Traveling the 38th Parallel: A Water Line Around the World

Between extremes of climate farther north and south the 38th North parallel line marks a temperate middle latitude where human societies have thrived since the beginning of civilization. It divides North and South Korea passes through Athens and San Francisco and bisects Mono Lake in the eastern Sierra Nevada where authors David and Janet Carle make their home. Former park rangers the authors set out on an around-the-world journey in search of water-related environmental and cultural intersections along the 38th parallel. This book is a chronicle of their adventures as they meet people confronting challenges in water supply pollution wetlands loss and habitat protection. At the heart of the narrative are the riveting stories of the passionate individuals-scientists educators and local activists-who are struggling to preserve some of the worlds most amazing yet threatened landscapes.Traveling largely outside of cities away from well-beaten tourist tracks the authors cross Japan Korea China Turkmenistan Turkey Greece Sicily Spain Portugal the Azores Islands and the United States-from Chesapeake Bay to San Francisco Bay. The stories they gather provide stark contrasts as well as reaffirming similarities across diverse cultures. Illustrated with photos from the authors travels Traveling the 38th Parallel documents devastating environmental losses but also inspiring gains made through the efforts of dedicated individuals working against the odds to protect these fragile places.This paperback edition includes 64 color images nearly doubling the number that appeared in the hardcover edition.WINNER in Travel category of 2020 International Book Awards.