J's Pages

In this one, Jonathan Waterman followed the Colorado River from its headwaters to its end. (I can't say "to the sea" because the Colorado actually ran dry before reaching the ocean.) He recounts the journey, interwoven with anecdotes from historical expeditions along the Colorado, the history of attempts to use water from the river, descriptions of the surrounding ecosystems, and musings of his mother's death. 

Having lived in well watered places all of my life, Running Dry was a depressing peek into another world. This book has a very environmental tone, as one might expect from a National Geographic publication. The outlook for the Colorado River basin is not pleasant. One thing that struck me was that the villain of this book was not just the big business utilities. Instead, the threat to the river was the needs and wants of millions of little people--homeowners, ranchers, fares, fishermen, tourists, and power customers.

Good message, but it's still just waiting room material for me.
LibraryThing link

Labels: WaitingRoomMaterial

// posted by John @ 8:00 PM