Every Drop for Sale: Our Desperate Battle Over Water in a World about to Run Out

Beginning with "Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water" in 1986, many books have been written detailing various blood-boiling aspects of the gross mismanagement of the world's water resources. Most were written as polemics, and justifiably so. Here in "Every Drop for Sale", author Jeffrey Rothfeder treats the subject using more temperate language. But, given the facts, the reader's reaction is still likely to be one of outrage. It is testament to the author's skill that he is able to raise the alarm while remaining objective and clear-sighted about both progress and possible solutions. The book ranges widely over the effects of the proliferation of dams, diversions, reservoirs, irrigation projects, privatizations, and subsidizations. As Rothfeder guides us through Rapid City (Iowa), the Narmada River in India, the ill-fated village of Cochabamba in Bolivia, and many other water mismanagement sites, he proves to be an effective and moving chronicler. The power of his book lies in his ability to combine a big picture view with attention to the lives of the powerless who happen to be downstream from some megalomaniac water project. Cochabamba proves to be both the most arresting and yet ironically one of the more promising of Rothfeder's accounts. Townspeople were first subjected to the loss of their major industry, tin mining. That loss of local revenue then led to the deterioration of their water distribution system. The Bolivian government tried to rescue the situation by privatizing the town's water management out to Bechtel, which promptly raised water fees. Something approaching civil war resulted. Instead of simply bemoaning the path taken, Rothfeder sees in the eventual outcome (after destruction, arrests, and deaths, the government cancelled its deal with Bechtel) both a salutary object lesson and a hope that, with a newly recognized need for safeguards, privatization can in fact be a critical part of addressing the world's accelerating water crisis. Giving validity to this optimistic outlook, the author concludes that same chapter with a look at how the Blair government turned the UK's privatization efforts, begun disastrously under Margaret Thatcher, into a successful model for the rest for the world. (He characterizes that program as one "strictly overseeing the free water market, while leaving it sufficiently unrestricted that profit incentives will motivate private corporations".) This juxtaposition of stories is characteristic of the book's effective pivot around both problems and ideas for resolution. Rothfeder argues that the commoditization of water and its corollary, the privatization of water management, are not only inevitable but also that they can be turned to advantage. This is debatable; but he puts forward a compelling case for his belief that both are so. The standard author's blurb describes Rothfeder as an author and "consulting editor". In the course of the book, he reveals that he cam

Beginning with "Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water" in 1986, many books have been written detailing various blood-boiling aspects of the gross mismanagement of the world's water resources. Most were written as polemics, and justifiably so. Here in "Every Drop for Sale", author Jeffrey Rothfeder treats the subject using more temperate language. But, given the facts, the reader's reaction is still likely to be one of outrage. It is testament to the author's skill that he is able to raise the alarm while remaining objective and clear-sighted about both progress and possible solutions. The book ranges widely over the effects of the proliferation of dams, diversions, reservoirs, irrigation projects, privatizations, and subsidizations. As Rothfeder guides us through Rapid City (Iowa), the Narmada River in India, the ill-fated village of Cochabamba in Bolivia, and many other water mismanagement sites, he proves to be an effective and moving chronicler. The power of his book lies in his ability to combine a big picture view with attention to the lives of the powerless who happen to be downstream from some megalomaniac water project. Cochabamba proves to be both the most arresting and yet ironically one of the more promising of Rothfeder's accounts. Townspeople were first subjected to the loss of their major industry, tin mining. That loss of local revenue then led to the deterioration of their water distribution system. The Bolivian government tried to rescue the situation by privatizing the town's water management out to Bechtel, which promptly raised water fees. Something approaching civil war resulted. Instead of simply bemoaning the path taken, Rothfeder sees in the eventual outcome (after destruction, arrests, and deaths, the government cancelled its deal with Bechtel) both a salutary object lesson and a hope that, with a newly recognized need for safeguards, privatization can in fact be a critical part of addressing the world's accelerating water crisis. Giving validity to this optimistic outlook, the author concludes that same chapter with a look at how the Blair government turned the UK's privatization efforts, begun disastrously under Margaret Thatcher, into a successful model for the rest for the world. (He characterizes that program as one "strictly overseeing the free water market, while leaving it sufficiently unrestricted that profit incentives will motivate private corporations".) This juxtaposition of stories is characteristic of the book's effective pivot around both problems and ideas for resolution. Rothfeder argues that the commoditization of water and its corollary, the privatization of water management, are not only inevitable but also that they can be turned to advantage. This is debatable; but he puts forward a compelling case for his belief that both are so. The standard author's blurb describes Rothfeder as an author and "consulting editor". In the course of the book, he reveals that he came t

Another mind blowing expose on the highs and lows of the global water supply, from acclaimed journalist Jeff Rothfeder, whose candid style and probing research will hold your interest and keep you begging for more. This chilling account of the world's pending water crisis is guaranteed to change the way we perceive the life and death importance of H2O in the coming years. You won't be able to put it down.

This is an hysterical title, but nevertheless offers a good overview of the methods by which potable water makes it to where the people are. We should always remember the wise words of Sam Kinison about living in the desert. Of course, when he said that, he was a resident of Los Angeles.According to this author, desalination is no cheaper than delivery by floating bags. Apparently he hasn't got up to date info from the eastern Mediterranean. Desalination (many methods are available, as he notes) is the way of the future.The biggest problem area in water distribution is the use of open canals in hot, dry areas. Most significantly, Los Angeles gets its water supply that way, and Egypt is losing arable land every year in part because of a failure to arrest evaporation losses.The Med-Dead project (to bring water from the Mediterranean into the Dead Sea, as a way to supply Jordan; instead, Jordan wants a canal from Aqaba, along the Saudi-Israeli border for political and military reasons) and the Med-Qattara project will probably never materialize for economic reasons.The Aral Sea basin was devastated by Soviet land use and water use practices, making the contested valley along the Afghan border significant to the world at large.The Kuwaitis and Iranians are building a way (Japanese contractor I believe) to move water from western Iran to oil-wealthy Kuwait, via a pipeline under the Persian Gulf. The Turks intend to build an anchored pipeline from a hydro project to the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus (the Turkish enclave of Cyprus, an independent nation recognized only by Turkey). If brought to fruition, each of these projects will have political and military significance.The hysteria of the title is a bit much precisely because water doesn't go away; no matter how tainted, it can be filtered and reused. The world is people, and people aren't short of water. Agricultural irrigation uses something like ten times as much water as other uses, but requires less treatment. Obviously we need agriculture, and the other uses can be easily satisfied using current sources merely by cheap methods of conservation.