My Non-Review of Steven Solomon's Opus: Water Wars, Energy, and More

Journalist Steven Solomon has just penned Water: The Epic Struggle for Wealth, Power and Civilization.

Let me guess: it's a book about water and the wars it may foment. Or something like that. I realize I'm sounding sarcastic, perhaps because I am fast approaching water wars burn-out. I have not even read the book yet. But you can be sure that I will.

It is more than a book about future water wars. Solomon, who looks like Larry David's serene twin brother, has written the closest thing to a history of water. That's what it is for about 75% of the book.

Here is a 7-minute interview with him on NPR's Morning Edition. And here's the story itself as well as the book's prologue. Be sure to read the comments posted at the bottom.

The Economist provides a review, cutely titled 'Through the aqueous humor.' It is generally positive, although it does accuse him of trying to make water seem more important than it actually was. The last paragraph also contains a modicum of disappointment:

Mr. Solomon is not despairing. He gives some reasons for hope. Too bad he did not devote more of his book to the present and the future, and to the policies that could alleviate the situation he describes.

Again, be sure to read the comments after the review. They're a bit more erudite than the ones at NPR.

Here is a review from the Seattle Times.

Colleague and friend Ken Reid sent me this blog post about Solomon's book and the water-energy nexus. Here's what Gal Luft wrote that I found intriguing:

As Solomon correctly points out, we cannot address the water challenge without access to affordable energy. Conversely, we cannot solve the energy challenge without addressing the water challenge. And yet, while every senator and representative has a speech ready on our energy predicament, very few members of Congress or senior administration officials have shown keen interest in water. We don’t have a water czar, and since the 2003 death of water champion in Washington, Illinois Senator Paul Simon, very few politicians have done much to advance the issue of water scarcity. Sen. Simon’s successor, Sen. Dick Durbin who sponsored the Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 which makes access to safe water and sanitation a specific policy objective of U.S. foreign assistance is a rare exception. Since the March 2009 introduction by Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Murkowski (R-AK), chair and ranking member of the Senate Energy Committee, of the Energy and Water Integration Act of 2009 requiring an in-depth analysis of the impact of energy development and production on the water resources of the United States not one member of the U.S. Senate found the energy-water nexus important enough to co-sponsor the bill.

View Solomon's water blog.

So that's my non-review of Steven Solomon's book. But I'll review it when I'm done. Promise.

 "Consider what will happen in water-distressed, nuclear-armed, terrorist-besieged, overpopulated, heavily irrigation dependent and already politically unstable Pakistan when its single water lifeline, the Indus River, loses a third of its flow from the disappearance from its glacial water source." -- Steven Solomon, from the book

Comments

[Agnes Bruckner]

Well, water is one of the main basic needs of any individuals. Its not possible to live without water. So, its our responsibility to save this precious energy source.

[Jody Bruce]

This is a great topic. We need water to live. Yet we horde it and fight over it just like it was gold. Really thou, its more valuable than gold. Trying drinking gold in a desert one day. You will see what I mean. Another resource we fight over like water is energy. Look at how we treat oil. Hmm what is more valuable water or oil? Kind of makes you think. If we had unlimited energy we would have unlimited water. Look at all the oceans. We just need energy to boil all the salt out.

Well we do have free energy, it’s being hidden from you. Just so that the big energy companies can make $440 billion dollars off us. It’s true! I have spent the last 4 years researching and writing an audio book all about it. If you would like to have all the clean water you can drink plus free energy, check out this link. I promise you won’t be disappointed. Just grab a nice big glass of water before you do. I have over 102 free energy videos on my website. You will certainly work up a thirst watching them.

http://www.energybook.info/Energy_Book.html

Thank you,
Jody Bruce

[mike]

ECONOMY.
Homeowners, (fear of) property value vs. their debt.
As to maintain the property, for ultimate value.
"Maintain" --- same goes with their HIGH, CONSISTENT addiction of manicuring & diapering their (debt of) cars.

Repeatedly, when I commute through residential streets: For the watering of lawn -- individuals are seen, standing in a frozen position via holding hose.
Only the water moves.
As these humans are in an (unconscious?)aura of dreaming?
Or recalling their day, of what they did/didnt do.
Just staring, eyes not moving.

HOW MUCH (water) HAD ALREADY BEEN WASTED?
As my above theory will repeat, via their behavior.

[PAUL F MILLER]

Water: The Epic Struggle for Wealth, Power and Civilization. … I rise to salute anyone who makes the time and spends the effort to write, especially a book. … On the other hand I notice increasingly I find it difficult to engage in many of the newer book offerings as they seem to parrot one another.

Maybe I am being overly critical or unduly naive, or more honestly venting my personal frustration, but many of the books authored of late seem to be intent on re-establishing what I call the circular nature water plays in all aspects of our life and environment.

How does one discuss any aspect of energy without including water…? How does one discuss any aspect of place of residence without including water…? How does discuss any aspect about industry, agriculture or a host of other topics without including water…?

Whether acknowledged for not … water … holds a prominent if not the paramount position in each of these discussions, yet for most of us, we know little or nothing about it…?

Respectfully submitted,

PAUL F MILLER

http://waterman99.wordpress.com