Hell and High Water: Global Warming--the Solution and the Politics--and What We Should Do

Book Description

Global warming is the story of the twenty-first century. It is the most serious issue facing the future of humankind, and American energy and environmental policy is driving the whole world down the path of global catastrophe. Hell and High Water is nothing less than a wake-up call to the country. It is a searing critique of American environmental and energy policy and a passionate call to action by a writer with a unique command of the science and politics of climate change.

We have ten years, at most, to start making sharp cuts to our greenhouse gas emissions or we will face catastrophic consequences. The good news is that there is something we can do—but only if the leadership of the U.S. government acts immediately and asserts its influence on the rest of the world—in particular such emerging powers as China and India—to join an international effort to stop global warming.

Joseph Romm, an expert in the science, business, and politics of climate change, lays out a plan of action that involves:

reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by midcentury
adopting a California-style energy-efficiency effort nationwide
embracing high-mileage, advanced "hybrid" cars that can run on both electricity and biofuels

Unfortunately, the required government policies and spending are strongly opposed by conservatives, who have blocked serious action on climate change and continue to publicly deny the dire warnings of scientists. Never before has there been such a sharp divergence between what top scientists know and what policymakers, the general public, and the media believe. And, sadly, never has so much been at stake.

Romm, who ran the largest program in the world that was concentrated on climate solutions, offers an authoritative dissection of this disastrous policy. Hell and High Water goes beyond ideological rhetoric to offer pragmatic solutions to avert the threat of global warming—solutions that must be taken seriously by every American.

Customer Reviews:

Disappointing -- I expected better than this.......2007-10-22

Romm's book Hell and High Water disappointed me. I expected better than this.

What bothered me about the book? Not the basic premise. I agree with that. We should, I think, try to tread more lightly on the earth. In all of our billions, we make our marks on the earth ever deeper and more scarring. Who knows what damage we will do. Romm, and others, are right to be worried.

But Romm's book reads like a less polished version of An Inconvenient Truth. Romm presents his own personal story (that of his brother and his family losing their home to floodwaters in the Katrina hurricane) in place of Al Gore's personal story. Romm draws on the same sensationalism as Gore, uses much the same style, and has many of the same faults. Sort of "Gore lite," without the Oscar and the Nobel Prize.

Books like that don't help at all. They can't. They don't convince anyone -- they are far from the kind of balanced and logical argument that would sway someone's thinking. They just preach to the choir. But the choir is already converted. Why preach to them?

One reason to preach to the choir might be if you motivate them to solve the problem. Perhaps Romm's book does that? After all, Romm says he "ran the largest program in the world that was concentrated on climate solutions." (Turns out that he was head of the United States Department of Energy's office of energy efficiency and conservation, which he claims saved businesses and consumers $30 billion in energy costs. It's not quite inventing the Internet, but again like Gore, Romm does not shy away from claiming credit.) But in the end, what Romm tells people to do is "Get informed, get outraged, and then get political." What kind of solution is that?

Because when it gets right down to it, this is not a political problem. Even if you agree that we should do something to cut down on greenhouse gases, the solution is not to berate and hate the "Delayers and Denyers (when did that spelling become acceptable?)". That will not help. Not one bit. They are not the problem. The greenhouse gases are.

Romm is not alone in his approach to this kind of issue. Partisan screeds and attacks seem to sell in politics. Seems like all the Republicans do these days is blame the Democrats. And vice versa. Rational discussion of the political problems we face gets lost in bickering and vicious attacks. Does that help? I can't think how it could.

Unfortunately, climate change has become political and partisan. And Romm's book is nothing but that. It's full of italics and exaggeration. He mongers fear without shame. Many of the "facts" he uses to support his arguments are not factual. His book reads like something Ann Coulter or Al Franken might write. (And I don't mean that as a compliment.)

But maybe I'm being too critical. From the other reviews here about Romm's book, most readers were impressed. No one else seems to be disappointed.

Still, I was disappointed. I expected better than this.

Alarming--because it's factual.......2007-08-17

As an environmental policy grad student, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what we're in for with climate change. But after reading this book I've realized that, oh no, it's worse than I thought. The book starts out by describing the nasty potential futures facing us if we fail to take sufficient action, and soon. This bit comes across as somewhat sensational, but Romm quickly moves in a very well done review of the scientific literature backing up the scary part. The account of the unified effort to deny the validity of climate change and delay action is also well executed.

Highly recommended for anyone who needs a little motivation to start caring about climate change!

Wake Up Call.......2007-06-10

It's time to wake up to what's going on with our world and what we're doing to it. As a long time participant in the petroleum and related industries worldwide it has long been evident that we are exhausting the world's resources at an unsustainable rate detrimental to life as we know it and to a livable environment. Damon A. Peteron

Great informative book.......2007-05-19

If you want the facts about global warming and what we need to do about it straight from the experts' mouths, this is the book for you. It covers everything about global warming from the media's bias to the various policies we need to implement to avoid catastrophic climate change, to the consequences if we fail to avoid it. Absolutely fantastic book.

Highly recommended.......2007-05-10

I thought this book was really interesting in explaining the US politics behind global warming and the what has not been done in recent years by the US to curb global warming. It goes into great detail about the issues the planet faces if we do not reduce our CO2 output into the atmosphere.

Average customer rating:

Excellent general reference
Lake and Pond Management Guidebook
The Lake Detective... He Can't Be Stumped! A great GLer

Lake and Pond Management Guidebook
Steve McComas
Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1566706300

Book Description

The Lake and Pond Management Guidebook is the successor to the Bestselling Lake Smarts: The First Lake Maintenance Handbook, published by the Terrene Institute in 1993. This guidebook is the "bible" for small-scale lake and pond improvements. It contains over 300 ideas and projects that provide step-by-step practical, low-cost solutions to a wide range of problems that lake management professionals face on a regular basis. This updated and expanded second edition includes new material on protecting and restoring the shoreland area, practical algae control techniques, enhancing native aquatic plants, historical lake management efforts, and pond management including storm water pond improvements.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent general reference.......2006-12-18

Lake and Pond Management by Steve McComas is an excellent reference for cooperative extension advisors, soil and water conservation district staff, lake association representatives, and other watershed managers. Licensed commercial pesticide applicators who are considering broadening their credentials to the aquatic pest control category would also find this Guidebook a valuable addition to their reference libraries. As a retired university farm advisor and riverfront landowner, I found this book highly educational - and well worth the price.

Steve Sutter
Presque Isle, Maine

Lake and Pond Management Guidebook.......2005-08-31

Absolutely the last word in pond or small lake creation and maintenance. For both the amateur and professional landscaper. Well worth the steep price.

The Lake Detective... He Can't Be Stumped! A great GLer.......2004-02-16

This is that guy from AM1500 KSTP... Garage Logic, with Joe Soucheray. He goes by "The Lake Detective", and all he does is lakes, I guess. He's found a great niche in MN, land of 10,000 of 'em. Being a lakeshore owner, I've already used some of his techniques to keep my shore in great shape. The beauty of a lot of his approaches is that the solutions mostly seem pretty low-tech and inexpensive. But that's a good thing. I didn't have to rent expensive equipment to get my shore cleared, and the results have been great.

Color pictures would help, but the black-n-whites do the job, I guess. This $80 book saved me hundreds (maybe thousands) from what I was going to do to 'fix up' my shore... Money well spent!

Customer Reviews:

The Best Yet.......2004-04-30

We're redoing our large backyard water-wise, and this is by far the best book I've found to help us along. The pictures are clear and well-described, the checklists come in very handy, but the "specialty plant groupings" really did it for me. I'm using this in conjunction with my Sunset Western Garden Book, which has good information but misses several of the elements I found in Perry's book.

Great reference book.......2003-01-27

Essential for landscape architects, great reference book due to Perry's knowledge in plants.

the holy bible of Southern California gardens.......2000-06-01

Two years ago I had a hillside full of fire hazardous weeds and no knowledge of gardening. After a four day ordeal of clearing the brush I decided to plant the hillside and knew next to nothing about what would grow there, how to plant the shrubs, how much to water and what pests might attack. I only knew I wanted to use California natives but I didn't know any names and the only latin I remembered was from my Catholic boyhood. After a one hour session with a garden consultant and visits to the Theodore Payne foundation I discovered Bob Perry's books and a whole world opened up to me. Mr. Perry is a legend in gardening circles and this beautiful book is the fount of much wisdom. Everything I have learned about gardening in these two years I learned from Bob Perry and my plants. I have scoured the immense gardening book collection at Central libary (the largest west of the Mississippi) and find this book to be the cream of the crop. Not only are the color pictures terribly important in making choices, the advice is impeccable and the variety offered is exhaustive.Thanks to Mr. Perry and his superb books I now have a garden of some seventy natives, all doing well and giving me great joy. Some day I would like to meet the man and shake his hand but for now I can only recommend his books highly.

Excellent tool for Southern California.......2000-03-01

I'm a nursery professional, and I use this book extensively in planning areas and helping clients. I consider it a "must-have" for our area. The book is organized in very useful sections: plant groupings, water conservation, design checklists, & a good plant encyclopedia for the So. California region. Color photos make it more attractive than the more popular 'Sunset' book, & I prefer it because of its focus on appropriate plant use.

When the Rivers Run Dry: Water--The Defining Crisis of the Twenty-first Century

Average customer rating:

Just as scary as global warming
No Notes,No Sources, Sadly Flawed
A Wonderful Book.
Water Facts, a new understanding
Facts and prose together

When the Rivers Run Dry: Water--The Defining Crisis of the Twenty-first Century
Fred Pearce
Manufacturer: Beacon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0807085731

Book Description

In this groundbreaking book, veteran science correspondent Fred Pearce travels to more than thirty countries to examine the current state of crucial water sources. Deftly weaving together the complicated scientific, economic, and historic dimensions of the world water crisis, he provides our most complete portrait yet of this growing danger and its ramifications for us all.

"A strongâand scaryâcase that a worldwide water shortage is the most fearful looming environmental crisis. With a drumbeat of facts both horrific (thousands of wells in India and Bangladesh are poisoned by fluoride and arsenic) and fascinating (it takes 20 tons of water to make one pound of coffee), the former New Scientist news editor documents a 'kind of cataclysm' already affecting many of the world's great rivers."
âPublishers Weekly, starred review

"Oil we can replace. Water we can'tâwhich is why this book is both so ominous and so important."
âBill McKibben, author of The End of Nature

"An enriching and farsighted work."
âJai Singh, San Francisco Chronicle

"Pearce cogently presents the alarming ways in which this ecological emergency is affecting population centers, human health, food production, wildlife habitats, and species viability. Having crisscrossed the globe to research the economic, scientific, cultural, and political causes and ramifications of this under publicized tragedy, Pearce's powerful imagery, penetrating analyses, and passionate advocacy make this required reading for environmental proponents and civic leaders everywhere."
âBooklist

"If you want to quickly get up to date on climate change and its consequences, I recommend With Speed and Violence: Why Scientists Fear Tipping Points in Climate Change. If you can read only one book on climate change, this is it."
âLester Brown, president, Earth Policy Institute

". . . perhaps it is time for you to spend some time with Fred Pearce and his wonderful When the Rivers Run Dry."
âDaily Kos, July Review

Fred Pearce has been writing about water issues for over twenty years. A former news editor at New Scientist and currently its environment and development consultant, he has also written for Audubon, Popular Science, Time, the Boston Globe, and Natural History. His books include With Speed and Violence, Turning Up the Heat, and Deep Jungle.

Customer Reviews:

Just as scary as global warming.......2007-09-10

I read this book back to back with the author's book on global warming, With Speed and Violence, and I was very impressed with the way both books cover all the bases in concise, thorough chapters that are compelling and engrossing, not just because of the interesting subject matter, but because the author is a terrific writer who knows how to clearly present the science while telling a good story. Although climate change has the potential to remake our planet in the longer term, water scarcity has the potential to affect hundreds of millions of people's lives in the shorter term, yet it doesn't get as much coverage in the media. So I was glad to come across Pearce's book, and I hope it brings more attention to this important issue.

No Notes,No Sources, Sadly Flawed.......2007-08-10

This is a fascinating story, it really is. But how much is true, how much is exaggerated, how much is down right false? The author left no way to verify what he reports, not even his own research notes. I personally believe the main theme of disappearing water supplies due to watering of thirsty high yield crops. But I certainly wouldn't use Pearce's specific facts without double checking them. Too bad, it is a very readable book with many possible insights. If his sources had been included this would easily be a 5+ book.

A Wonderful Book........2007-06-18

I used this book in my water resource and policy class during the spring semester of 07. If you've ever truly wanted to understand what one of the largest dilemmas mankind is going to have to face in the coming years, then you should read this book! The author breaks down water in our world in a very detailed manner. One can understand ancient water history, why much of the world is suffering from a water crisis, how much water affluent life styles use, and get a feel for modern water wars in our world. This book alosm makes a great reference for interesting statistics and figures.

Water Facts, a new understanding.......2007-06-12

This book is an easy read, one you won't want to put down. The author traveled extensively while researching his topic and does an excellent job warning the rest of us of another approaching crisis.

Living in the Western world causes me to take clean water for granted. After reading, "When the Rivers Run Dry", I now realize that water is a very precious and scarce commodity in some other parts of the world and this precious commodity is running low, aquifers are drying up. This book illustrates the importance of wetlands and the far ranging impact to the populations living there, but the wetlands are being destroyed. The rivers are being dammed up and their silt rich outflows don't even make it to the ocean any more. Centuries old wells are drying out and the implications to all this will be future wars and aggressions by governments all over the world.

Facts and prose together.......2007-06-01

This book in FUN to read. Forget that the subject is a looming catastrophe, and that the author has done beautiful step by step research, it's really fun to read. AlGore should make this his next movie.

Every kid in the world should read this in Social Studie classes along with Howard Kuenstler's The Long Emergency and then their might be hope for future generation af mankind. If we go on as we are, it's over.

Average customer rating:

Great Lakes Water Wars is an excellent read
The Great Lakes aren't bottomless
A cautionary tale
The real fight begins
At War Over Great Lakes Water

The Great Lakes Water Wars
Peter Annin
Manufacturer: Island Press
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1559630876

Book Description

The Great Lakes are the largest collection of fresh surface water on earth, and more than 40 million Americans and Canadians live in their basin. Will we divert water from the Great Lakes, causing them to end up like Central Asia's Aral Sea, which has lost 90 percent of its surface area and 75 percent of its volume since 1960? Or will we come to see that unregulated water withdrawals are ultimately catastrophic?

Peter Annin writes a fast-paced account of the people and stories behind these battles. Destined to be the definitive story for the general public as well as policymakers, The Great Lakes Water Wars is a balanced, comprehensive look behind the scenes at the conflicts and compromises that are the past-and future-of this globally significant resource.

Customer Reviews:

Great Lakes Water Wars is an excellent read.......2007-08-08

I started out to skim Peter Annin's book, determine what to say, and decide how to write a requested review. I had no trouble becoming completely engrossed at the start of the Author's Note and Prologue, and read the whole thing. Cover to cover. I do not need to abridge all its contents in great detail, nor could I begin to accomplish that task as eloquently, chronologically, and thoroughly as does the author anyway. What's more, the stories presented are fascinating and rapidly ensnare the reader. It will be of value to active professionals, students, politicians, NGO participants, and elected officials as well as to residents of the Great Lakes Basin, and to those who think they can tap into its abundant waters. What's more, it is informative and fun to read.

The Great Lakes aren't bottomless.......2007-05-25

As a former resident of northeastern Ohio, growing up near the shores of Lake Erie, I expected to be captivated by Peter Annin's treatise on the water resources issues of the Great Lakes, and it did not disappoint. But I think there's plenty here for anyone interested in the expanding issue of water resource diversion, as it spreads from the notoriously thirsty southwest to the Great Lakes, which house 20% of the world's fresh surface waters.

The five lakes in the Great Lakes surface water drainage basin seem inexhaustible and have, for centuries, been treated that way by neighboring states and provinces. Massive pollution identified in the 1960s raised the first indication of the Lakes' vulnerability. Annin tackles the issues of water resource allocation in three sections. The first sets the stage by talking about surface water resource challenges generally, from the difference between water rights assumptions in the eastern and western US, to the disastrous overuse of the Aral Sea in the former USSR, to the unknown problems that will result from global warming.

The second section uses stories to articulate the political and economic challenges surrounding six specific water diversion cases in the Great Lakes basin. The third explains the attempts by the eight states and two provinces within the Great Lakes basin to agree on political and legal mechanisms for protecting and preserving this enormous resource. His book ends with a cliffhanger; in late 2005, an historic regional agreement was signed by all the states and provinces in the basin but it must be codified into law by each state and US Congress. His website tracks its progress: [..]

A cautionary tale.......2007-04-01

"Today, when I stand on the shores of Lake Superior, I don't see a lake. I see a sprawling deep blue battleground that stretches from Duluth, Minnesota to Trois Rivières, Québec--and I wonder, who will win the war?" With these ominous words, Peter Anin launches into his account of the history of water issues in the Great Lakes.

Anin begins with a cautionary tale: the destruction of the Aral Sea in central Asia. Through government bungling and hubris, this once thriving ecosystem has lost 75% of its surface in the past 50 years. His message is clear; this could happen again, it could happen here.

What follows is a detailed account of the history of water issues and governmental policy in the Great Lakes region. There's enough analysis here to satisfy any policy wonk. But the true strength of Anin's book are the fascinating stories he tells of the diversion of mighty rivers, the desperate searches for safe drinking water, and the commercial exploitation of this precious resource.

Why this book, why now? The governors of the eight Great Lakes States have recently negotiated an agreement to protect this resource. The Great Lakes Compact must now be ratified by the legislatures of each state and the U.S. Congress. With this book, Anin makes an important contribution to the public understanding of the issues and urgency behind this legislation.

The real fight begins.......2007-02-26

On May 8, 1892, a gang of workmen hired by Chicago entrepreneur Mr. McElroy invaded the town of Waukesha, Wisconsin. This gang was intent on laying a pipeline from Waukesha's Hygeia Spring to a suburb of Chicago. They were turned back by the citizens of that city in one of the few (to date) physical confrontations over water east of the Mississippi river.
In 2006, with their wells dry or contaminated, Waukesha, which lies just outside the edge of the Great Lakes basin, insisted on exemption from the return clause of the water compact signed the year before. The compact was the latest evolution of agreements between the 8 Great Lakes states and 2 provinces of Canada. The latest agreement was so troubled that only two governors attended the signing. As with all the other agreements, it stood on bog of technical and legal details that could easily be upset by the smallest challenge. "Waukesha is a poster child," admits Dan Duchniak, the embattled head of the Waukesha Water Utility, adding that the debate over Waukesha is "almost like a cyst that has grown into a cancerous tumor, and we need to figure out a way to treat it." (pg. 245)

With this and other examples, such as an attempt to ship a tanker of Great Lakes water to China, the author explains the difficulties in protecting this great natural resource. The chapter on the Aral Sea foretells the future of the lakes if governments can't find a way to appease industry while maintaining the lakes for future generations.

Anyone trying understand what we, those of us blessed to grow up along their shores, must do to protect the Great Lakes should read this book. Although the material is fairly complex, the author presents several anecdotal stories that are readable.

As the author says, the fight has only just begun. Over the past 20 years, the states and provinces around the Great Lakes have produced a basic framework. Unfortunately, companies like Nestle have fought in court for the right to export bottle water from the Great Lakes basin; as one official asked,what is the difference between a tanker of bottle water and a tanker of water? --Damn good point! Although they are fighting a losing battle, other challenges are on the horizon in a world running short of clean, fresh water.

If this review was helpful, please vote and thanks.

At War Over Great Lakes Water.......2006-11-29

Schemes to keep Great Lakes waters in the Great Lakes may look good on paper, but how they actually work or do not work is shown in The Great Lakes Water Wars. It is a practical book thoroughly researched by a veteran investigative reporter, Peter Annin and published by Island Press.

According to Annin, the key to keeping these freshwater lakes viable is to return the water to the lakes: that is to keep the waters in the Great Lakes watersheds and to take measures to conserve water. Diversions outside of these watersheds will deplete the lakes of water. Although the Great Lakes are large, they are fragile. Annin shows the consequences of unwise uses of water on other parts of the planet, for example the Aral Sea that has been depleted of most of its water.

This is an important book with words of caution for those who live in the Great Lakes watersheds.

Living Water: Viktor Schauberger and the Secrets of Natural Energy

Average customer rating:

Good hagiography of a controversial man
Perfect Start for anyone interested in Learning about Water
An Excellent Appetizer, Please Pass the Main Course
Thought provoking intro to little-known qualities of water
Great introduction to IMPLOSION and what we missed out !

Living Water: Viktor Schauberger and the Secrets of Natural Energy
Olof Alexandersson
Manufacturer: Newleaf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0717133907

Customer Reviews:

Good hagiography of a controversial man.......2003-05-04

This is a good introduction to the theories and life of Viktor Schauberger, an Austrian naturalist and inventor. Born in 1885, Schauberger started life as a forester who tried to understand and copy Nature. From watching mountain streams he developed unorthodox theories based on vortex movement about water and its use. He started out designing highly efficient log flumes that used water in vortex motion and at its densest temperature of 4 degrees Centigrade. He then proposed cleaning up the Rhine River by rebuilding the natural curves which stimulate vortex motion in the water. He said that this vortex motion in the Earth caused spring water to be more alive than plain water. He believed that plants grew better in this living water and developed laboratory sized egg-shaped water energizers to activate water.

He also developed theories about the harmfulness of iron and steel tools in agriculture and proposed replacing them with copper ones. He designed an egg-shaped composter that was supposed to develop Noble compost which would be much more beneficial in gardens.

Around the Second World War his theories and experiments take a much different direction and he starts talking about Implosion energy as opposed to combustion explosion energy. He starts developing machines that generate more energy than they use and that run on water and air. Out of this research he claims to have developed a domestic power station that generates large outputs of energy from slight streams of running water. Even more fantastic is a flying saucer that used a 1/20 horsepower electric motor as a starter and then ran on the surrounding flow of air. The research on these inventions was destroyed at the end of the war. Schauberger and his son Walter never seem to have been able to find the resources to develop working models again.

Today his theories on vortex motion of water are taught at the Anthroposophical Emerson College in England. His copper farming tools are sold from the school his son Walter started, the Pythagoras Kepler Schule in Austria. His water, forestry, and farming theories have been accepted by Biodynamic Farming communities and may be helpful to organic farmers today.

There are two appendices at the end of the book by New Age science experts on the underlying theories of vortex energy. I find these actually detract from the book rather than help it. A Bibliography also is less than useful. Most of the sources are to obscure journals or original Austrian publications. These types of resources are less than helpful in such an introductory text.

Perfect Start for anyone interested in Learning about Water.......2002-04-06

I agree that this book is only a brief introduction into the thoughts of Schauberger but hopefully many people are inspired by this book to move forward into the area of water research in an effort to uncover many more truths about what really makes water healthy.

Unfortunately there is so much...on the market, evolving around new-age water products, which in-no-way copy Mother Nature as Viktor had stressed. All these people need to purchase this book in order to obtain some form of initial clarity if they are going to be involved in water research or water products of any kind. Living-water; revitalized-water; restructured water; clustered & micro-clustered-water; alkaline water; Pi-water; crystal-water; snowflake-water; cupcake-water; energized-water; polarized-water; magnetized-water; and all the many others that are on the market have obviously never read any of Viktor's work or at least understood it. Let us all use Viktor's work as a basis to change the planet and make this world a better place to live.

An Excellent Appetizer, Please Pass the Main Course.......2001-04-16

This is an excellent, brief introduction to the thought of Viktor Schauberger, and I hope it inspires works which are more complete. Callum Coates' books reach in this direction, but what is really needed are more people to read these books, synthesize their information, and come up with new and original books which take us further into depth in these areas. This will probably involve synthesizing the work of Schauberger, Grander, Bienveniste, and others.

An understanding of Schauberger is very important for those attempting to reconstruct an Indigenous European Perspective. Schauberger has the elements of a modern water shaman, and his shamanic / intuitive techniques of letting his body float with the water should be closely correlated with what Hans Peter Duerr has to say about "out of body" experience in his tome "Dreamtime". Although Schauberger lived in the 20th Century, his perspective allows us to imagine back what earlier indigenous practitioners may have been like. The Colonial, Imperialist Europe is only one side of the coin of Europe. We must also include the suppressed indigenous, pagan, and green sides. Significantly, the Inquisition represents a watershed in European history where a great deal of the indigenous healers and theorists were wiped out in holocaust proportions. An understanding of Schauberger, coupled with an appreciation of Steiner, Hildegard of Bingen, Hans Peter Duerr, and others, will allow us to reconstruct what a noncolonial, nonimperialist Europe was like.

Understanding water's nature is essential in this regard, for water forms the basis of our understandings of flow. Furthermore, understanding water's energetic qualities will help us understand how it interacts with the body. Traditional Chinese Medicine, for example, would benefit from an accurate and holistic understanding of water's qualities.

In short, this book is an excellent appetizer, but I await the main course ...

Thought provoking intro to little-known qualities of water.......1998-11-19

Although it occasionally veers into new-age speculation or pseudoscience, this book offers a rare look at truly alternative ideas about water and energy. The description of Schauberger's early work with flumes is enthralling, and the brief exposition of "flow forms" towards the end of the book is valuable. Search "flow forms" in any web search engine to see some of the sites around the world espousing a fascinating technology that unites water pollution control with esthetics.

Great introduction to IMPLOSION and what we missed out !.......1998-08-24

I have to say - I got very AGGRAVATED by some portions of this book , because it TOTALLY agreed and expanded on my very own frustrations with our retarded "modern" technologies.

I have ALWAYS dreaded NOISE - I haven't done empirical research on this subject, but my gut instinct has led me to run from & truly hate noisy machines. I feel like someone were stabbing me when I am exposed to a Harley Davidson on the road ! The only friends I really have in this matter I think are the ANIMALS - have you ever noticed the DREAD & FEAR with which ANY animal reacts to our machines ( most notably our motors - be they lawnmowers, drilling machines ... ) Even birds totally abhor the NOISE from our aircraft & automobiles .. notice their flight, as from terror, when they are flying over traffic !

Now I see that IMPLOSION is essentially a NOISELESS phenomenon !! And this is the technology that truly supports the LIVING ! My question - FOLKS, WHEN WILL WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE NOT MACHINES ?? AND OUR SPIRITUALITY IS NOT SOME GOD-DEVIL-CRAP but a PHYSICAL manifestation of the higher ????

Book Description

From the author of the beloved classic The Great Kapok Tree, A River Ran Wild tells a story of restoration and renewal. Learn how the modern-day descendants of the Nashua Indians and European settlers were able to combat pollution and restore the beauty of the Nashua River in Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews:

Great Historical/ Environmental Read.......2007-03-21

Ages 10+
Follows the life of a river from Native American time through present and details the story of human destruction of a river and the human renewal of the resource. Definitely a read for grades 5+ due to the "urgency" of environmental destruction*we don't want to scare the kids to help them appreciate the resource*

This book is fantastic for third graders!.......1998-08-23

I used this book with my third grade class when they were studying the effects of water pollution on a large body of water. They had already studied Native Americans in second grade and this book just blended the two subjects together. The step by step portrayal of man's harm to the Nashua River helped my children learn about how they were harming the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. Lynne Cherry is a fantastic author and presents two great subjects that are highly interesting to children. Any teacher that teaches either Native Americans or water pollution should include this book in their lessons!

This is one of the greatest books ever written........1997-12-24

This book was given to me at age 12. I am now 17 and it is still my favorite. I will never outgrow the beautiful pictures, or the very important lesson it teaches. Every page is expertly laid out, with exquisite paintings depicting the river and the era being discussed. The message of environmental conservation and protection is inspiring. Lynne Cherry makes this vital part of our existence understandable to young children, and even adults, often the harder group to reach. I highly reccommend this book for anyone who wants their children to appreciate the world around them and learn that they can, and should, do their best to save it.

Scenic AND educational!.......1997-03-16

This is a beautiful book! The illustrations are breathtaking and it follows an almost "illuminated" type of text structure, similar to that found in "The Mitten" by Jan Brett. Each page is bordered by illustrations of items pertaining to the period in history that the page is depicting - the implements used by Native peoples, animals that live by the river, inventions of the Industrial Revolution, etc. There is much more to talk about on each page than just the environmental theme of the book. This book would fit well in units about Native people, progress/inventions, ecology, water habitats, etc. A must-have for classrooms, homes, and teachers

Solar Water Heating: A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Water And Space Heating Systems (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series)

Average customer rating:

solar hot water
Great support
Homeowner's Guide to Solar Water Heating
Comprehensive
Excellent

Solar Water Heating: A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Water And Space Heating Systems (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series)
Bob Ramlow , and Benjamin Nusz
Manufacturer: New Society Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0865715610

Book Description

Heating water with the sun is almost as old as humankind itself, and it is done all over the world. Yet there are strangely few resources on the topic in North America.

Solar Water Heating fills this gap. It reviews the history of solar water & space heating systems from prehistory to the present, then presents the basics of solar water heating, including an introduction to modern solar energy systems, energy conservation and energy economics. Drawing on the author's experience as an installer of these systems, the book goes on to cover:

Types of solar collectors, solar water and space heating systems and solar pool heating systems, including their advantages and disadvantages
System components, their installation, operation, and maintenance
System sizing and siting
Choosing the appropriate system.

Since people often get turned off by the up-front cost, the book focuses especially on the financial aspects of solar water or space heating systems, clearly showing that such systems can save significant costs in the long run. Well-illustrated, the book is designed for a wide readership from the curious to the student or professional.

Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series

Customer Reviews:

solar hot water.......2007-05-19

This is a great collection of information on the subject of solar water heating. I love how the author doesn't pull any punches. There are definite reasons why we don't use more solar hot water in this country. Regan led by example in the 80's when he pulled the solar collectors off the white house roof. While the author spends a bit on the history of solar heating this is definitely a manual on how to design and install a system. The author obviously has had a lot of experience with these systems and he knows what works. read this book and get a high quality solar hot water system up and running in your home. Our planet depends on it.
In fact he dedicated the book for our earth.

Great support.......2007-05-16

I read the book fully with one breath. Basically it contains almost everything what need to know about solar systems and their application. But I gave 4 stars. The reason is simple: I am not sharing the view as vacuum tubes or heatpipes are having a same efficiency as normal flat collectors having. In our climate only heatpipes are able to supply enough heat for heating and support for heating. All others are excellent!

Homeowner's Guide to Solar Water Heating.......2007-04-04

Find out why your next home should be heated by a solar water system. This book will explain the ins and outs of various kinds of systems.

Comprehensive.......2007-03-29

Not being a plumber I can't say this book will be as much value to someone with those skills. He covers the systems so thoroughly that I would imagine if you had the plumbing ability this book would be all you need to get started.

I was a little frustrated having read the first chapter only to find out that several systems described in detail the author would never recommend using. I was thinking to myself why did I waste time reading about those. But that's where the comprehensive part comes in. And by knowing why the author doesn't recommend those systems you get to participate in the joy of knowing everything there is to know about solar water heating.

I especially enjoyed the cost analysis of the hot water systems vs. gas and electric, as well as the discussion of using solar heated water to provide whole house heating.

Excellent.......2007-03-04

Despite Federal tax credits (up to $2,000 at this writing) for solar water heating there's a lack of information on the subject.
For a handyman with good plumbing skills, or a homeowner wanting to learn about solar water heating, this is the best book available.
After a history of solar water heating in the US, the book describes various systems that use the sun to heat and store water. Climate, freeze conditions, water quality and amount of sunlight available are some of the factors considered in choosing a system, and the book describes them all. Individual components are detailed in a logical, straightforward way. It's obvious the authors have extensive practical knowledge. The writing style is informal and easy to read.
Besides all the solar water heating information, this book also has a good section on radiant floor heating, detailing the use of PEX tubing to heat a concrete slab.
The book uses a lot of drawings to demonstrate how things work. More actual photographs of systems and components would have been helpful. I also wish the authors would have included brand names and sources for equipment. The industry still suffers from the stigma of poorly designed systems of the 1970's and 80's. Some reassurances from the authors regarding which component manufacturers are good would have been nice.
For the past two years, I've lived with a solar water heating system I bought as a package and installed myself. I've been happy with all the "free" hot water it's provided. If this book had been available when planning my system I would have had a much better idea of what I was doing. Having all the components matched and sized with specific instructions gave me a lot of confidence during installation. In my opinion, for the neophyte, a component package is a good way to go.
For anyone planning a residential sized solar water heating system, this is the best book available. It's an excellent guide, whether you decide to choose the individual components yourself, buy a package, or hire a contractor to install a turnkey system.
If you're a contractor or someone wanting to get into the solar water heating business, "Solar Hot Water Systems - Lessons Learned 1977 to Today" (Tom Lane) is very good, but the amount of technical detail implies you already have a good working knowledge of plumbing and roofing. [...]

Good luck getting into hot water!

Constructed Wetlands in the Sustainable Landscape

Average customer rating:

Great All-around Guide for Constructed Wetlands

Constructed Wetlands in the Sustainable Landscape
Craig S. Campbell , and Michael Ogden
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Omni Swings n' Things 510 Rope Hammock Chair, Natural

ASIN: 0471107204

Book Description

LandscapeConstructed wetlands are gaining worldwide acceptance as effective, low-cost, and low-impact alternatives to unsightly, high-impact wastewater treatment facilities. The creative involvement of today's planners, landscape architects, developers, environmental engineers, and public officials is helping to maximize the potential of these wetland habitatsâfrom their aesthetics to their multiple uses as water treatment plants, wildlife refuges, and recreational or educational facilities. Yet, to date, the literature has paid no attention to these aspects, focusing instead on the technical side of wetlands construction and function.

Constructed Wetlands in the Sustainable Landscape is the first book to integrate aesthetic design and planning issues with the technical aspects of wetlands engineering. Renowned landscape architect Craig S. Campbell and engineer Michael H. Ogden clearly demonstrate how the successful development and management of multifunctional, sustainable wetland habitats depend on harnessing the knowledge and working principles of a number of disciplines. Richly illustrated with real-world case studies, the book:

Covers the concept of sustainable development and the nature of wetland processes.
Discusses designs for new and existing municipal and small community wastewater treatment facilities.
Contains examples of on-site planning for, and management of, stormwater renovation, single-family residential systems, and multiple-use systems.

Examines landscape engineering and planning for ponds, urban wildlife, and ecological art.

Clearly written and accessible to nonengineers and nonscientists, Constructed Wetlands in the Sustainable Landscape is a crucial guide for landscape architects, environmental engineers, planners, developers, and others responsible for the design and management of our built environment.

Customer Reviews:

Great All-around Guide for Constructed Wetlands.......2002-11-12

This book has become an invaluable reference around our office...for the engineers, landscape architect and directors. The book covers a range of useful topics, from design basics (including relevant modeling formulas), pricing estimates, integration information for planners, citizens and regulators, wetland ecology background notes, landscaping ideas and wonderful examples of systems that the authors themselves have designed and installed.

The book highlights the benefits of wetlands often overlooked or undervalued in other engineering-oriented texts - wildlife habitat creation, aesthetics, water recharge, etc.

Since the book was writen by a landscape architect and an engineer, two visionary pioneers in their fields, it covers a lot of useful ground.

Average customer rating:

practical and inspirational

An Excellent Overview

Can't wait to try it out!

top notch

Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands (Vol. 1): Guiding Principles to Welcome Rain into Your Life And Landscape

Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands (Vol. 1): Guiding Principles to Welcome Rain into Your Life And Landscape
Brad Lancaster
Manufacturer: Chelsea Green Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Builder's Greywater Guide: Installation of Greywater Systems in New Construction & Remodeling; A Supplement to the Book "Create an Oasis With Greywater"

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ASIN: 097724640X

Book Description

Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands: Guiding Principles to Welcome Rain into Your Life and Landscape is the first volume of three-volume guide on how to conceptualize, design, and implement sustainable water-harvesting systems for your home, landscape, and community. This book enables you to assess your on-site resources, gives you a diverse array of strategies to maximize their potential, and empowers you with guiding principles to create an integrated, multi-functional water-harvesting plan specific to your site and needs. Volume 1 helps bring your site to life, reduce your cost of living, endow you with skills of self-reliance, and create living air conditioners of vegetation growing beauty, food, and wildlife habitat. Stories of people who are successfully welcoming rain into their life and landscape will invite you to do the same!

Customer Reviews:

practical and inspirational.......2007-09-05

i enjoyed reading this book which was both extremely useful and inspirational in its practical demonstration of how water care can change lives with a little thought,care and the tried and true methods of someone who is clearly an expert in the field.

An Excellent Overview.......2007-08-28

This book presents a good starting point for those interested in harvesting rainwater for landscaping and domestic use. It presents basic ideas of the process clearly with many simple (and sometimes entertaining) figures, pictures, and a number of real-life examples. Appendices in the book present more technical information for planning, etc.

I live in a state that is much wetter than Arizona, but applying some of the principles in this book has helped me work toward independence from the town water supply. This past year, the garden has been irrigated solely from rainwater collected off my roof into several rainbarrels. I'm currently expanding this system to over 600 gallons of storage... sufficient for my garden size.

The book refers to Volumes 2 and 3 of the series, neither of which have been published as of this review. These volumes are supposed to expand on the ideas presented in Vol. 1. However, it seems that the publication date for Vol. 2 keeps getting pushed back. This publication delay is my only disappointment.

Can't wait to try it out!.......2007-07-03

I bought this book about a month ago. We're in escrow on a house in Las Vegas with no landscaping whatsoever in an older neighborhood. This book has been very helpful in planning my landscaping. I can't wait to put his ideas to use!

top notch.......2007-01-19

If you're interested in religion, buy a bible. If you're interested in making your property water secure, buy this book. It's a ripper.

Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands (Vol. 1): Guiding Principles to Welcome Rain into Your Life And Landscape.......2007-01-04

I can't say enough about what a good reference this book is for all gardeners/farmers, and even for people who don't garden. Water is such a precious resource. Mr. Lancaster did extensive research for this book inspired by Mr. Phirri in Africa. I first heard of Mr. Phirri in an online article by Mr. Lancaster. He was arrested several times for stealing water from his neighbors during the dry season because he still was able to grow and harvest vegetables and such when no one else could....and more importantly perhaps, his well never ran dry. The thing was he wasn't stealing water. He was harvesting it in unique ways he had to prove. It caused folks from all over the globe to go see how a simple African man could manage this after he convinced a judge to come to see his system for saving water. He became known as "The Man Who Farms Water."
Mr. Lancaster took what he learned from Mr. Phirri and researched it back home in Arizona to see if these ideas/techniques could be used anywhere else. What he and his brother learned caused even the city of Tuscon, Arizona, to change their ideas and practices in order to save precious water for its citizens. This book explains all of that and more. The one drawback to the book may be that it lists sources only for Tuscon, but it was that area for which it was written. What it shows may be used anywhere, though. It goes much further than just putting out barrels to collect rainwater. You may find yourself wondering why you didn't think of that yourself. Some of it completely contradicts what we have always been told about how our property should be graded, for instance. It may be my most valuable gardening reference, but more importantly it may be the most valuable resource for preserving potable water for the world

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