Robert Glennon

A book about an important topic, written in highly readable prose, should get more stars. The problem is...well, there were problems. There were places where the author contradicted himself, saying one thing on one page, then the opposite later, in at least one case only two pages later, when the opposite would fit his purpose better. Two competing facts that could not both be true...and he did it more than once. There were some questionable statements, possibly not noticeable to anyone not versed in water science. He also tended to say he wasn't a true believer in the free market, but it would be difficult to tell that from his suggestions, though I will conceded that most of the suggestions would be a regulated market, though only weakly regulated. And he seemed to think water would be returned to the ecosystems by allowing farmers to sell it to industry so industry could use it...or to cities, for residential use. He pointed out a couple of cases where environmental groups such as the Nature Conservancy were able to outbid business as though that demonstrated that most of the water would be conserved, but his two examples only pointed up the inadequacy of this solution. All in all, a lot of information, some false facts, and a lot of comforting talk about markets. Okay, but nothing to write home about.… (plus d'informations)

This is a very comprehensive book about water issues, and it's very well researched. Glennon first outlines the evidence that water scarcity is indeed a problem, and lists the reasons why. Then he outlines some possible solutions - both realistic (low flow toilets) and absurd (cloud seeding).

Ultimately Glennon advocates for a market solution to the water crisis, while being wary of privatization and deregulation. While I do agree with him in that, as a country, we need to pay attention to how much water is available, who is using how much of it and why, I don't necessarily agree with the market solution. Glennon does mention that the free market is mostly a myth, but charging appropriate prices for water would lead to more efficiencies in the long run. My main concern with this idea is that eventually, private corporations would be incentivized to purchase the water rights and, with their vast financial strength, nothing could stop them.

However, Glennon does mention that the financially disempowered need to be assured of their right to survive (i.e. drink water), and he advocates for a market system that allows poor people free drinking water. He does mention that the amount of water needed to live (eating, drinking, bathing) is a very small number compared to the amount of water currently used. Hopefully a market system would prevent so many people from wasting water on lawns and golf courses, but, unfortunately, rich people can afford to do stupid things.

I also appreciate Glennon's chapters about more efficient use of water in agriculture and industry, yet he only dedicates a several word aside to the idea that reducing our meat consumption may be a good idea for saving water. At this point, it's pretty much a given that meat eating leads to copious amounts of water waste and methane emissions, yet authors such as Glennon (not to mention Michael Pollan) don't give enough weight to the idea that reducing or eliminating meat consumption will go a long way to solving these problems.

Glennon also glosses over the idea of organic farming as a solution to the water wasted in conventional agriculture, instead arguing that value-added farming such as baby lettuce growing/bagging leads to more income going to farmers and allows them to be able to afford expensive, efficient irrigation solutions. Clearly, value-added farming is only a solution for some farmers.

My problems with this book aside, I do feel that it is an important read for people interested in the water crisis. People don't usually care about water as long as it keeps flowing from the tap, but if growth keeps on happening like it's happening, that may not be a given for too much longer.… (plus d'informations)

D saw this at the library and brought it home for me. It is primarily about water in the USA: where we get our water from, what we use it for, and what impact it has on the environment.

Robert J. Glennon is a law professor at Arizona with an expertise in water law. Thus, he is unusually well suited to discussing the various tradeoffs that are made between cities, farmers, and environmental groups when it is time to make decisions about water rights.

Although in earlier centuries, water, like trees and animals, was an abundant resource in the US, now we know that the most accessible water is finite and must change our habits and policies. Water is used for everything from farming and sewage to energy production and computer chip fabrication. Also, we use water for drinking, cooking, and washing, often in the hundreds of gallons per day (although the minimum needed is much lower). However, water is not always where the people are who want to use it, especially since many people favor sunny, dry coastal locales.

River sources depend on the vagaries of rain and snowmelt, and are often drained down by diversions for various uses, or polluted with sewage or industrial byproducts by the time they reach downstream. Groundwater collects slowly from rain and runoff, and modern technology and agricultural practices draw it down faster than it can build up. In coastal areas, water is often disposed of into the ocean rather than returned more directly to the local hydrological cycle. Dams and canals often suffer from rapid evaporative and runoff loss as well as the destruction of habitat.

After laying out these facts, Glennon lists various tacks that have been taken to conserve, recycle, or buy out water. This includes desalination of ocean water, purification of sewage, and the use of gray water for purposes that do not require potable water.

Most importantly, Glennon advocates changes in water rights laws to allow the buying and selling of water rights and changes in zoning laws to require developers to secure water rights before building. Then it would be possible, for example, to create incentives to build expensive but more efficient irrigation techniques, or to buy a portion of stream water to reserve for salmon spawning. This all sounds good to me, although I am not certain I see how poorer municipalities will be able to compete with developers from richer areas. I hope that that can be worked out, because I agree with Glennon that a basic amount of water per day should remain a fundamental privilege of living in the U.S.

This wasn't the most exciting or mind-blowing book I've read, but it was useful to see all of these issues spelled out all together. I recommend reading it and then sprinkling relevant points around your social circle.… (plus d'informations)