Bibliography
This bibliography serves as a resource to discover books and authors related to the blue humanities. Professors, students, and researchers may use it to see both the wide coverage and the glaring gaps of available scholarship.
Introduction
Blue history is a newly developing field of study that focuses on the importance of the watery spaces and their relationships with humans overtime. This field, which is grounded in the blue humanities approach, challenges academics to look beyond land-based perspectives and to specifically examine how oceans, seas, rivers, along with other bodies of water have influenced human civilizations and affected global interactions. As opposed to the traditional anthropocentric views of history, blue history foregrounds the roles of water and marine ecosystems in influencing historical events. Blue history, therefore, allows scholars to reimagine historical narratives around ecological processes. It also emphasizes the way water has functioned as both a source of sustenance and conflict, a site of cultural exchange, and a boundary that both separates and unites societies. Blue history illuminates the historical dynamics between humans, non-human life, and bodies of water. It challenges us to shift our perspective, from viewing water as a commodity or resource to an influential factor with the capacity to shape the larger historical context of global development and environmental sustainability.
Subsections of the bibliography
General Overview – Maritime Histories – Rivers of America – Transoceanic Networks – Water Governance – Water, War, and Global Geopolitics – Water Rights, Settler Colonialism, and Environmental Justice – Water, Disaster, and Contamination
A complete list of this bibliography can be accessed through: https://www.zotero.org/groups/5834556/blue_history_network_bibliography
General Overview
There are several texts that provide us with the general introductions and insights that build the field of blue history. Grounded in the broader field of blue humanities, Mentz 2024 presents important key concepts of blue humanities. He offers a broader analytical scope that examines the human relationships with not only the ocean but also with various bodies of water. Abulafia 2019 contributes to this discourse by presenting a comprehensive historical narrative of human relationships with the oceans that emphasizes how maritime trade, exploration, and colonial expansion have influenced society development across the globe. While the book edited by Braverman and Johnson 2020 delves into legalities and governance surrounding oceans on a global scale throughout history. Drawing the attention to the United States, Roberts 2021 provides an insightful writing which reimagines the U.S. as an archipelagic nation by exploring its extensive water boundaries and the diverse histories and representations shaped by these borders. Focusing specifically on North America, Melosi 2022 details water’s multifaceted roles across North America, exploring cultural, economic, and environmental themes by compiling an extensive number of scholarships. Similarly, Pisani 2000 also explores the role of water in American history specifically east of the 100th Meridian.
Shifting to the west of the 100th Meridian, Holleman 2018 offers an insightful account of the Dust Bowls, framing it as a significant historical and ecological event in the history of U.S. that helps to understand the contemporary socio-ecological problems, such as climate change and soil erosion, which stemmed from historical patterns of exploitation. Worster 1992 narrates the history of water management in the American West, arguing that large-scale irrigation projects influenced the region’s development by transforming arid regions into productive agricultural lands, giving to the technological elite. While Monaco 2024 examines the role of water from a literary studies perspective, especially in the Anthropocene. Using literary works, he argues for a reconnection between humans and nonhumans, by examining the connections between natural ecosystems and humanity using water as a central focus. These works offer diverse views on water and its connection to human activities and ecological events, which often become one of the driving forces behind climate change. This leads to McNeill and Engelke 2014‘s introduction to the various elements and drivers of climate change and environmental impacts of the global events in the past century.
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In this extensive work, Abulafia examines the relationship between humanity and the world’s oceans, primarily the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic. Covering a vast timeline from 176,000 BC to AD 2000, the book illustrates how the sea has facilitated connections between human societies, shaping cultures and civilizations through interactions, migrations, and trade over the millennia.
A compilation of contributions that examine the legal complexities of global oceans, such as how governance and law interact with ecological, technological, and geopolitical issues in oceanic spaces. The book does so by addressing how existing legal frameworks are often not good enough while asking for new approaches toward ocean governance that fully reflect the unique character of the ocean.
Holleman critiques existing narratives that simplify the causes and consequences of the Dust Bowl. Instead, she suggests a more integrated approach that would consider the roles of imperialism, colonialism, and systemic inequalities in influencing environmental crises.
Since 1945, human impact on Earth’s systems has accelerated rapidly, a phenomenon known as the “Great Acceleration.” While this rapid change may slow down due to resource limits, human influence on the planet will likely continue for a long time, influencing the future in unpredictable ways. Drawing on environmental history, the book touches on a range of topics that drive changes in the Anthropocene, such as energy and population, climate and biodiversity, cities and the economy, and the Cold War and the rise of environmentalism.
This book compiles extensive research to explore various “episodes” of water history across North America. Building on urban environmental history, blue humanities, and envirotech approaches, the book explores various water-related topics, including ancient waterways, Indigenous irrigation systems, urban water supply, and environmental challenges.
This book provides valuable insights by exploring the way seas, oceans, rivers, and other waters significantly contribute to being cultural and historical reference points in studying humanity, blending literature, philosophy, and maritime histories across the globe. Using figures like seafarers, sailors and mermaids, the book draws the connections between humans and water, while introducing novel ways of viewing and writing about bodies of water. This book is a good entryway for people who would like to venture into the field of blue humanities.
The first portion of the book examines the social, political, and economic effects of two opposing water-related events: flooding and drought and scarcity. The second half of the book touches on wetlands and sea waters, which emphasises their importance in environmental narratives, especially in the context of colonialism and climate change.
Roberts uses the concept of “archipelagos” and “borderwaters” to describe the watery boundaries between nations. He challenges the traditional geographical and cultural narratives that view the United States as a continental nation. Instead, he contends that the U.S. claims more water space than land, and argues that the country should be conceptualized as an archipelagic nation which shares intimate historical and cultural connections with other archipelagic territories.
In this book, Worster traces the evolution of the “hydraulic society,” exploring how the American West’s economy became dependent on water manipulation, making comparisons to water-controlling empires in history. Worster examines how these massive-scale projects created a coercive, hierarchical system, where government and corporate with aligned interests maintain power, which in turns undermines the prospect of universal access to water.
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Bringing the focus to the east of 100th Meridian, Pisani argues that the challenges of water management in the humid eastern United States are as significant as those faced in the arid West. He foregrounds the issues surrounding water management such as the fragmented local control over waterways, and the reclamation of wetlands in the U.S. that prioritized economic gain for large landowners.
Maritime Histories, Oceanic Histories, and the Making of Modern America
Maritime and oceanic histories are key components in the study of blue history. Maritime and oceanic histories explore how oceans, seas and other large water bodies have historically influenced the development of society through exploration, trade, warfare, colonization and migration. They speak on the emergence of sea power and maritime societies, emphasizing how water resources have influenced society development, cultural exchange, and environmental transformation over time. Rozwadowski 2013 underscores ocean history as a telling example of the great human influence on marine ecosystems and suggests for an expanded historical approach to include the ocean’s environmental, cultural, and technological aspects. In another work, Rozwadowski 2018 also provides a comprehensive history of the ocean by exploring its complex relationships with human societies and how the nature of these interactions has changed over time. Po 2018 offers an informative work that explores the active engagement of the Qing Empire in maritime affairs during the 18th century, a view which challenges the conventional presentation of the Qing as solely a continental power. Sivasundaram, Bashford, and Armitage 2017 illustrate how different oceans and seas are historically and materially entangled, even when physically distant, as witnessed in the connection between the Arctic and Southern Oceans. Focusing on the ocean and its ecosystem, Roberts 2007 introduces his book as a historical account on how commercial fishing, which dates as far back as the eleventh century, has drastically altered the life and ecosystems in the ocean, focusing on the impact of overfishing and the exploitation of the ocean that often goes unnoticed.
In relation to maritime and oceanic histories, the Atlantic Ocean helps in understanding the historical dynamics in the relationships between humans and oceans. Armitage 2017 contends that Atlantic history needs to move beyond its traditional frameworks that treat the Atlantic as a distinct space to a more integrated approach. Extending the scope to include the Pacific, Igler 2017 explores the transformative impacts of commercial, cultural, and ecological upheavals in the eastern Pacific from the 1770s to the 1840s, following encounters between voyagers, traders, and Indigenous communities.
The history of oceanic crossings and interactions has played an important role in facilitating the development of American society and global connections. With its extensive coastlines and access to major oceans, America occupies a significant geographic position, making it a key player in both maritime and naval histories. Marcilhacy 2022 discusses the influence of geopolitical shifts toward the development of Latin America in the early 20th century, especially following World War I and the opening of the Panama Canal, which reinforced the dominance of the United States in the region. White 2017 investigates the significant role of climate in early European exploration and colonization of North America, especially during the period of the Little Ice Age.
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In this chapter, Armitage outlines the evolution of Atlantic history from a fragmented study of regional histories to a unified analysis that emphasizes transnational exchanges and mobility. He introduces three new concepts, they are infra-Atlantic, sub-Atlantic, and extra-Atlantic history, to enhance the field, addressing their connections with local and global histories.
Igler elaborates on the transformative period in the eastern Pacific from the 1770s to the 1840s, focusing on the repercussions of James Cook’s voyages. Igler uses a diverse range of documented voyages, some were detailed by participants, and others were reconstructed through archaeological evidence or Indigenous accounts. He uses these data to illustrate the complex interactions between voyagers, traders, hunters, and Indigenous communities during this era.
This work argues that by the end of the century, the Qing Empire was increasingly capable of wielding influence over maritime spaces. In this book, Po places Qing maritime activities within the larger context of early global trade networks and frontier studies as a significant maritime power in early modern history.
In this work, Roberts takes the readers through early days of whaling and seal hunting to modern high-seas fishing. This reveals how each era has contributed to the depletion of marine resources, and paves the way for current environmental concerns.
Rozwadowski attempts to emphasize the integral role of the ocean in human history. It supports an ocean-centric perspective that embraces both the physical and cultural aspects of the sea. It also details how human activities have shaped and been reshaped by the ocean throughout time through examining various interactions with the ocean, from ancient practices to modern industrial uses through various interactions with the ocean, from the traditional to the contemporary industrial ones.
This introductory piece affirms that oceanic histories complicate the traditional narrative of world history narratives by focusing on the interconnectedness of oceans and human experiences. It critiques the dominant Eurocentric and nationalistic frameworks and advocates for a more nuanced approach to study maritime spaces with a focus on trans-local and environmental concerns.
This book reveals how extreme weather influenced the successes and failures of settlements in regions that are now known as the United States and Canada. In doing so, it calls attention to the “barbarous years” of colonial history that often goes ignored, characterized by violence, disease, and survival struggles. White stresses that the knowledge about this period is pertinent, as it portrays a complicated past that illuminates the entanglement between extreme climates and human survival.
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Marcilhacy, David. 2022. “1914, Between Two Oceans, Between Two Empires: A Turning Point for Latin America.” National Identities 24(1): 21–37.
In response to United States expansionism, Latin American intellectuals engaged in anti-imperialist discourse, and demanded cultural autonomy as well as regional unity to counter the threat of foreign hegemony. It was during this period that pan-nationalism and a cultural renaissance began to rise as thinkers started embracing new ideas stirred by revolutions in Mexico and Russia.
Rozwadowski, Helen M. 2013. “The Promise of Ocean History for Environmental History.” The Journal of American History 100(1): 136–139.
This short article explains the impacts of human activities on marine ecosystems. It deals with oceanic environmental problems, such as climate change, overfishing, and seabed damage, which have been given less attention in the past compared to land-based concerns, but are now receiving more attention. The article argues for the expansion of historical research to include the complex aspects of culture, technology, and the environment associated with the ocean.
Rivers of America
Rivers have played a central role in the development of American society, with a long history of providing a means for human’s exploration, trade, and settlement. They have not only shaped the nation’s physical landscape but also its cultural and political identity. In this context, Doyle 2018 investigates the historical significance of rivers in America, examining their contribution to the economic and political landscape of America. McCool 2012 expands on this by exploring the history, politics, and cultural importance of American rivers, framing them as “a beacon of brighter days ahead” amid environmental and political challenges, through the combination of historical analysis, political critique, and personal anecdotes in his work.
Moreover, numerous scholars have explored American rivers’ significance in the development of American civilization. For instance, Smith 2019 investigates Mississippi river and its evolving cultural importance during Mark Twain‘s era, by exploring Mark Twain’s connection to the river, which he referred to as his “real field of work,” and how this relationship informed Twain’s literary legacy. Similarly, Kelman 2006 investigates the relationship between the Mississippi River and New Orleans, focusing on how attempts to harness the river and its waterfront have influenced the creation of commercial and public spaces in the city. In addition, Henshaw 2011 explores the reciprocal relationship between human activities and ecological changes along the Hudson River. Lastly, Summit 2013, combines extensive research on the Colorado River to understand the river’s history and its relationship with humans, framing the river’s history as a “microcosm” to study contemporary environmental issues through insights from the environmental humanities.
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Organized into five parts, this book delves into the connection between rivers and American history as a means to discuss how the engagement with river landscapes has influenced regulatory policies and practices regarding river management in America.
The book is divided into four parts, part I discusses the relationship between history and biology, and the importance of collaboration between these disciplines. Part II focuses on the river as sources of sustenance by Native Americans and the exploitation by the European settlers, drawing attention to the unsustainable practices. Part III examines the ecological repercussions of industries like forestry and agriculture on the river. Part IV explores the Hudson’s cultural and spiritual influence, including its role in early environmental movements.
In this work, Kelman narrates key historical moments to showcase the salient tension between human control and river’s unpredictability, from legal battles and steamboat growth to crises like yellow fever and the 1927 flood. Kelman also describes the privatization of the waterfronts and mid-20th-century activism to reclaim parts of the riverfront for public use, thereby showing how the river has influenced the identity of the city.
McCool uncovers the connection between rivers and American culture by using rivers as symbols of national identity, history, and values. Through personal reflections and exploring more insights, he depicts rivers as both powerful natural forces and cultural icons that have influenced collective American experiences.
Smith, Thomas Ruys. 2019. Deep Water: The Mississippi River in the Age of Mark Twain. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press.
In this work, Smith indicates that there is a lack of research on Twain’’ relationship with the Mississippi. He objects to the idea that Twain portrayed the river in isolation, and argues that the river has larger significance beyond local contexts. Therefore, he attempts to provide a context to understand Twain’s work by describing the diverse voices and stories that affected the identity of the Mississippi during Twain’s time.
Summitt frames the Colorado River’s history as a “microcosm” for studying global ecological challenges, using insights from environmental humanities to analyze long-term patterns and human impact. Part I provides a chronological account of the river’s history and Part II deals with specific issues, which culminates in a conclusion about the long-standing problems with water scarcity and quality in the story of Colorado River.
Transoceanic Networks
Oceans have facilitated the connections between human societies across the world by making the flows of goods, ideas, and political values possible. From the rise of maritime empires to the persistence of colonial legacies in the modern world, the ocean has been instrumental in enabling these global events. The interconnectedness of human societies across the ocean is explored by Shilliam 2015, who examines the resonances between the struggles of the African Diaspora and the experiences of South Pacific peoples. In 2016, Shilliam further elaborates on this argument, particularly concerning the relationships between the Māori, Pasifika, and African peoples in the context of colonial struggles. The ocean also played a central role in facilitating slave trades, as Gilroy 1995 mentions in his book on the cultural history of Black people across the Atlantic world, focusing on slavery, colonialism, and the racialized notions central to European thinking during the Enlightenment. Furthermore, Horne 2007 introduces the concept of “blackbirding” in his writing, describing the practice of forcing and abducting laborers from Pacific islands. While Rupprecht 2019 examines the 1841 mutiny on board the United States brig Creole, and situates it within larger Black Atlantic networks and maritime resistance against slavery.
The ocean’s role in facilitating the exchange of political ideas and connections is also highlighted in work by Rodgers 2000, who discusses the transatlantic exchange of social reform ideas between Europe and the U.S. from the late 19th to the mid-20th century. Similarly, the work edited by Krabbendam and Thompson 2012, captures the development of the modern transatlantic relationship between the U.S. and Europe, with special emphasis on Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency as a significant part of this process. In addition, Nolan 2012 explores the historical dynamics of the U.S. and Europe during the “long” twentieth century through a transatlantic perspective. Finally, Hanhimäki 2021 delves further into the transatlantic relationship in his work, focusing on how countries, institutions, and economies across the Atlantic have prospered and become more interconnected since the end of the Cold War.
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In this book, Gilroy delves into the idea of the “Black Atlantic world,” a place where the histories and political cultures of dispersed African, Caribbean, and American peoples influence Black identities. He also discusses how the slave trade across the Atlantic Ocean allowed for cultural contacts that shaped the cultural development of Black people who were dispersed across different places.
Hanhimäki introduces the concept of “Pax Transatlantica,” which challenges the understanding that transatlantic relations are in decline. Instead, he argues that ties between the United States and Europe have grown stronger over the past three decades and will likely continue to do so. Within a broad historical and thematic framework, he emphasises important subjects, like politics, economics, and security. Key historical events, like 9/11, the Great Recession, Brexit, and the Covid-19 outbreak are used to illustrate how transatlantic alliances remain resilient despite the challenges and tensions.
Horne engages with topics that are tied to the historical events in the Pacific during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, where labor, imperialist ideologies, and racial politics were all connected. He also looks at how bonded labour practices like blackbirding were used by the United States and many Pacific countries, such as Australia, Fiji, and Hawaii, to support economic growth. He discusses how the political aspect of the area was impacted by the growth of imperialism and white supremacy.
The book employs a chronological approach, and highlights Roosevelt’s remarkable cultural connections with Europe. His proactive diplomatic approach positioned the United States to be more engaged in international affairs, which in turn influenced future American foreign policy and the transatlantic networks.
In this book, Nolan covers a wide range of topics, including diplomacy, economic partnerships, and social as well as cultural exchanges involved in the transatlantic relationship. Nolan traces this relationship from the late 19th century, through the major historical events like the world wars, the postwar period, and into the late 20th and early 21st centuries. She shows how America rose to power and Europe declined, and extends the timeline into the late 20th century, when American power weakened, followed by how different countries in the Atlantic took separate sociopolitical paths.
According to Rodgers, American social politics were influenced by European innovations through their connection facilitated by “brokers” like intellectuals and policymakers. The book shows how European ideas influenced the United States reforms in areas like social insurance, urban planning, and workers’ rights. Through this perspective, Rodgers reframes U.S. social policies as the result of international collaboration rather than solely domestic developments.
Shilliam examines how African diaspora and South Pacific people have integrated the ideologies of the African Diaspora into their fights against colonialism and racism. Drawing from extensive interviews, archival research, and participation in activism, the book stresses the interconnected struggles of colonized communities in the Pacific.
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In this piece, Shilliam insists on Oceania as a vital geographical and cultural space that is fundamentally integral to understanding the historical and contemporary relationships among colonized peoples, their shared experiences, and their interactions.
The 1841 mutiny on board the United States brig Creole underlines the legal and diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and Britain, because the U.S. wanted compensation for what they viewed as the illegal seizure of its enslaved people. This event signals a wave of resistance during the Age of Revolutions and shows an important space for which enslaved people demonstrated political dissent and solidarity.
Water Governance and Management
Water governance and management are inseparable from the historical development of the United States. They have influenced the development of the infrastructure and identity of the U.S. as a nation, from early canal systems that supported trades, regulations about clean water access, to large-scale initiatives such as dams construction projects. Several scholars have written about issues surrounding water supply. For instance, Soll 2018 explores the political and environmental history of New York City’s water supply, focusing on the period from 1905 to the late 20th century, while Koeppel 2001, narrates New York City’s long struggle to secure a clean water supply in the 1800s. Melosi 2008 chronicles the history of the development of urban water supply, wastewater management, and solid waste disposal from colonial times to the 2000s. Water governance and management are also extensively related to engineering and technologies, as exemplified by Teisch 2011, who provides an insightful historical analysis of how engineering and technologies influenced American management of fresh water during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Furthermore, water governance and management in America faced challenges regarding regulation and policy. Shanley 1988 discusses how the Roosevelt Administration, through the New Deal, addressed water pollution control as part of its environmental and public health policies before World War II. Apple 2003 offers an analysis that delves into the evolution of water policy in the U.S., particularly in the arid Western states, where conflicts over water access have grown with increasing populations and agricultural demands. Bridging water governance and its management in America to with its broader global impact, Schmidt 2017 examines the development of a philosophy of water management that began in the U.S. and has influenced global practices and academic discourse. Shifting our attention to water governance and management in Central Asian region, Peterson 2019 examines the environmental history of Russian and Soviet control over Central Asia, focusing on the historical and environmental implications of water management and irrigation practices.
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In this work, Koeppel explores the political conflicts, individual aspirations, and public health emergencies that influenced New York’s water history, starting with Dutch colonisation in the 1600s and ending with the building of the Croton Aqueduct in the 1830s. He contends that the city’s water problems were prolonged because of political scheming, which postponed necessary reforms.
Organized into three parts, “Age of Miasmas,” the “Bacteriological Revolution,” and the “New Ecology,” the book examines how changing theories of disease causation, scientific innovation, and environmental understanding influenced urban sanitary infrastructure. The book emphasizes the need for adaptable, modular designs to ensure sustainable urban development particularly for water infrastructure and management.
In this work, Peterson contends that Russian and Soviet attempts to transform Central Asian landscapes by building irrigation and doing agricultural projects were frequently limited by local ecological conditions, such as soil salinization and pest issues. She interprets these actions as colonial ambitions and modernization efforts that often benefit the economy at the expense of the well-being of local communities.
This book discusses America’s water management philosophy that promotes a liberal approach, emphasizing the management of water’s social and environmental roles, especially given water scarcity concerns. This book is divided into four parts, detailing the philosophy’s origins, its implications for post-colonial development, the concept of water security, and reflections on the Anthropocene.
The book details how political strategies and court decisions that prioritized urban expansion over rural concerns led to New York City’s aggressive expansion of its water resources, which resulted in ecological and social consequences. The book delves into the complexities of water management, and reflects on the environmental, geographical, and political consequences of the city’s search for more water.
Based on the American West, this book extends to contexts like colonial British India and early twentieth-century Palestine by featuring several prominent California engineers and the challenges they faced while implementing their projects. It also highlights the efforts of these engineers to emphasize the complexities of adapting local practices to diverse environments in the context of American environmental expertise on global water management.
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An insightful piece that analyzes historical legal frameworks that have shaped water rights in the West, with particular attention to the development of the prior appropriation doctrine during the California Gold Rush. It draws attention to the federal government’s recognition of uncoordinated policies and the establishment of the Western Water Policy Review Advisory Commission to research and suggest improvements for better management.
This article draws attention to the debate surrounding whether the federal government should actively regulate pollution or assist state and local efforts. Even though the National Resources Committee was established to study pollution and provided funding for sewage treatment, it was unable to completely include pollution control into national planning. Roosevelt faced resistance from Congress and conservation groups, and his influence on domestic policy weakened over time. Although the problem was not entirely resolved during his presidency, Roosevelt’s actions laid the foundation for future federal involvement in pollution management in spite of these obstacles.
Water, War, and Global Geopolitics
Water is not only essential for life but also a driving factor of geopolitical conflicts and an influential element in global geopolitics. The struggle for access to and control over water resources or bodies of water has significantly impacted global dynamics, and often fueling tensions between nations. Scholars have explored how the politicization of water resources or bodies of water has led to both war and alliances or cooperation. Expertise in managing water resources has also influenced international relations, as demonstrated by Sneddon 2015, who addresses the political and ecological impact of large dams, focusing on how the United States used its technical expertise in dam construction to gain political and economic influence globally. The issues of water scarcity and access to water resources have consistently drawn international attention. For instance, Hamblin 2019 analyzes President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “Water for Peace” initiative, which attempted to address water scarcity in the Middle East through nuclear-powered desalination but ultimately failed due to political and technological difficulties. Meanwhile, Harper 2008 discusses the history and development of weather modification efforts in the U.S., particularly as a means to manage water supplies in arid regions like the Western U.S.
Control over bodies of water often leads to debates between nations, as Hamblin 2002 discusses in his analysis about the controversial debates around radioactive waste disposal in the oceans during the Cold War, particularly Britain’s approach and its interactions with the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Maclellan 2005 explores the impact of nuclear testing in the Pacific region, noting that some tests conducted by Western states, such as those carried out on isolated atolls, have impacted the environment and Indigenous communities in the area. Furthermore, control over oil is often tied to control of bodies of water and water resources, as Hein 2022 examines in her book. She introduces the concept of the “petroleumscape” to analyze the circular production of oil-related locations around the world, and she also touches on how oil infrastructure, such as pipelines, refineries, and offshore drilling, affects water systems, including bodies of water and watery ecosystems.
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In this chapter, Hamblin discusses that the “Water for Peace” initiative was driven by the ambition to increase the influence of the United States in the region, particularly in relation to Israel’s water security, but it became entangled in Cold War issues and the complexities of nuclear proliferation.
The book is divided into three chapters. The first focuses on oil’s role in influencing global geographies, and territorial projects. The second explores the ways oil influences urban spaces, environments, and cultural practices, all of which are often connected to colonial and post-colonial frameworks. The final section covers the energy transition, considering how to reuse the petroleumscape and design post-oil futures.
Sneddon emphasizes how the United States Bureau of Reclamation used dam projects as tools during the Cold War to combat communism and extend U.S. influence. Through case studies in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America, Sneddon argues that although dams were intended to help developing countries, they often fall short of their goals.
Mountain Battery traces the transnational development of the Alpine region into a key energy landscape of modern Europe, where water emerges as a vital energy supplier through large-scale hydroelectric projects. It positions “white coal” (hydropower) as a pivotal alternative and complement to fossil fuels like coal during energy transformations from the late 19th century onward, highlighting innovations such as turbines and high-voltage transmission. The book examines pre-industrial water uses, wartime dependencies, and the geopolitical struggles over Alpine dams across France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy, revealing how states replumbed “Europe’s water tower” to store and deliver power.
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In this article Hamblin points out Britain’s reliance on the sea’s diluting capacity amid criticism of its dumping practices, contrasting it with the United States model that pursued land disposal. He also notes that diplomatic relations and public perception most often influenced Britain to prioritize image management over environmental safety. He further discusses the role of the European Nuclear Energy Agency in legitimizing ocean dumping, despite significant opposition from countries regarding environmental impacts.
Harper’s article discusses how weather modification often sparks both controversy and efforts by various levels of government to regulate and harness these technologies for practical purposes. She asserts that today, while government support for weather modification has decreased since the 1970s, ongoing projects and calls for research funding reflect a growing recognition of the need for similar initiatives, particularly in the context of climate change and its impact on water supplies.
In this article, Maclellan highlights the continuous struggles faced by Indigenous Pacific communities due to the lasting impacts of nuclear tests as well as their attempts to seek compensation and environmental restoration. He argues that Pacific Island nations like Palau and Fiji were the first to advocate for anti-nuclear zones, rather than Australia or New Zealand. While there has been progress in nuclear disarmament, the article mentions that the Pacific region is still far from being completely nuclear-free.
Water Rights, Settler Colonialism, and Environmental Justice
Water rights, settler colonialism, and environmental justice are intertwined. For Indigenous communities, water is not only a source of life but also a site of spiritual connection. However, water has historically been weaponized as a tool of control and dispossession, particularly within colonial and capitalist systems. Haiven 2013 engages with topics surrounding dams, discussing how these have historically transformed our environment and influenced our lives. He mentions projects such as mega-dams, which have culturally and physically represented exploitation, power, and control. Through exploitative and extractivist methods, settler colonialism has continually reconfigured watery spaces and waterways to serve economic and political agendas, often at the expense of the environment. Andersen 2004 examines the ecological history and ongoing initiatives to restore Long Island Sound, known for its waterways, as a functional estuary. He provides a thorough narrative beginning with the Sound’s geological origins and continuing to the contemporary issues it faced due to human activities. Voyles 2021 delves into the environmental history of Southern California’s Salton Sea, describing it as “an ecological conundrum and a study in paradoxes.” She traces the Salton Sea’s creation in 1905 when a canal failure caused the Colorado River to flood the Salton Sink, resulting in long-term ecological impacts.
The extractivist and exploitative practices rooted in settler colonialism not only damage the environment but also exacerbate harm toward Indigenous populations. Building on this theme, Claire and Surprise 2022 expose the environmental and social consequences of California’s water management policies, particularly those driven by the Central Valley Project (CVP), whose priority is to serve agricultural interests through water diversion. Dallman et al. 2013, critique the United States water policy for favoring urban and agricultural development at the expense of American Indian communities, particularly the Winnemem Wintu tribe in California. Water rights, therefore, are not merely technical or environmental issues, they are also political and cultural. Using the Standing Rock campaigns against the Dakota Access Pipelines project (#NoDAPL), Gilio-Whitaker 2019 explores a history of Native environmental justice, focusing on the struggle of Native American communities to protect their lands, cultures, and sovereignty against settler colonialism. Estes 2017 contributes a moving essay about the #NoDAPL movement as a continuation of the Oceti Sakowin’s historical resistance to colonial invasions. Todrys 2021 further explores this topic in her book that delves into the resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline project (DAPL) at Standing Rock, where activists opposed the pipeline’s construction, which threatened their freshwater source. Meanwhile, Pauli 2020 addresses the Flint water crisis, focusing on how the cost-saving switch to the Flint River exposed residents to lead contamination and health risks. Demuth 2019 investigates the environmental history of the Bering Strait, exploring the relationships between humans, animals, and the ecosystem in the Arctic region over the course of two centuries.
Numerous scholars have contributed to the discourse on the intersection between struggles for water rights and environmental justice, all of which stem from settler colonialism. Taylor 2014 covers the concept of internal colonialism, which refers to the exploitation of Native American reservations and other marginalized areas within a nation. She draws attention to how harmful industries frequently operate in these areas, extracting resources and disposing of waste, endangering both the environment and the health of local population’s. Henry 2022 explores the intersections between environmental humanities and water justice, revealing how capitalism creates environmental risks and barriers in access to clean water for marginalized communities. Additionally, Hobart 2022 provides an interesting lens to view ice and cold, particularly as embodied in practices such as ice consumption. She positions ice as both a tool of dispossession and a site of decolonial resistance for the Kanaka Maoli.
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This work centres on the catastrophic ecological disaster that surfaced in the 1980s, when enormous marine life die-offs were caused by hypoxia, or oxygen depletion in the ocean, reaching critical levels causing Sound to plummet. Andersen further explains that the decline was a result of a gradual accumulation of pollution and neglect, which overwhelmed its innate capacity to manage nitrogen and led to a deadly ecological crisis.
Divided into five chapters, the book covers the commodification of natural resources like whales, walruses, and reindeer by humans, with a focus on how capitalist and socialist systems have impacted the region’s ecology and Indigenous communities. Demuth draws a comparison between the devastating impacts of modern industrialisation, fox hunting, and commercial whaling with the traditional Indigenous knowledge and practices that are more sustainable.
Drawing from the historical and contemporary experiences of Indigenous peoples, Gilio-Whitaker examines how environmental issues, such as resource extraction, and environmental racism, are connected to the legacy of colonialism. She demonstrates how practices like resource extraction can contaminate water, harming not only people but fish and plants that Indigenous communities depend on for sustenance and medicine. The book argues for a decolonised strategy that takes into account understanding and engaging with Indigenous approaches to environmental conservation and climate action.
In this piece, Haiven critiques how dams, despite their commercial and industrial uses, often displace communities, especially Indigenous ones, and cause environmental damage. Through literature, film, and cultural works, Haiven reflects on how dams represent humanity’s overconfidence in manipulating nature and the social and ecological repercussions of such manipulations.
This is a critique of traditional energy humanities and its neglect of the broader impacts of water by using case studies that reveal the vulnerabilities of marginalized communities, especially Indigenous and racialized groups. The book contains four chapters on Indigenous hydronarratives, the Flint water crisis, the repercussions of extractive capitalism on rural Appalachians, and the impacts of sea level rise on marginalized communities and urban planning with racialized interests.
This work both critiques and contextualizes the larger discourse on colonial developments regarding Maunakea and the American ice trade by pointing out the racial and economic hierarchies within that history. The book argues that the thermal politics of cold are implicated in food systems, identity, and struggles for sovereignty and self-determination in Hawai’i.
This chapter examines how the reservation system contributes to the exploitation of Native lands and resources without the communities’ legitimate permission. It presents examples of how businesses like uranium mining, the disposal of toxic waste, and pollution from military installations have harmed the ecosystem and contaminated Native lands and water supplies like rivers and wells, impacting the health and way of life of Indigenous peoples.
The Standing Rock Sioux believed that the pipeline would destroy their sacred sites and endanger the Missouri River, a vital water supply for millions. Through the voices of Native activists such as LaDonna Allard, Jasilyn Charger, Lisa DeVille, and Kandi White, this book explores the core issues surrounding the pipeline, and the resistance against environmental injustices.
Voyles explains how colonization changed the area, from the forced displacement of Indigenous peoples like the Kumeyaay and Cahuilla to the environmental impacts of dams, agriculture, and industrial pollution. Her book, which is divided into eight chapters, delves into topics such as water manipulation, the appropriation of Native land and labor, and the long-term impacts of toxic dumping. Voyles combines historical data, oral histories, and archival records to trace the long-term damage inflicted both to the environment and Native communities by settler exploitation.
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The authors argue that projects like water diversion have caused a “hydrologic rift,” that harms ecosystems and disproportionately affects Indigenous communities. They analyze how conceptions of water policy in California underpin both the capitalist and settler colonial systems, which in turns perpetuates Indigenous dispossession and ecological degradation. As an alternative, they advocate for “reciprocal restoration,” which includes actions like dam removal and floodplain reconnection to restore ecosystems and support Indigenous sovereignty.
Using interviews, Dallman et al. demonstrate how environmental policies benefited the economy, disregarded the cultural and spiritual ties that Indigenous people have to their sacred landscapes, and restricted their access to the ancestral lands.
This essay depicts the solidarity that stretched over more than three hundred Native nations and the environmental perils caused by the Dakota Access Pipeline. It contextualizes these contemporary struggles within a long history of injustices, such as violent suppressions like the Wounded Knee Massacre and policies designed to divide Indigenous communities. The narrative promotes urgency in seeking unity among Native and non-Native allies in resisting state repression and defending their treaty rights and sovereignty.
This insightful article examines the technical failures, such as inadequate water treatment and the impact of corrosive water impact, on aging infrastructure. The article gives attention to the political decisions that prioritized financial considerations over public health. It also explores the socioeconomic and racial sides of the crisis, showing the environmental injustice and systemic neglect that are faced by the communities in Flint.
Water, Disaster, and Contamination
Access and control over water resources by various parties have often led to uncontrolled and unsupervised exploitative activities, resulting in significant problems such as environmental destruction and water pollution. Among the human activities contributing to water contamination is the disposal of toxic waste. Thomson 2019 explores the Love Canal crisis and its impact on contemporary environmental justice activism, narrating how inhabitants of Love Canal, New York, learned that their neighborhood was built atop toxic waste, leading to serious health problems and environmental contamination. Similarly, Sarathy 2018 highlights how industrial waste disposal, and water pollution control in Southern California were historically viewed and treated as economic issues rather than public health concerns, leaving long-lasting environmental impacts. The long-term effects of unsupervised chemical use, such as DDT, are also discussed by Kinkela 2011, who focuses on its use in malaria control and the debates surrounding its environmental impact, including the pollution of water sources.
Nuclear testing and the disposal of radioactive waste have also raised significant concerns about water contamination. Dibblin 1998 investigates the lasting impacts of United States nuclear testing on coastal societies in the Marshall Islands, while Hamblin 2008 examines the emergence of global environmental governance. He focuses on the establishment of international treaties like the London Dumping Convention, designed to regulate the disposal of hazardous wastes, including radioactive materials, at sea. Mitchell 2020 presents a thorough analysis of the environmental and health impacts of military conflicts, focusing on the use of chemical and biological weapons in Okinawa, Japan, and Micronesia. Fazzi 2023 discusses the rise and fall of ocean incineration, a practice by the U.S. government that involved burning toxic waste, such as Agent Orange, at sea using specialized ships.
Unregulated industrial activities have further exacerbated water pollution. For instance, Stanford-McIntyre 2018 examines the oil boom in the Permian Basin and the development of the Odessa Petrochemical Complex which fuelled economic growth and technological advancement but led to negative impacts on public health and the environment. Hochschild 2016 highlights similar challenges faced by people in Louisiana who deal with serious pollution in their air, water, and land as a result of unregulated industrial activities. The destruction and contamination of water sources due to human activities also contributes to environmental disasters. Spezio 2020 explores the development of oil spill response and prevention, emphasizing the shift in the oil industry’s approach following catastrophic events involving oil such as the Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010. Meanwhile, Pilkey and Pilkey 2019 delves into the impacts of rising sea levels on the U.S. due to global climate change, addressing issues from tidal flooding to the vulnerability of critical infrastructure.
Scholars have also examined developments in environmental safety regulations. Hines 2013 discusses the transformative impact of the Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972 resulting in dramatic reduction in U.S. water pollution through the implementation of strict federal water quality standards. He discusses how, before the Clean Water Act (CWA), water pollution was managed at the state level and with minimal enforcement, resulting in some ineffective controls. Meanwhile, Turner 2018 outlines the political and legal battles surrounding environmental regulations in the U.S. from the 1970s through the 1990s.
Books
The Pacific communities were affected by the nuclear testing, they are the people of Rongelap atoll, who were contaminated by fallout from the 1954 Bravo test, and the people of Kwajalein atoll, who were forced to relocate to create space for missile testing. It explores the reasons behind the United States use of the Marshall Islands for nuclear and missile testing, the local environmental and health damage that resulted from the testing, and the continued efforts of the Marshall Islanders to fight for justice.
Louisiana’s heavily polluted rivers, bayous, and lakes cause serious health problems for its citizens, including birth deformities and cancer. Instead of supporting environmental control, many of these residents align their values with conservative ideas, despite the devastating impacts of the pollution. Through interviews, Hochschild discovers that their emotional self-interest and resentment are the root causes of their resistance to environmental regulations. They perceive minorities and immigrants as unfairly benefiting from these programs, while their own sacrifices and hard work are disregarded or undervalued.
The book discusses the global spread of DDT, its consequences in public health and the environment, and the controversies that arose around its use, especially in developing nations. The fact that it was sprayed inside homes and in water sources to eradicate malaria-carrying mosquitoes shows the immediate effects of DDT on land and aquatic ecosystems.
The book discusses the use of toxic agents by Japan and the brutal experimentation during the war. It also covers the nuclear testing in the Pacific done by the United States. All of these actions resulted in long-term contamination and health concerns to those exposed to such activities.This book explains why it is essential to address long-overdue environmental and public health issues in a period when disaster risk is rising.
“If you can see the sea, the sea can seize you.” Illustrated with various examples, colorful photographs, and data charts, the Pilkeys discuss various topics, including the environmental, political, and economic consequences of rising seas. Through this book the Pilkeys challenge the readers to think of assessment of current strategies and policies related to climate change to ensure that future generations are not left with uninhabitable shorelines.
Sarathy covers the history and consequences of the Stringfellow Acid Pits, a hazardous waste site in Southern California, which were used to dispose of industrial garbage from 1956 to 1972, polluting the groundwater. In 1978, flooding caused by heavy rains endangered nearby towns, contaminating them with toxic wastewater. Local authorities and business groups frequently ignored or downplayed the risks of industrial waste, prioritizing economic growth over environmental protection despite public health concerns. There was inadequate oversight, poor regulation, and decisions made that favored industrial interests at the Stringfellow site.
In this text, McIntyre discusses how the petrochemical industries in Odessa, Texas led to widespread water contamination, impacting both low-income and wealthy populations due to negligent waste management and emissions. Despite early signs of harm, public health concerns were disregarded for decades until legal action in the 1990s forced companies to address pollution and brought attention to the human and environmental consequences of unregulated industrial growth.
Toxic substances such as dioxin were dispersed across the neighborhood due to the contamination of its local waterways. Residents demanded evacuation after realizing that the toxic waste buried in the canal was affecting the neighborhood’s creeks, sewers, and water. The chapter also looks at how residents challenged scientific risk evaluations and framed their fight for health as a struggle for their rights as citizens using personal experiences and health surveys.
Despite the early success of The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) in reducing pollution through the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, there were attempts to weaken them that surfaced from business groups, especially within the Reagan administration. However, strong opposition from Congress, environmental groups, and the public helped defend and maintain these environmental laws. Even though there were still problems with environmental justice, these laws ultimately played a significant role in reducing pollution and improving public health.
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Fazzi contends that although the burning method was first considered as a solution to dispose of dangerous chemicals in a way that seemed safe and easy, growing concerns about its environmental and health impacts led to massive protests. Greenpeace and other environmental groups exposed the dangers of ocean incineration by combining scientific research and public campaigns to rally opposition which led to a change in policy. The United States government stopped supporting ocean incineration by the 1980s, followed by international regulations that began to ban it.
Hamblin argues that despite the appearance of progress in environmental regulation, many countries manipulated legal definitions and retained their current dumping practices, using the conventions more as a public relations tool than as genuine environmental protection measures. He also highlights the tension between political convenience and environmental responsibility, showing how leaders often talk about protecting the environment but fail to follow through with real policy changes.
The Clean Water Act (CWA) initiated a federal-state partnership whereby the federal government had taken prime responsibility for the standards of water pollution control. With all these challenges and shortcomings, including the unrealized complete elimination of water pollutants, the law nonetheless caused large-scale improvements in water quality. The text underscores how the CWA, despite its shortcomings, was crucial for the development of water pollution control and current environmental policy.
Spezio discusses how the industry spent decades concentrating on cleaning up spills rather than preventing them which was not working well. In the 1970s, this strategy was re-examined with an emphasis on spill prevention in response to increasing public and political criticism following previous disasters like the 1969 Santa Barbara leak. Spezio also argues that showing the sources of pollution today might make policymakers move more quickly to address environmental issues like pesticides and climate change, just like how the visible effects of oil spills led to quicker decisions.