Martin V. Melosi – författare

Water in North American Environmental History offers 25 cases studies that explore the range of uses and perceptions of water throughout Canadian, Mexican, and United States history.

Water has served a myriad of purposes historically as human sustenance, agricultural irrigation, sanitation, fire protection, military defense, power generation, transportation, and much more. Water and its uses provide an excellent entrée into the study of humans and the environment, not only because water is a vital resource for life, but also because water as a medium is so intimately woven into the everyday experiences of humans and into society’s economic, political, and social fabric. A North American perspective is not representative of the world’s water use, but it is an area with a linked history and many overlapping human and environmental features and concerns. With a continental perspective, the book explores many disparate topics without being confined to the history and experiences of just one country. The chapters are short, but descriptive, and departure points for what they tell us about the human experience in dealing with water and the environmental implications of water use. The text leads students to consider water in relation to society, and to the past.

The book will be of interest to students of environmental history, geography, and the environmental sciences.

Water in North American Environmental History offers 25 cases studies that explore the range of uses and perceptions of water throughout Canadian, Mexican, and United States history.

Water has served a myriad of purposes historically as human sustenance, agricultural irrigation, sanitation, fire protection, military defense, power generation, transportation, and much more. Water and its uses provide an excellent entrée into the study of humans and the environment, not only because water is a vital resource for life, but also because water as a medium is so intimately woven into the everyday experiences of humans and into society’s economic, political, and social fabric. A North American perspective is not representative of the world’s water use, but it is an area with a linked history and many overlapping human and environmental features and concerns. With a continental perspective, the book explores many disparate topics without being confined to the history and experiences of just one country. The chapters are short, but descriptive, and departure points for what they tell us about the human experience in dealing with water and the environmental implications of water use. The text leads students to consider water in relation to society, and to the past.

The book will be of interest to students of environmental history, geography, and the environmental sciences.

Consumption and Waste in American Environmental History is an accessible introduction to the consumption experience, wasting practices, and disposal history of the United States, spanning precontact to the present.

Centered around concise case studies, the book confronts consumption and consumerism and assesses the impact of solid and hazardous wastes from political, economic, social, and especially environmental perspectives. The overarching relationship among consumption, waste, and climate change is woven throughout the book, identifying key questions and themes in United States environmental history. Each chapter explores a specific element of consumption and waste, including the commodification of humans and animals; depletion of resources; the role of immigrants, women, and people of color in sanitation services and as sanitary and environmental activists; salvaging and recycling; environmental justice; e-waste; plastics; space junk; and more.

With a broad chronology and a variety of relevant topics, this volume is an engaging resource for undergraduate and graduate students in American history, environmental history, and sustainability studies.

Consumption and Waste in American Environmental History is an accessible introduction to the consumption experience, wasting practices, and disposal history of the United States, spanning precontact to the present.

Centered around concise case studies, the book confronts consumption and consumerism and assesses the impact of solid and hazardous wastes from political, economic, social, and especially environmental perspectives. The overarching relationship among consumption, waste, and climate change is woven throughout the book, identifying key questions and themes in United States environmental history. Each chapter explores a specific element of consumption and waste, including the commodification of humans and animals; depletion of resources; the role of immigrants, women, and people of color in sanitation services and as sanitary and environmental activists; salvaging and recycling; environmental justice; e-waste; plastics; space junk; and more.

With a broad chronology and a variety of relevant topics, this volume is an engaging resource for undergraduate and graduate students in American history, environmental history, and sustainability studies.