The Salinity Crisis: Landscapes, Communities and Politics by Quentin Beresford, Hugo Bekle, Harry Philips and Jane Murcock

摘要

In the annual Jack Beale Water ResourcesnLecture at the Australian National Universitynlast October, Andrew Campbell suggestednthat in the interests of sustainablenland use, we could no longer justify spendingntaxpayers’ money employing wheatnbreeders. Wheat also comes in for somenbad press in this book examining the emergencenof dryland salinity in Western Australia.nAlmost a third of the book is devotednto the history of agricultural development,nproviding valuable insights into the role ofngovernment, the place of science and thenexpectations of European settlers in thendevelopment of the state. It also introducesnsome much-needed perspective to thendebate on how to manage a crisis that hasnbeen described as the most seriousnenvironmental problem facing the country.nThe analysis of underlying causes and proposednresponses in the book is, however,nless satisfying.