A revelatory account of how water has shaped the course of human life and history, and a positive vision of what the future can hold—if we act nowFrom the very creation of the planet billions of years ago to the present day, water has always been central to existence on Earth. And since long before the legendary Great Flood, it has been a defining force in the story of humanity.In The Three Ages of Water, Peter Gleick guides us through the long, fr...

A revelatory account of how water has shaped the course of human life and history, and a positive vision of what the future can hold—if we act nowFrom the very creation of the planet billions of years ago to the present day, water has always been central to existence on Earth. And since long before the legendary Great Flood, it has been a defining force in the story of humanity.In The Three Ages of Water, Peter Gleick guides us through the long, fr...

A comprehensive look at the relationship between water and violence, and how we can move from conflict to cooperation and peace, by one of the world’s leading water expertsThe first major water war erupted around 2500 BCE, when the Sumerian city-states of Lagash and Umma fought for a century over irrigation canals from the Tigris River. A few thousand years later, both Athenians and then Spartans were accused of poisoning the water supply of their enemies, in pursu...

The quality and availability of fresh water are of critical importance to human and ecosystem health. Given its central role in the functioning of all living systems, water is arguably the most important of all natural resources.Produced biennially, The World's Water provides a timely examination of the key issues surrounding freshwater resources and their use. Each new volume identifies and explains the most significant current trends worldwide, and offers the best data a...

Peter Gleick knows water. A world-renowned scientist and freshwater expert, Gleick is a MacArthur Foundation "genius," and according to the BBC, an environmental visionary. And he drinks from the tap. Why don’t the rest of us?Bottled and Sold shows how water went from being a free natural resource to one of the most successful commercial products of the last one hundred years—and why we are poorer for it. It’s a big story and water is big business. Every second of every day in the ...

It is zero hour for a new US water policy! At a time when many countries are adopting new national approaches to water management, the United States still has no cohesive federal policy, and water-related authorities are dispersed across more than 30 agencies. Here, at last, is a vision for what we as a nation need to do to manage our most vital resource. In this book, leading thinkers at world-class water research institution the Pacific Institute present clear and readable analysis and r...

Produced biennially, The World's Water is the most comprehensive and up-to-to date source of information and analysis on freshwater resources. Each new volume examines critical global trends and offers the best data available on a variety of topics related to water.Volume 7 features chapters on U.S. water policy, transboundary waters, and the effects of fossil fuel production on water resources, among other timely issues. Water briefs provide concise updates on topics incl...

Produced biennially, The World’s Water provides a timely examination of the key issues surrounding freshwater resources and their use. Each new volume identifies and explains the most significant trends worldwide, and offers the best data available on a variety of topics related to water. The 2008-2009 volume features overview chapters on:• water and climate change• water in China• status of the Millennium Development Goals for water• peak water• efficien...

Produced biennially, The World's Water provides a timely examination of the key issues surrounding freshwater resources and their use. Each new volume identifies and explains the most significant current trends worldwide, and offers the best data available on a variety of water-related topics. The 2006-2007 volume features overview chapters on:Water and terrorismBusiness risks of waterWater and ecosystemsFloods and droughtsDesa...