ALEXANDRIA, VA -- Water, not oil or minerals, is the most controlling resource on Earth. Its many uses include growing our food, generating power, enabling recreation, providing transportation, and sustaining life itself. All of these uses are controlled by water's distribution, quantity, availability, and quality. Water and the Environment, a richly-illustrated, 64-page book recently published by the American Geological Institute, provides basic information about this precious resource and how we can protect and manage it. Included in each book is a colorful 18" x 24" poster that vividly details the many roles water plays in our lives and describes ways that every citizen can use water wisely.

Intended for educators, policy makers, and the general public, Water and the Environment is written in non-technical language, contains many photographs and graphics, and uses actual examples to demonstrate the importance of water to the environment and how we manage water resources to improve our standard of living. The book also provides a general overview of surface water, ground water, water quality, water in the atmosphere, and how water shapes the Earth. Noting in the Preface that "water is essential to life," the authors, U.S. Geological Survey hydrologists Stephen J. Vandas, Thomas C. Winter, and William A. Battaglin, address water-related environmental concerns arising from naturally occurring and human activities and provide important information about protecting and conserving our water resources to meet future needs. "All of the water on Earth, salty and fresh, is part of the hydrologic cycle that must be studied in great detail locally and worldwide to provide the data needed to properly develop and manage this most valuable resource," states Philip E. LaMoreaux, chairman of AGI's Environmental Geoscience Advisory Committee, in the book's Foreword.

Water and the Environment is the fifth publication in the AGI Environmental Awareness Series and wa
'"/>

Contact: Perle M. Dorr
pmdorr@agiweb.org
703-379-2480
American Geological Institute
20-Jun-2003

Page: 1 2
Related biology news :

1. Water on Mars not easy to find, says Texas A&M researcher
2. Water study yields a few surprises for New England
3. Water molecules clump more loosely than previously thought
4. Ohio State wetlands professor wins prestigious Water Prize
5. Water treatment reduces risk of Legionnaires
6. Water quality in Adirondack lakes responding to acid rain regulations
7. Water world: The sequel
8. From arts to neurobiology versatile Duke scientist chosen for NSF Waterman Award
9. Water lily may provide a missing link in the evolution of flowering plants
10. Water quality was issue in ancient Rome, says University of Toronto scholar
11. Water, sediments in ice-bound antarctic lakes may harbor unique microorganisms, ecosystems