America S Water Crises

In the middle of the Mojave Desert, Las Vegas casinos use billions of gallons of water for fountains, pirate lagoons, wave machines, and indoor canals. Meanwhile, the town of Orme, Tennessee, must truck in water from Alabama because it has literally run out. Robert Glennon captures the irony—and tragedy—of America’s water crisis in a book that is both frightening and wickedly comical. From manufactured snow for tourists in Atlanta to trillions of gallons of water flushed down the toilet each year, Unquenchable reveals the heady extravagances and everyday inefficiencies that are sucking the nation dry. The looming catastrophe remains hidden as government diverts supplies from one area to another to keep water flowing from the tap. But sooner rather than later, the shell game has to end. And when it does, shortages will threaten not only the environment, but every aspect of American life: we face shuttered power plants and jobless workers, decimated fi sheries and contaminated drinking water. We can’t engineer our way out of the problem, either with traditional fixes or zany schemes to tow icebergs from Alaska. In fact, new demands for water, particularly the enormous supply needed for ethanol and energy production, will only worsen the crisis. America must make hard choices—and Glennon’s answers are fittingly provocative. He proposes market-based solutions that value water as both a commodity and a fundamental human right. One truth runs throughout Unquenchable: only when we recognize water’s worth will we begin to conserve it.

Water. We can’t live without it. Not a Drop to Drink sounds the alarm, detailing the current state of emergency facing the U.S. water supply. From the parched High Plains to corporate boardrooms, Ken Midkiff explores water wars, privatization, American agriculture, and global warming. And what we can do to get a glass of water.

"As it warms, our world is running out of fresh water--fast. Lakes, aquifers and rivers are disappearing, but we consume more water than ever. What will this mean for North Americans? Dry spring shows dramatically how water loss will devastate countless communities over the next 25 years--cities and farms, forests and coastlines, ranches and orchards. The scarcity of water challenges the soaring success of some of our continent's fastest-growing regions: the American Southwest, the arid plains of Western Canada, the cross-border Great Lakes Basin. Yet while unprecedented dryness afflicts such areas as these, violently wet storms pummel many others. And drought and flooding will only worsen over time. In years to come, Canada will get more water and the U.S. less; Wood demonstrates provocatively what this will mean for political relations. He concludes with inspiring examples of choices we can all make that will help us preserve our water for future generations."--Book jacket.

An objective look at America's rapidly shrinking water supply Once believed to be a problem limited to America's southwest, water shortages are now an issue coast to coast, from New England to California. In Aqua Shock: The Water Crisis in America, author Susan J. Marks provides a comprehensive analysis of the current conflicts being waged over dwindling water supplies. She presents the findings of university studies, think tanks, and research groups, as well as the opinions of water experts, including Peter Gleick, president of the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security. The book Explains where our water comes from and who controls it, as well as the cost of water on cash, commodities, and capitalism Describes the risks of running out of water Details how we can preserve and protect our most precious, yet most undervalued natural resource Right now, battles over water supplies rage across the country. Aqua Shock is an objective look at how we arrived at this crisis point and what we can do-and should be doing-to solve the water crisis in America.

An objective look at America's rapidly shrinking water supply Once believed to be a problem limited to America's southwest, water shortages are now an issue coast to coast, from New England to California. In Aqua Shock: The Water Crisis in America, author Susan J. Marks provides a comprehensive analysis of the current conflicts being waged over dwindling water supplies. She presents the findings of university studies, think tanks, and research groups, as well as the opinions of water experts, including Peter Gleick, president of the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security. The book Explains where our water comes from and who controls it, as well as the cost of water on cash, commodities, and capitalism Describes the risks of running out of water Details how we can preserve and protect our most precious, yet most undervalued natural resource Right now, battles over water supplies rage across the country. Aqua Shock is an objective look at how we arrived at this crisis point and what we can do-and should be doing-to solve the water crisis in America.

Climate change: a strategic opportunity for water managers? / Kathy Jacobs and Paul Fleming -- The delta : resolving California's water conundrum / Pat Mulroy -- The San Diego strategy : a sea change in western water / Maureen A. Stapleton -- The Colorado River story / Jim Lochhead and Pat Mulroy -- Why examine Nebraska's water governance framework? / Ann Bleed -- Harnessing hydrogeological analysis to improve groundwater management across the American West / Burke W. Griggs and James J. Butler Jr -- Southeast Florida : ground zero for sea level rise / Doug Yoder -- Finding the balance : developing resilient, sustainable water and wastewater systems in New York City / Alan Cohn, Angela Licata, and Emily Lloyd

This book examines the role of private firms in the American water and wastewater industry. As more water infrastructure shifts from public- to private-sector control, vendors, consultants, and facilities are taking on more importance. Lewis D. Solomon presents an historical overview of water supply and treatment needs and the role of the government, including how water policy has been crafted. He argues that water scarcity is becoming a problem due to groundwater depletion, contamination, and patterns of consumption. He examines the impact of climate change on water availability and quality considering voluntary conservation programs and mandatory restrictions for water use. Solomon points to how for-profit firms can use technology to increase water supply. He describes what privatization would look like in practice and reviews evidence from two case studies. Solomon proposes privatization as a viable response to America's water crisis that can address both scarcity and capital problems. America's Water and Wastewater Crisis presents a careful examination of how the water industry has operated in the United States in the past and how it may work as we move into the future. This book is invaluable to environmental specialists, businessmen, and government officials.

“If there was a price placed on clean water we might start treating it like it has value. Maybe when it’s gone we'll realize we can’t drink oil or money.” —Dave Matthews Less than 1 percent of the world’s water is fresh and potable—and no more will ever be available. Thanks to pollution, global warming, and population growth, water access is poised to become today’s most explosive global issue. This book, based on the film Last Call at the Oasis by Academy Award®–winning director Jessica Yu, offers insights into the coming water crisis from visionary scientists, policymakers, activists, and environmentalists, including: ROBERT MORAN on how oil and mineral development pollute and divert water supplies—often beyond public scrutiny PETER H. GLEICK on discovering the “soft path” to global water security ROBERT GLENNON on how the power of markets can help protect the world’s water LYNN HENNING on how a family farmer became a passionate “water activist” ALEX PRUD’HOMME on how the water crisis affects us all GARY WHITE on how innovative social and economic strategies can make clean water available even for the world’s poorest people HADLEY ARNOLD AND PETER ARNOLD on how arid regions like America’s Southwest can wisely husband water supplies for cities and farmers alike ROBYN BEAVERS on how today’s smartest businesses are making sustainable water management a competitive advantage ZEM JOAQUIN on nine “ecofabulous” ways of saving water at home—and doing it with style BILL MCDONOUGH on how smart design can preserve water’s “Endless Resourcefulness” for generations to come No resource on earth is more precious—or more endangered—than water. Last Call at the Oasis is a powerful tool for learning about the water challenges we face as well as the remarkable solutions available to us—if we have the will to use them.