Encyclopedia of Water Politics and Policy in the United States


Book Description

Water has had an immeasurable impact on the history and growth of the United States. As an essential element of life water has been and remains a constant source of conflict and controversy as different constituencies fight for limited resources. The Encyclopedia of Water Politics and Policy in the United States is the most comprehensive reference source available that analyzes water-related issues in America. A diverse group of over 100 scholars have provided their research and analysis of why water is so significant by tracing its impact on issues like national and state boundaries, western migration, urbanization, and the economy. This volume chronicles the origins of present-day water problems, political conflicts, the impact of legislation and court decisions on the use of water resources, the major projects undertaken across the country, and what experts are proposing be done to preserve this basic component of the environment. Going back some 150 years, the Encyclopedia provides an overview of approximately 280 pieces of water-related legislation, legal cases, people, projects, and organizations that have shaped the history of the United States. In addition to historical coverage, the volume also addresses many current environmental issues including acid rain, agriculture, climate change, mining, erosion, levees and dams, pollution, urbanization, and wastewater treatment. The volume’s A to Z entries are divided into four sections: Regional Water Politics and Policy: Essays providing a narrative background and overview Major Issues in Water Politics and Policy: A comprehensive list of issues from colonial times to the present Law and Government: The people and legislation that have shaped water policy in the United States Places and Projects: Extensive coverage of the projects (including dams and aqueducts) the government has undertaken to develop the nation’s waterways Throughout the volume, concise text features highlight important events, advocacy groups, people, books, and sites important to water politics and policy. A thematic table of contents allows users to easily locate reclamation projects geographically, biographies of important figures, current issues by subject area, government agencies, and legal cases.




Encyclopedia of Politics of the American West


Book Description

The Encyclopedia of Politics in the American West is an A to Z reference work on the political development of one of America’s most politically distinct, not to mention its fastest growing, region. This work will cover not only the significant events and actors of Western politics, but also deal with key institutional, historical, environmental, and sociopolitical themes and concepts that are important to more fully understanding the politics of the West over the last century.




Water Politics


Book Description

"This book is about the enactment, adaption, and ultimately fragmentation of government policy regarding the use of water in the American West. It describes its origins, how it became about building big projects, and how it was fragmented by pressures from environmental activism. It explores western water crisis in the United States. The case studies used in this book will help readers understand about water development and political battles in most of the western states to show readers how and why the policy changed and broke-down. The book is divided into two parts and describes the different eras of water policy. While most books on water policy focus on its deficiencies for meeting future challenges, Water Politics: The Fragmentation off Western Water Policy attempts to explore why those deficiencies occurred in the first place. The book is intended for undergraduate and graduate students in political science and policy studies who are interested in how public policies are enacted, how they change, and how they fall apart over time and why. The book should also be of particular interest to students in other disciplines that deal with water such as environmental studies, geology, sociology, hydrology, and civil engineering"--




Continuum Political Encyclopedia of the Middle East


Book Description

It also includes the role of foreign powers in the Middle East, especially France, Great Britain, the former Soviet Union, and the United States."--BOOK JACKET.




A Twenty-First Century U.S. Water Policy


Book Description

It is zero hour for a new US water policy! At a time when many countries are adopting new national approaches to water management, the United States still has no cohesive federal policy, and water-related authorities are dispersed across more than 30 agencies. Here, at last, is a vision for what we as a nation need to do to manage our most vital resource. In this book, leading thinkers at world-class water research institution the Pacific Institute present clear and readable analysis and recommendations for a new federal water policy to confront our national and global challenges at a critical time. What exactly is at stake? In the 21st century, pressures on water resources in the United States are growing and conflicts among water users are worsening. Communities continue to struggle to meet water quality standards and to ensure that safe drinking water is available for all. And new challenges are arising as climate change and extreme events worsen, new water quality threats materialize, and financial constraints grow. Yet the United States has not stepped up with adequate leadership to address these problems. The inability of national policymakers to safeguard our water makes the United States increasingly vulnerable to serious disruptions of something most of us take for granted: affordable, reliable, and safe water. This book provides an independent assessment of water issues and water management in the United States, addressing emerging and persistent water challenges from the perspectives of science, public policy, environmental justice, economics, and law. With fascinating case studies and first-person accounts of what helps and hinders good water management, this is a clear-eyed look at what we need for a 21st century U.S. water policy.




The Oxford Handbook of Water Politics and Policy


Book Description

This handbook is currently in development, with individual articles publishing online in advance of print publication. At this time, we cannot add information about unpublished articles in this handbook, however the table of contents will continue to grow as additional articles pass through the review process and are added to the site. Please note that the online publication date for this handbook is the date that the first article in the title was published online. For more information, please read the site FAQs.







International Encyclopedia of Environmental Politics


Book Description

Why care about the environment? Is the earth's climate really changing for the worse? What are CFCs exactly? And who or what is the WTO? What are the causes of environmental problems? Who are the main actors, and what are the main ideas and issues in international environmental politics? Which countries have the best/worst environmental record and policies? The International Encyclopedia of Environmental Politics is the essential reference source to enable all those with an interest in the politics of the environment - particularly students and academics working within political science - to answer these questions, and to explore many other related topics in international environmental politics. It will be welcomed as an essential teaching resource and a trusty companion to independent study. Written by a team of international experts, the Encyclopedia is vital for fact-checking, provides authoritative initial orientation to a particular topic or issue and will serve as a solid starting point for wider explanation. With over 300 fully cross-referenced entries, many of which are followed with suggestions for further reading, the Encyclopedia includes: * Country and regional entries, with country entries giving a concise overview of the history, main actors, issues and policies related to its environmental politics * Normative and ethical dimensions of environmental politics, from animal rights, social and global justice to deep ecology * Environmental movements, organizations, struggles and actors from local to international levels * Issues in international environmental politics such as global warming, biodiversity, trade and the environment * Prominent individuals (historical and current) who have inspired or been actively involved in international environmental politics - such as Mahatma Gandhi, Petra Kelly, Vandana Shiva and Aldo Leopold * Central topics and issues in environmental politics - such as global warming, globalization, wildlife preservation, eco-taxes, energy production and consumption, sustainable development and the World Trade Organisation




New Directions in U.S. Water Policy


Book Description




Encyclopedia of Global Environmental Governance and Politics


Book Description

The Encyclopedia of Global Environmental Governance and Politics surveys the broad range of environmental and sustainability challenges in the emerging Anthropocene and scrutinizes available concepts, methodological tools, theories and approaches, as well as overlaps with adjunct fields of study. This comprehensive reference work, written by some of the most eminent academics in the field, contains 68 entries on numerous aspects across 7 thematic areas, including concepts and definitions; theories and methods; actors; institutions; issue-areas; cross-cutting questions; and overlaps with non-environmental fields. With this broad approach, the volume seeks to provide a pluralistic knowledge base of the research and practice of global environmental governance and politics in times of increased complexity and contestation. Providing its readers with a unique point of reference, as well as stimulus for further research, this Encyclopedia is an indispensable tool for anyone interested in the politics of the environment, particularly students, teachers and researchers.