The Once and Future Ocean:
Notes Toward A New Hydraulic Society

by peter neill

Non-Fiction

Nature, Environment

398 Pages

Formats: Cloth, Trade Paper, Mobipocket, PDF, EPUB
Trade Paper, $18.95 (US $18.95) (CA $22.95)

Official Publication Date: April 2016
ISBN 9780918172563
Rights: US & CA
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SYNOPSIS:

World Ocean Observatory Director Peter Neill’s THE ONCE AND FUTURE OCEAN: Notes Toward a New Hydraulic Society aspires to transform our relationship with the ocean and the inter-connected cycles of water, essential for all aspects of human survival in the 21st century. Ambitious in scope yet grounded in actionable, specific ideas and solutions for preserving the health of the world ocean and its impact on climate, fresh water, food, energy, health, security, sustainable development, community living, and cultural traditions, Neill calls for a new ocean ethic and offers concrete examples of technologies and applications that already exist but have been suppressed by complacency and political subversion.

THE ONCE AND FUTURE OCEAN offers a bold vision for a practical and possible future, based on a revolutionary paradigm shift that can be implemented through the political will of individuals who understand the necessity for change, the logic of a new moral alternative, and the reality of the consequences if we fail to act in time. It argues for invention and new solutions, for new answers to fundamental questions, and for a new relationship built around the ocean as a source for new modes of living that are within our grasp if only we have the courage to take hold.

What People Are Saying About The Once And Future Ocean:

"We live on an ocean planet, though most of us rarely remember it; that blindness is one of the reasons we've stood by as the seas acidified, one of the great environmental crises in human history. This powerful book reminds us that our maritime identity is one important way we can start rebuilding a damaged planet.”  
~ Bill McKibben, author of Eaarth, Founder of 350.org

“Sometimes it takes a look from a different direction to develop a fuller view of something you thought you knew well. Peter Neill’s new book, The Once and Future Ocean, has the potential to create a mental shift in its readers. Part philosophical musings on the relationship between humans and the ocean and part rational prescription for putting water use and ocean health front and center in policies and management, Neill’s voice is a fresh new perspective on a set of problems that have been stewing for quite some time. For seasoned ocean professionals such as I, it is a jarring read – a wake-up call that real change will only come from a new way of thinking about the water world. Neill looks upon ocean issues with the eyes of someone who is neither an academic nor a conservationist nor a marine manager – but who encompasses all these perspectives and more. Much of the book is dedicated to important topics that are rarely if ever raised: the importance of empathy, the need to rethink what oceans mean to humanity, the suggestion that understanding the water cycle provides the foundation for a more holistic approach to addressing ocean issues. Neill questions the ideas and dogma behind the loudest voices in marine conservation and challenges us to think about our preconceived notions and put them aside. His book advocates for freeing our minds - creating the space for the truly creative ideas and disruptive solutions that can lead to the kind of change our ocean planet so urgently needs.”
~ Tundi Agardy, Sound Seas

"I see this book as a kind of a Silent Spring for the ocean and fresh water resources, a wake-up call to the planet’s inhabitants that it is time for a radical shift and that we need to start now.  I recommended this book to all my friends and co-workers, no matter what their background; the book speaks to everyone and provides guidance on how we can take steps at home and in our workplace to start initiating this change. The book had a deep impact on me personally; I have started to do more to play my part and have included my son on our journey towards contributing to a new hydraulic society." 
~ Mireille Chiasson, Fisheries and Oceans, New Brunswick, CANADA

"...This book represents an interesting and important contribution for a better public awareness of the great importance of the Oceans – and Water itself – for the survival of our Planet. It is essential to change into a new development paradigm, based on the values of sustainability and democracy."
~ Mario Soares, Chair, Independent World Commission on the Future of the Oceans

“…The Once and Future Ocean is not just a pleasure to read, it is a critical waypoint in our hoped-for passage into the climatically stressed future…In the spirit of Rachel Carson’s The Sea Around Us, Neill not only raises concern for our rapidly deteriorating marine environment, but also offer the concept of a “new hydraulic society” and its great potential for a world looking for an alternative solution.”
~ Dr. Paul Mayewski, Director of the Climate Change Institute, University of Maine

"In his new book, Neill provides a strong foundation about the importance of water for all functions of society, not just today but going back centuries. His knowledge of innovations over time—to harness water, to purify it, to protect it—runs deep. Just as important are his descriptions of the cultural significance of the world’s oceans and the many threats posed by oil extraction, mining, and other economic drivers, including how these activities lead to environmental injustice. All of these pressures help Neil make his case for a “new hydraulic system,” one in which society must evolve around the sustainable use—and reuse—of water, one that starts by insisting on a revolutionary change in political will."
~ The Natural Resources Council of Maine

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