Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book This book deals with water in environmental history, especially fresh water and, in some instances, coastal/marine water issues. Fresh water is a resource with demand on the rise but limited in access to many. A common and oft-repeated statement in recent years is that “Water is the Next Oil.” Fresh water can be trapped in glaciers, ice caps, permanent snow cover, or deep aquifers. Borders between coastal waters and land pose their own issues, such as Toronto's effort to remake its harbor to improve its commerce and trade potential, and the growing competition by a variety of nations over coastal waters around the Grand Banks in order to control the immensely important cod-fishing grounds and the international markets for fish.