Cheers,

Jared

On the book — fine, point taken. I just hope that it’s better than the essay I referred to and the movie that appears to be from many of the same people. As you will note in my review of the movie, I did not think Dr. Shiva’s observations were very useful to policy people (they ARE useful to activists.)

That said, I am glad to hear of another good book on water — it’s a complicated little molecule. My apologies.

Deeming something that I praised “junk” seems pretty belligerent to me. But the real issue is that the book is the exact opposite of junk–it’s really a fine resource, with essays by and interviews with acknowledged experts who also happen to be very concerned about the enormous pressures on our finite water supply.

It’s also brimming with really finely done graphs, lists, maps, and informational graphics–the workings of a desal plant, the water cycle, etc.

BTW, one of the book’s contributors, Dr. Vandana Shiva, and an interview subject, Dr. Peter Gleick, were invited by the Economist to participate in their online debate on the water as a commodity, which you’d posted about recently.

Relax. Not only did I qualify my judgment, but I did not say anything “belligerent”. I also agree with you on expressing opinions, and I wonder why you think mine baseless.

See this post for more on my opinions and how I update them on the basis on deeper “reading”: http://aguanomics.com/2008/10/flow-review.html

Unlike Dr. Zetland, I’ve read Water Consciousness, and I judge it to be an excellent and accessible resource. It’s crammed with informative and sophisticated essays, photos, tables, lists, and graphs that give a comprehensive overview of the vexing problems we all face concerning the rapidly diminishing supply of fresh water. The fact that the editors and contributors dare express strong political viewpoints that distress Dr. Zetland doesn’t make the book junk.

I guess everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, however misguided and hostilely expressed it may be. Unfortunately, we now live in an era of public discourse in which opinion need have no basis in fact and is best served with a side dish of belligerence. Even well-educated people who should know better–such as Dr. Zetland–are not at all embarrassed to nastily condemn something with which they haven’t much familiarity.

We are also at a point in which the Dr. Zetlands of the world can respond to whatever social or political statements they happen to find disagreeable by pointing their finger and screeching “ideological,” and the discussion is over. This is a meaningless misuse of the term as a conversation-killing rhetorical bullet. All social and political stances are based on ideology, even those of Dr. Zetland.

I urge you to check out the book for yourself: http://www.amazon.com/Water-Consciousness-Tara-Lohan/dp/0975272446