Peak Water: Civilisation and the World's Water Crisis

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Water is the source of life and the building block of all civilisation. The control of water has shaped politics, health, population growth, city planning, technology and religion. Controlling water has driven progress, through the growth of intensive farming and industrial revolution. It has also become a symbol of our civilisation - evidence that we have mastered nature.From the hanging gardens of Babylon and the ancient myth of the Nile to the fountains in Las Vegas, water is the one constant. We are fed by irrigated fields, live in plumbed cities, and turn on a tap without a moment's thought. Yet, this simple technology that underpins everything is at bursting point. There are too many people for the available water, and war may follow. How did we get here, and what can we do about it?

Additional Information

Title	Peak Water: Civilisation and the World's Water Crisis
Author	Alexander Bell
Binding	Hardback
ISBN-13	9781906817190
No. of Pages	208
Series	N/A
Edition	N/A
Author Bio	Alexander Bell worked as a journalist for the BBC, The Observer and the Herald. He reported from around the world and in the UK on conflicts and major events. Over time, he began to think that the greatest story of the age was how mankind lives on the planet. He became fascinated by water -- the way it influences the shape of so many things, and the assumption that the next big war would be over water. He wrote this book to share that fascination and introduce a wide readership to a vital issue. He lives in Edinburgh with his daughter.
Back Cover Copy	Peak water is the point when the available water is not enough to meet the demands of the world's growing population. We might live on a watery world, but we are exhausting accessible supplies. Many parts of the world are already facing this crisis, and not only in the developing world. Some of the places experiencing 'peak water' are in the USA, Europe and the UK. Even the wettest lands will be engulfed in the global catastrophe that looms - this is the issue of our age.
Reviews	N/A
Table of Contents	I. The First Taste Chapter One: Where's the Water? Chapter Two: The Font of Civilisation Chapter Three: Civilisation Bloomed from Water Chapter Four: Egypt Chapter Five: Athens and Rome Chapter Six: God, Paradise and Gardens II. The Growing Thirst Chapter Seven: God's Dry Land Chapter Eight: Fountains of Rome Chapter Nine: Taming the Rhine Chapter Ten: Health Chapter Eleven: Coal and Cotton Chapter Twelve: Dams and Politics Chapter Thirteen: America III. Peak Water Chapter Fourteen: Collapse Chapter Fifteen: Luxury Chapter Sixteen: Cities Chapter Seventeen: Irrigation Chapter Eighteen: Farming Chapter Nineteen: Trade Chapter Twenty: War Chapter Twenty-One: Dubai
BISAC Subject	SCIENCE / General
BIC Subject	Popular science

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