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Big Data’s Big Potential in Developing Economies: Impact on Agriculture, Health and Environmental Security
by Nir KshetriBig data involves the use of sophisticated analytics to make decisions based on large-scale data inputs. It is set to transform agriculture, environmental protection and healthcare in developing countries. This book critically evaluates the developing big data industry and market in these countries and gives an overview of the determinants, performance and impacts. It provides a detailed analysis of technology creation, technology infrastructures and human skills required to utilize big data while discussing novel applications and business models that make use of it to overcome healthcare barriers. The book also offers an analysis of big data's potential to improve environmental monitoring and protection where it is likely to have far-reaching and profound impacts on the agricultural sector. A key question addressed is how gains in agricultural productivity associated with big data will benefit smallholder farmers relative to global multinationals in that sector. The book also probes big data's roles in the creation of markets that can improve the welfare of smallholder farmers. Special consideration is given to big data-led transformation of the financial industry and discusses how the transformation can increase small-holder farmers' access to finance by changing the way lenders assess creditworthiness of potential borrowers. It also takes a look at data privacy and security issues facing smallholder farmers and reviews differences in such issues in industrialized and developing countries. The key ideas, concepts and theories presented are explored, illustrated and contrasted through in-depth case studies of developing world-based big data companies, and deployment and utilization of big data in agriculture, environmental protection and healthcare.
Big Earth Data in Support of the Sustainable Development Goals (Sustainable Development Goals Series)
by Huadong GuoThis open access book showcases the innovative practices of Big Earth Data methods through a collection of global comprehensive case studies to monitor and evaluate indicators for seven SDGs, i.e., zero hunger (SDG 2), clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), affordable and clean energy (SDG 7), sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), climate action (SDG 13), life below water (SDG 14), life on land (SDG 15), and to analyzes the interactions among multiple SDGs indicators. The emphasis on Big Earth Data is highly relevant within the context of growing global challenges. Disaster risk mitigation, climate change, global food security, resource management, and environmental challenges all are interlinked through earth systems and processes that are independent of human constructs. Therefore these case studies highlight methods and practices of spatial information mining and integrated SDG evaluation, which include evaluating the synergy and trade-off relationships among the SDGs in the context of their correlations; simulating multiple indicators’ interactions in environmental, economic, and social scenarios in the context of their temporal variations; designing integrated evaluations of regional SDGs in the context of experience with the study of multiple indicators. Big Earth Data therefore has the potential to support informed policy and decision support at global, regional, and local scales.
Big Earth Data in Support of the Sustainable Development Goals (Sustainable Development Goals Series)
by Huadong GuoThis open access book showcases the innovative practices of Big Earth Data methods through a collection of comprehensive case studies from China to monitor and evaluate indicators for seven SDGs, i.e., zero hunger (SDG 2), clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), affordable and clean energy (SDG 7), sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), climate action (SDG 13), life below water (SDG 14), life on land (SDG 15), and to analyze the interactions among multiple SDGs indicators. The emphasis on Big Earth Data is highly relevant within the context of growing global challenges. Disaster risk mitigation, climate change, global food security, resource management, and environmental challenges all are interlinked through earth systems and processes that are independent of human constructs. Therefore, these case studies highlight methods and practices of spatial information mining and integrated SDG evaluation, which include evaluating the synergy and trade-off relationships among the SDGs in the context of their correlations; simulating multiple indicators’ interactions in future environmental, economic and social scenarios in the context of their temporal variations; designing integrated evaluations of regional SDGs in the context of experience with the study of multiple indicators. Big Earth Data therefore has the potential to support informed policy and decision support at global, regional, and local scales.
Big Ecology
by David C. ColemanIn Big Ecology, David C. Coleman documents his historically fruitful ecological collaborations in the early years of studying large ecosystems in the United States. As Coleman explains, the concept of the ecosystem--a local biological community and its interactions with its environment--has given rise to many institutions and research programs, like the National Science Foundation's program for Long Term Ecological Research. Coleman's insider account of this important and fascinating trend toward big science takes us from the paradigm of collaborative interdisciplinary research, starting with the International Geophysical Year (IGY) of 1957, through the International Biological Program (IBP) of the late 1960s and early 1970s, to the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) programs of the 1980s.
The Big Fix: Seven Practical Steps to Save Our Planet
by Hal Harvey Justin GillisAn engaging, accessible citizen&’s guide to the seven urgent changes that will really make a difference for our climate—and how we can hold our governments accountable for putting these plans into action.Dozens of kids in Montgomery County, Maryland, agitated until their school board committed to electric school buses. Mothers in Colorado turned up in front of an obscure state panel to fight for clean air. If you think the only thing you can do to combat climate change is to install a smart thermostat or cook plant-based burgers, you&’re thinking too small. That&’s where The Big Fix comes in, offering everyday citizens a guide to the seven essential changes our communities must enact to bring our greenhouse gas emissions down to zero—and sharing stories of people who are making those changes reality. Energy policy advisor Hal Harvey and longtime New York Times reporter Justin Gillis hone in on the seven areas where ambitious but eminently practical changes will have the greatest effect: electricity production, transportation, buildings, industry, urbanization, use of land, and investment in promising new green technologies. In a lively, jargon-free style, the pair illuminate how our political economy really works, revealing who decides everything from what kind of power plants to build to how efficient cars must be before they&’re allowed on the road to how much insulation a new house requires—and how we can insert ourselves into all these decisions to ensure that the most climate-conscious choices are being made. At once pragmatic and inspiring, The Big Fix is an indispensable action plan for citizens looking to drive our country&’s greenhouse gas emissions down to zero—and save our climate.
Big Game of Botswana: The Tragic History of a Once Great Southern African Fauna
by Clive SpinageQuoting contemporary accounts from hunters, missionaries and traders from the early nineteenth century onwards, this book illustrates the ecology of the country as it was emphasizing its rich large mammal fauna, its decline from increasing aridity of the country, it destruction by hunters, by disease, and most importantly, destruction of its vast herds, notably of wildebeest, due to the developing beef export economy and the erection of veterinary cordon fences depriving the large game of migration routes in times of drought. Once possessing one of the greatest animal displacements in Africa, with huge migrations of antelope, this book underlines the reality that the fauna of Botswana today is but a tiny remnant of what was perhaps once one of the the greatest spectacles of big game on earth. It shows how the decline came about -- and the controls exercised by tribal chiefs illustrating the indigenous peoples’ attitudes, and eventual protective measures both tribal and statutory. Whereas the pessimistic predictions of extinction at the end of the nineteenth century have happily not come true, nonetheless, the continued existence of this once great fauna is increasingly threatened by climate change threatening an already fragile balance, and human population increase with its increasing economic demands and changes in land use. The study fills a gap in the literature of African wildlife conservation and is distinctive by drawing upon a rich historical background.
Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World
by Diane MaceachernProtecting our environment is one of the biggest issues facing our planet today. But how do we solve a problem that can seem overwhelming-even hopeless? As Diane MacEachern argues in Big Green Purse, the best way to fight the industries that pollute the planet, thereby changing the marketplace forever, is to mobilize the most powerful consumer force in the world-women. MacEachern's message is simple but revolutionary. If women harness the "power of their purse" and intentionally shift their spending money to commodities that have the greatest environmental benefit, they can create a cleaner, greener world. Spirited and informative, this book: - targets twenty commodities-cars, cosmetics, coffee, food, paper products, appliances, cleansers, and more-where women's dollars can make a dramatic difference; - provides easy-to-follow guidelines and lists so women can choose the greenest option regardless of what they're buying, along with recommended companies they should support; - encourages women to spend wisely by explaining what's worth the premium price some green products cost, what's not, and when they shouldn't spend money at all; and - differentiates between products that are actually "green" and those that are simply marketed as "ecofriendly." Whether readers want to start with small changes or are ready to devote the majority of their budget to green products, MacEachern offers concrete and immediate ways that women can take action and make a difference. Empowering and enlightening, Big Green Purse will become the "green shopping bible" for women everywhere who are asking, "What can I do? "
Big Ideas for Little Environmentalists: Conservation with Jane Goodall (Big Ideas for Little Environmentalists)
by Maureen McQuerryDiscover Jane Goodall's big ideas about conserving habitats and ways even the youngest kids can help, too! Even little children can make a positive impact on the environment. Jane Goodall has dedicated her life to studying chimpanzees, and realized that sometimes people hurt the places where animals have always lived. She began to teach others how we can enjoy nature while also making sure that the homes of animals aren&’t suffering. Kids will come away from this book with questions about what animal habitats they can care for in their own community, and how conservation work makes sure all people and animals have a healthy home. Look for the other books in the Big Ideas for Little Environmentalists series: Restoration with Wangari Maathai, Preservation with Aldo Leopold, and Ecosystems with Rachel Carson.
Big Ideas For Little Environmentalists: Ecosystems with Rachel Carson (Big Ideas for Little Environmentalists)
by Maureen McQuerryDiscover Rachel Carson's big ideas about protecting ecosystems and ways even the youngest kids can help, too! Even little children can make a positive impact on the environment. Rachel Carson was an environmentalist who studied the way the land, plants, and animals interact with each other, beginning when she was a child. She noticed that everything is connected, and all of nature must stay healthy for living things to thrive. When she realized that the chemicals people used outdoors were making plants, animals, and even other people sick, she began teaching others about the ecosystems, and how we must take care of them to keep the Earth balanced. Kids will see, through Rachel&’s curiosity and passion for all creatures, that even seemingly small choices can have big consequences on the world around them. Look for all of the books in the Big Ideas for Little Environmentalists series: Conservation with Jane Goodall, Restoration with Wangari Maathai, and Preservation with Aldo Leopold.
Big Ideas for Little Environmentalists: Preservation with Aldo Leopold (Big Ideas for Little Environmentalists)
by Maureen McQuerryDiscover Aldo Leopold's big ideas about preserving nature and ways even the youngest kids can help, too!Little children can make a big impact on the environment. Aldo Leopold transformed his childhood love for nature into a life dedicated to protecting and preserving the environment. He encouraged the idea of keeping wilderness areas untouched, so that all people could visit areas free of human interference. Kids will come away from this book excited about the nature they have access to and how to help preserve other wilderness areas. Look for all of the books in the Big Ideas for Little Environmentalists series: Conservation with Jane Goodall, Restoration with Wangari Maathai, and Ecosystems with Rachel Carson.
Big Ideas for Little Environmentalists: Restoration with Wangari Maathai (Big Ideas for Little Environmentalists)
by Maureen McQuerryDiscover Wangari Maathai's big ideas about restoring nature and ways even the youngest kids can help, too! Even little children can make a positive impact on the environment. Wangari Maathai grew up in Kenya, and her childhood was spent playing beneath mugumo fig trees. Over time, most of the trees in her area were cleared and she noticed how that made many people and animals suffer. Wangaari realized that trees are important for the health of the land and all who live on it, so she worked to plant millions of trees to make the land healthy again. Kids will begin to see through Wangaari that it is never too late to help restore damaged land back to what it once was, and they can help their community take care of struggling environments. Look for all of the books in the Big Ideas for Little Environmentalists series: Conservation with Jane Goodall, Preservation with Aldo Leopold, and Ecosystems with Rachel Carson.
Big Karst Chambers: Examples, Genesis, Stability (Advances in Karst Science)
by Eric GilliThis book documents and describes 32 natural caves from France and around the globe that have a width larger than 50 m, including data on the largest underground chamber in the world: Sarawak Chamber. Artificial caves are not able to be constructed at these volumes and most of these naturally forming chambers had never been surveyed before with little geological data available. Methodologies for studying these large volume Karst chambers are described and for each site, a survey, a geomorphological sketch, a description and photographic images are provided. The process of the mechanical transportation by underground running water, of an insoluble but erodible rock located below thick limestone roofs via digging, scouring and racking are explained through these example to clarify the genesis of the largest volumes in the world. The purpose of this study was to estimate whether these natural contexts could be transposed to the digging of artificial caverns to accommodate underground nuclear power plants. Indeed, the comparison of the effects of the Lucens nuclear accident with those of Chernobyl and Fukushima shows the whole interest of an underground solution. These examples of natural chambers indisputably show that this is possible.
Big Lonely Doug: The Story of One of Canada’s Last Great Trees
by Harley RustadIn the tradition of John Vaillant’s modern classic The Golden Spruce comes a story of the unlikely survival of one of the largest and oldest trees in Canada.On a cool morning in the winter of 2011, a logger named Dennis Cronin was walking through a stand of old-growth forest near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island. He came across a massive Douglas fir the height of a twenty-storey building. Instead of allowing the tree to be felled, he tied a ribbon around the trunk, bearing the words “Leave Tree.” The forest was cut but the tree was saved. The solitary Douglas fir, soon known as Big Lonely Doug, controversially became the symbol of environmental activists and their fight to protect the region’s dwindling old-growth forests.Originally featured as a long-form article in The Walrus that garnered a National Magazine Award (Silver), Big Lonely Doug weaves the ecology of old-growth forests, the legend of the West Coast’s big trees, the turbulence of the logging industry, the fight for preservation, the contention surrounding ecotourism, First Nations land and resource rights, and the fraught future of these ancient forests around the story of a logger who saved one of Canada's last great trees.
Big Muddy Blues: True Tales and Twisted Politics Along Lewis and Clark's Missouri River
by Bill LambrechtAmerica's Missouri River may be the nation's longest and most historically significant river, encompassing many of America's natural wonders between Missouri and Montana, draining almost 600,000 square miles in ten states and part of Canada, and, after Lewis and Clark's expedition 200 years ago, opening the West to a frenzied rush of expansion.But the Missouri is also the site of a vast, politically driven drama. It tops a list of emerging big-stakes river wars around the country that pit conservation, development, farm, barge, American Indian, and government interests against one another in clashes made even more complicated by the scarcity of water in many river basin states.In Big Muddy Blues, veteran journalist Bill Lambrecht uses the bicentennial of Lewis and Clark's epic adventure west as a lens to show the other side of the story: what's been lost over 200 years. And the losses, on top of the 120 miles cut off the river by Army Corps stabilization efforts, aren't slight. Dependent on every word uttered in courtrooms and legislatures for their futures are more than 80 rare and endangered species, the family farms that require a stabilized river, the barges of shippers that require a heavier flow, and dozens if not hundreds of sacred Native American burial grounds.Running through it all is the water--more than 2,300 miles of it--that slakes the thirst of people in one-sixth of the nation and has, in the last few hundred years, been home to Native Americans, explorers, and settlers; river pirates, shipwrecks, and steamboats; and farmers, conservationists, and the Army. This is the story of "Big Muddy," of its influence on the formation and stability of our nation and of its place in the center of an escalating river war that will set the stage for water wars in the decades to come.
The Big One: The Cascadia Earthquakes and the Science of Saving Lives (Scientists in the Field Series)
by Elizabeth RuschNo one ever thought the Pacific Northwest was due for an earthquake, let alone a catastrophic one. But geologists are transforming our understanding of the grave dangers the population in the region of Cascadia face—will there be a big one? And what can be done to save lives? America's Pacific Northwest has relatively few earthquakes—only a handful each year that cause even moderately noticeable shaking. But a couple decades ago, scientists discovered a geological feature running along the coast that in other parts of the world regularly triggers massive earthquakes of 8.0 magnitude and higher. Were there once massive earthquakes in this part of the world? Geologists think there were. Now a small group of scientists are studying things that you might not think have anything to do with earthquakes—marsh soil, ocean sediments, landslide debris, and ghost forests—and they have reason to believe that the Pacific Northwest is likely not as idyllic as it was once assumed. The population is likely in grave danger of a massive earthquake at some point. What can be done? The big one can't be stopped, but scientists are working tirelessly to learn as much as they can to prepare.
The Big Ones: How Natural Disasters Have Shaped Us (and What We Can Do About Them)
by Lucy JonesBy the world-renowned seismologist, a riveting history of natural disasters, their impact on our culture, and new ways of thinking about the ones to comeEarthquakes, floods, tsunamis, hurricanes, volcanoes--they stem from the same forces that give our planet life. Earthquakes give us natural springs; volcanoes produce fertile soil. It is only when these forces exceed our ability to withstand them that they become disasters. Together they have shaped our cities and their architecture; elevated leaders and toppled governments; influenced the way we think, feel, fight, unite, and pray. The history of natural disasters is a history of ourselves.In The Big Ones, leading seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones offers a bracing look at some of the world's greatest natural disasters, whose reverberations we continue to feel today. At Pompeii, Jones explores how a volcanic eruption in the first century AD challenged prevailing views of religion. She examines the California floods of 1862 and the limits of human memory. And she probes more recent events--such as the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 and the American hurricanes of 2017--to illustrate the potential for globalization to humanize and heal.With population in hazardous regions growing and temperatures around the world rising, the impacts of natural disasters are greater than ever before. The Big Ones is more than just a work of history or science; it is a call to action. Natural hazards are inevitable; human catastrophes are not. With this energizing and exhaustively researched book, Dr. Jones offers a look at our past, readying us to face down the Big Ones in our future.
The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself
by Sean CarrollOver the last few hundred years an avalanche of discoveries have changed our world dramatically, having a profound effect on what we think really matters. Now, theoretical physicist Sean Carroll breaks down how the universe works at the quantum, cosmic and human levels, and links them together to reveal how our human values relate to scientific reality.A synthesis of cosmos-sprawling science and the most profound questions about life, death and our place in the universe, The Big Picture is the ultimate guide through the scientific revolution that has taken us from Darwin and Einstein to the origins of life, consciousness and the universe. As Carroll's eloquent quest to explain everything demonstrates, our lives may forever be dwarfed by the immensity of the universe but they can be redeemed by our capacity to comprehend it and give it meaning.
The Big Pivot
by Andrew S. WinstonWe live in a fundamentally changed world. It's time for your approach to strategy to change, too.The evidence is all around us. Extreme weather, driven by climate change, is shattering records all over the planet. Our natural resources are in greater demand than ever before as a billion more people enter the global middle class, wanting more of everything. Radical transparency is opening up company operations and supply chains to public scrutiny.This is not some futuristic scenario or model to debate, but today's reality. We've passed an economic tipping point. A weakening of the foundations of our planetary infrastructure is costing businesses dearly and putting our society at risk. The mega challenges of climate change, scarcity, and radical transparency threaten our ability to run an expanding global economy and are profoundly changing "business as usual." But they also offer unprecedented opportunities: multi-trillion-dollar markets are in play, and the winners of this new game will profit mightily.According to Andrew Winston, bestselling author (Green to Gold) and globally recognized business strategist, the way companies currently operate will not allow them to keep up with the current-and future-rate of change. They need to make the Big Pivot.In this indispensable new book, Winston provides ten crucial strategies for leaders and companies ready to move boldly forward and win in this new reality. With concrete advice and tactics, and new stories from companies like British Telecom, Diageo, Dow, Ford, Nike, Unilever, Walmart, and many others, The Big Pivot will help you, and all of us, create more resilient businesses and a more prosperous world. This book is the blueprint to get you started.
The Big Pivot
by Andrew S. WinstonWe live in a fundamentally changed world. It's time for your approach to strategy to change, too.The evidence is all around us. Extreme weather, driven by climate change, is shattering records all over the planet. Our natural resources are in greater demand than ever before as a billion more people enter the global middle class, wanting more of everything. Radical transparency is opening up company operations and supply chains to public scrutiny.This is not some futuristic scenario or model to debate, but today's reality. We've passed an economic tipping point. A weakening of the foundations of our planetary infrastructure is costing businesses dearly and putting our society at risk. The mega challenges of climate change, scarcity, and radical transparency threaten our ability to run an expanding global economy and are profoundly changing "business as usual." But they also offer unprecedented opportunities: multi-trillion-dollar markets are in play, and the winners of this new game will profit mightily.According to Andrew Winston, bestselling author (Green to Gold) and globally recognized business strategist, the way companies currently operate will not allow them to keep up with the current-and future-rate of change. They need to make the Big Pivot.In this indispensable new book, Winston provides ten crucial strategies for leaders and companies ready to move boldly forward and win in this new reality. With concrete advice and tactics, and new stories from companies like British Telecom, Diageo, Dow, Ford, Nike, Unilever, Walmart, and many others, The Big Pivot will help you, and all of us, create more resilient businesses and a more prosperous world. This book is the blueprint to get you started.
The Big Pivot
by Andrew S. WinstonWe live in a fundamentally changed world. It's time for your approach to strategy to change, too.The evidence is all around us. Extreme weather, driven by climate change, is shattering records all over the planet. Our natural resources are in greater demand than ever before as a billion more people enter the global middle class, wanting more of everything. Radical transparency is opening up company operations and supply chains to public scrutiny.This is not some futuristic scenario or model to debate, but today's reality. We've passed an economic tipping point. A weakening of the foundations of our planetary infrastructure is costing businesses dearly and putting our society at risk. The mega challenges of climate change, scarcity, and radical transparency threaten our ability to run an expanding global economy and are profoundly changing "business as usual." But they also offer unprecedented opportunities: multi-trillion-dollar markets are in play, and the winners of this new game will profit mightily.According to Andrew Winston, bestselling author (Green to Gold) and globally recognized business strategist, the way companies currently operate will not allow them to keep up with the current-and future-rate of change. They need to make the Big Pivot.In this indispensable new book, Winston provides ten crucial strategies for leaders and companies ready to move boldly forward and win in this new reality. With concrete advice and tactics, and new stories from companies like British Telecom, Diageo, Dow, Ford, Nike, Unilever, Walmart, and many others, The Big Pivot will help you, and all of us, create more resilient businesses and a more prosperous world. This book is the blueprint to get you started.
Big Places, Big Plans (Perspectives On Rural Policy And Planning Ser.)
by Mark B. LappingWith origins in the late 1960s, a 'quiet revolution' in land use planning and control has taken hold across North America. First seen as a manifestation of the environmental movement, the revolution prompted governments at several levels to attempt to protect critical areas and vulnerable natural resources. Many of the most dramatic and far-reaching shifts in planning regimes have occurred in large-scale, environmentally unique or sensitive regions. It is these big places, looming large in the American and Canadian psyches, that are the focus of this edited volume. Each of the chapters reflects on the contemporary challenge of environmental and land use planning. Ten leading distinguished scholars here provide thoughtful analyses and critical insights into the processes and contexts shaping the innovative planning and policy schemes in seven regional landscapes.
The Big Rock
by Bruce HiscockTraces the origins of a granite rock located near the Adirondack Mountains and describes how it reveals information about the history of the earth.
The Big Smoke: A History of Air Pollution in London since Medieval Times (Routledge Revivals)
by Peter BrimblecombeFirst published in 1987, Peter Brimblecombe's book provides an engaging historical account of air pollution in London, offering a fascinating insight into the development of air pollution controls against a changing social and economic background. He examines domestic and industrial pollution and their effects on fashions, furnishings, buildings and human health. The book ends with an intriguing analysis of the dangers arising from contemporary pollutants and a glimpse of what the future may hold for London.
The Big Thaw: Policy, Governance, and Climate Change in the Circumpolar North (SUNY series in Environmental Governance: Local-Regional-Global Interactions)
by Ezra B. W. Zubrow; Errol Meidinger; Kim Diana ConnollyClimate change, one of the drivers of global change, is controversial in political circles, but recognized in scientific ones as being of central importance today for the United States and the world. In The Big Thaw, the editors bring together experts, advocates, and academic professionals who address the serious issue of how climate change in the Circumpolar Arctic is affecting and will continue to affect environments, cultures, societies, and economies throughout the world. The contributors discuss a variety of topics, including anthropology, sociology, human geography, community economics, regional development and planning, and political science, as well as biogeophysical sciences such as ecology, human-environmental interactions, and climatology.This book is freely available in an open access edition thanks to Knowledge Unlatched—an initiative that provides libraries and institutions with a centralized platform to support OA collections and from leading publishing houses and OA initiatives. Learn more at the Knowledge Unlatched website at: https://www.knowledgeunlatched.org/, and access the book online at the SUNY Open Access Repository at http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12648/7130.
The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water
by Charles FishmanPraised as &“an entertaining and torrential flow of a book&” by Nature magazine, The Big Thirst is a startling examination of the passing of the golden age of water and the shocking facts about how water scarcity will soon be a major factor in our lives.The water coming out of your kitchen tap is four billion years old and might well have been sipped by a Tyrannosaurus rex. Rather than only three states of water—liquid, ice, and vapor—there is a fourth, &“molecular water,&” fused into rock 400 miles deep in the Earth, and that&’s where most of the planet&’s water is found. Unlike most precious resources, water cannot be used up; it can always be made clean enough again to drink—indeed, water can be made so clean that it&’s toxic. Water is the most vital substance in our lives but also more amazing and mysterious than we appreciate. As Charles Fishman brings vibrantly to life in this surprising and mind-changing narrative, water runs our world in a host of awe-inspiring ways, yet we take it completely for granted. But the era of easy water is over. Bringing readers on a lively and fascinating journey—from the wet moons of Saturn to the water-obsessed hotels of Las Vegas, where dolphins swim in the desert, and from a rice farm in the parched Australian outback to a high-tech IBM plant that makes an exotic breed of pure water found nowhere in nature—Fishman vividly shows that we&’ve already left behind a century-long golden age when water was thoughtlessly abundant, free, and safe and entered a new era of high-stakes water. In 2008, Atlanta came within ninety days of running entirely out of clean water. California is in a desperate battle to hold off a water catastrophe. And in the last five years Australia nearly ran out of water—and had to scramble to reinvent the country&’s entire water system. But as dramatic as the challenges are, the deeper truth Fishman reveals is that there is no good reason for us to be overtaken by a global water crisis. We have more than enough water. We just don&’t think about it, or use it, smartly. The Big Thirst brilliantly explores our strange and complex relationship to water. We delight in watching waves roll in from the ocean; we take great comfort from sliding into a hot bath; and we will pay a thousand times the price of tap water to drink our preferred brand of the bottled version. We love water—but at the moment, we don&’t appreciate it or respect it. Just as we&’ve begun to reimagine our relationship to food, a change that is driving the growth of the organic and local food movements, we must also rethink how we approach and use water. The good news is that we can. As Fishman shows, a host of advances are under way, from the simplicity of harvesting rainwater to the brilliant innovations devised by companies such as IBM, GE, and Royal Caribbean that are making impressive breakthroughs in water productivity. Knowing what to do is not the problem. Ultimately, the hardest part is changing our water consciousness. As Charles Fishman writes, &“Many civilizations have been crippled or destroyed by an inability to understand water or manage it. We have a huge advantage over the generations of people who have come before us, because we can understand water and we can use it smartly.&” The Big Thirst will forever change the way we think about water, about our essential relationship to it, and about the creativity we can bring to ensuring that we&’ll always have plenty of it.