--at a cost of about one thousand times what tap water costs. In America, beef-flavored bottled water for dogs is sold; in Nigeria, you can buy a bottle of water guaranteed to make men more virile. Why are the politics of water so skewed, and whatÂ's being done about it? This book explores the problems and the solutions, and provides resources for ordinary readers to get involved.
Customer Reviews:
Well-Presented Material.......2006-02-21
I found this book to be a very compelling source of information about our Global water crisis. It presented information in formats that are very clear and to the point. It illustrates quite well the tug-of-war going on today between corporations that sell bottled water and/or soft drinks and the people of countries who desperately need that water at low prices. This book defines water's critical role in the network of the earth's resources and how clean water should be the right of all human beings, not a commodity purchased by corporations and sold at huge profits. A must read!
Truths, lies, and myths surrounding a range of water issues.......2005-02-10
Anita Roddick is both an entrepreneur and an activist and in Troubled Water: Saints, Sinners, Truth And Lies About The Global Water Crisis, informatively surveys the issues involved in worldwide potable water availability, from the politics of water distribution and water quality to global warming and bottled water myths. Essays from Greenpeace, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and others, outline truths, lies, and myths surrounding a range of world water issues.
For water ignorants.......2004-10-15
This book could well be termed Water 101, but if you have been interested in water for more than a day, it is likely you already know more than what is inside. Besides, the information is poorly displayed in my opinion.
Most amazing book series ever by a business person.......2004-10-01
Troubled Water is part of an amazing library of books Anita Roddick, global entrepreneur and founder of Body Shop, has spent much of the last 3 years authoring and is publishing simultaneously.
Troubled Water is likely to have extraordinary consequences for global corporations in the water and soft drinks industries. For years, this sector has been asked by poor countries to collaborate responsibly and not to try to take over water in countries where cumulatively a billion people already have no fresh water access. As the author of World Class Brands 15 years ago, and a marketer ashamed to agree with most of Naomi Klein's charges of how much badwill global marketing has needlessly compounded over the last decade and a half, it will need a heroic and deeply human response from the likes of Coca-Cola if it is to remain in top 10 global branding lists 5 years out.
It is fitting that within days of the publication of Troubled Water, the president of the World Bank has declared a war on global poverty. Over in Britain, from where I submit this review, you can be assured that Water will be the main activist theme aligning 20000 concerned people converging for the European Social Forum (October 2004), and celebrating the Brazilian led launch of the International Free Water Academy. It is time the people of the world took back the branding of the humanity of water, and 2005 is a year jammed full of large scale change networking events, each of which will pay special tribute to water as a symbol of human freedom. Troubled Water is a book of our times, the start of an activepeace movement as well as with your and my god's blessings a whirlwind contributor to James Wolfesohn's war on poverty. It would be fitting to pay tribute to his and Anita's common sense of humanity and water with the way the World Bank declares our future's interdependence at every locality of the globe:
"The big issue of our time is global security. At present, we view it mostly through the lens of Baghdad or Beslan. While we certainly have to deal with these and other immediate concerns, by far, the greatest potential source of instability on our planet today is poverty, and the hopelessness and despair that it brings to so many in our world. Sixty years ago, the world recognized the need to bring hope to the millions of people left in shattered nations after World War II, and the World Bank was created to help them rebuild their lives. Its mission today remains as critical as it was then, if not more so. It is in all our best interests to help countries that struggle with crushing poverty to take basic steps, such as getting boys and girls into school; preventing diseases like H.I.V./AIDS, malaria and diarrhea; protecting our forests and oceans; and removing obstacles to trade so that poor farmers can get their products to market. Helping poor countries develop in this way is not merely the right thing to do ( though, of course, it is): investing in development is the safe thing to do. My generation did not grow up thinking this way. We thought there were two worlds - the haves and the have-nots - and that they were, for the most part, quite separate. That was wrong then. It is even more wrong now. The wall that many of us imagined as separating the rich countries from the poor countries came down on Sept. 11, 2001. We are linked now in so many ways: by economics and trade, migration, environment, disease, drugs and conflict. In our world of six billion people, one billion have 80 percent of the world's GDP, while the other five billion have the remaining 20 percent. Nearly half this world lives on less than $2 per day. One billion people have no access to clean water; over 100 million children never get the chance to go to school...
Book Description
In some parts of the United States, water is disappearing as consumption exceeds supply. In other parts, battles are raging that will determine both the cost and the quality of a simple glass of water. Not a Drop to Drink comprehensively examines the imminent crisis of America’s water supply and explains what readers everywhere can do about it. In this straightforward, story-driven book, Ken Midkiff talks to crusty ranchers in Topeka, suited lawyers in Atlanta, and smooth-talking politicians in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Using regional and national case studies, he analyzes and presents the roots of the problem, and then says what we must do to solve it. Written by one of the foremost experts on America's water supply, Not a Drop to Drink is a must-read book for concerned citizens nationwide.
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Books Index
Books Home
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