The Ripple Effect: The Fate Of Freshwater In The Twenty-First Century

Download Free (EPUB, PDF)

From the bestselling coauthor with Julia Child of My Life in France “a balanced and insightful assessment of what could emerge as the dominant issue in decades ahead” (Associated Press)—the fate of fresh water in the twenty-first century.Will there be enough drinkable water to satisfy future demand? What is the state of our water infrastructure—both the pipes that bring us freshwater and the levees that keep it out? How secure is our water supply from natural disasters and terrorist attacks? Can we create new sources for our water supply through scientific innovation? Is water a right like air or a commodity like oil? Will the wars of the twenty-first century be fought over water? As the climate warms and world population grows, demand for water has surged, but supplies of freshwater are static or dropping, and new threats to water quality appear every day. The Ripple Effect is Alex Prud’homme’s vividly written and engaging inquiry into the fate of freshwater in the twenty-first century. Like Daniel Yergin’s classic The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money & Power, Prud’homme’s The Ripple Effect is a masterwork of investigation and dramatic narrative. Prud’homme introduces readers to an array of colorful, obsessive, brilliant—and sometimes shadowy— characters through whom these issues come alive. The Ripple Effect will change the way we think about the water we drink.

Paperback: 448 pages

Publisher: Scribner; Reprint edition (April 10, 2012)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1416535462

ISBN-13: 978-1416535461

Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.4 inches

Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #138,590 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #28 in Books > Engineering & Transportation > Engineering > Civil & Environmental > Environmental > Water Quality & Treatment #106 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > Public Affairs & Policy > Environmental Policy #148 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Natural Resources

Author Alex Prud `Homme claims "The Ripple Effect" is not an "encyclopedic" read, but at times if feels that way. That's not to say I wouldn't recommend this book; after all, the many troublesome issues over available, clean freshwater for citizens worldwide are crucial to know about and getting increasingly urgent by the year.Prud `Homme cannot be accused of forgoing research or skimping on facts. He transitions nicely from one troubled region to the next, giving proper weight to the severity of the problems but not sensationalizing, and offering advice by experts throughout. I came away thinking super-arid Arizona, remote Las Vegas, sprawling California and weather-troubled Georgia are in for some rough times, presently and in the future. The Midwest, where environmentally destructive farming methods and flooding are common, also has its share of water-related predicaments. Prud `Homme drives the point home that people all over the world -- from seasoned hydrologists to the average man and woman -- will need to rethink every aspect of water. As populations explode, drinkable H2O is dwindling -- something's got to give in this equation. Additionally, outdated, unregulated laws and a worrisome inclination by politicians and their constituents during the last decade or so to pay less attention to "the fate of freshwater in the twenty-first century" have exacerbated the problems.Admittedly, my eyes and thoughts glazed over at times as Prud `Homme intricately covered numerous judicial cases and technical details to supplement the themes. But numerous things stuck with me.

The Ripple Effect: The Fate of Freshwater in the Twenty-First Century Twenty-First-Century Kids, Twenty-First-Century Librarians The New Cleaning & Cooking Fish: The Complete Guide to Preparing Delicious Freshwater Fish (The Freshwater Angler) Handbook of Freshwater Fishery Biology, Volume 2: Life History Data on centrarchid Fishes of the United States and Canada (Handbook of Freshwater Fishery Biology) 100 Colorful Ripple Stitches to Crochet: 50 Original Stitches & 50 Fabulous Colorways for Blankets and Throws (Knit & Crochet) Ripple Afghans to Crochet (Leisure Arts #75001) (Leisure Arts Little Books) A Richer Heritage: Historic Preservation in the Twenty-First Century Sri Lanka in Pictures (Visual Geography (Twenty-First Century)) Lebanon in Pictures (Visual Geography (Twenty-First Century)) Turkey in Pictures (Visual Geography (Twenty-First Century)) Deeper Learning: How Eight Innovative Public Schools Are Transforming Education in the Twenty-First Century The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century One Out of Three: Immigrant New York in the Twenty-First Century Down and Delirious in Mexico City: The Aztec Metropolis in the Twenty-First Century A History of Women's Menstruation from Ancient Greece to the Twenty-First Century: Psychological, Social, Medical, Religious, and Educational Issues Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-first Century Gender and Difference in a Globalizing World: Twenty-First-Century Anthropology When We Fight, We Win: Twenty-First-Century Social Movements and the Activists That Are Transforming Our World Conservation Is Our Government Now: The Politics of Ecology in Papua New Guinea (New Ecologies for the Twenty-First Century) Capital in the Twenty-First Century