"When the Rivers Run Dry" by Fred Pearce

[pscot]

I posted this on Energy and Environment, and I'm posting it here because "When the Rivers Run Dry" deserves the widest possible readership. Pearce is a terrific reporter and he tells a compelling story. On the ground interviews with farmers, fishermen, villagers, local officials, water managers, geologists, engineers and government functionaries are larded into a broad matrix of factual information to paint a picture of an essential resource, stressed to the point of failure. Local examples multiply to reveal an endlessly repeated, global pattern of waste, abuse and destruction of the commons, for the short term gain of a few, or to satisfy the ambitious schemes of politicians, who don't understand the consequences of their actions, or simply because of the pressure of so many people just trying to survive. Essential reading for anyone who wants an overview of the sad state of this key resource.

[Sequoia]

1. I just got it from the library today.

I saw you mention it in another post. Thanks.

[pscot]

2. I'm reading his latest now

"With Speed and Violence", about climate change, glacial melting and tipping points. "When the Rivers Run Dry" was pretty loosely written, as though it were a compilation of notes or articles pulled together to make a book. Some editing would have made it a better book.

[Sequoia]

3. I leafed through it but may not read it after all.

I found a list of Dan Kurzman's books about sinking ships I'm gonna read. I read his USS Indianapolis book, just finished "A Special Mission" about Hitler's plan to kidnap the pope.

[ramapo]

4. Powerful

I finished it a few weeks ago. Much attention gets paid to peak oil but peak water might be an even more serious problem. This is a very sobering book. I was well aware of many of the water-related ecological problems but Pearce lays out the details to a distressing degree. A very important though distressing book.