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Climate Crisis: An Introductory Guide to Climate Change [Kõva köide]

(Universität Potsdam, Germany), (University of Chicago)
  • Formaat: Hardback, 260 pages, kõrgus x laius x paksus: 251x195x17 mm, kaal: 730 g, 6 Tables, unspecified
  • Ilmumisaeg: 24-Dec-2009
  • Kirjastus: Cambridge University Press
  • ISBN-10: 0521407443
  • ISBN-13: 9780521407441
  • Formaat: Hardback, 260 pages, kõrgus x laius x paksus: 251x195x17 mm, kaal: 730 g, 6 Tables, unspecified
  • Ilmumisaeg: 24-Dec-2009
  • Kirjastus: Cambridge University Press
  • ISBN-10: 0521407443
  • ISBN-13: 9780521407441
"An incredible wealth of scientific data on global warming has been collected in the last few decades. The history of the Earth's climate has been probed by drilling into polar ice sheets and sediment layers of the oceans' vast depths, and great advances have been made in computer modeling of our climate. This book provides a concise and accessible overview of what we know about ongoing climate change and its impacts, and what we can do to confront the climate crisis. Using clear and simple graphics in full color, it lucidly highlights information contained in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports, and brings the subject completely up-to-date with current science and policy. The book makes essential scientific information on this criticaltopic accessible to a broad audience. Obtaining sound information is the first step in preventing a serious, long-lasting degradation of our planet's climate, helping to ensure our future survival"--Provided by publisher.

"This book provides a concise and accessible overview of what we know about ongoing climate change and its impacts, and what we can do to confront the climate crisis. It gives a readable account of the treasure trove of information contained in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports, and also brings the subject completely up-to-date with current science and policy"--Provided by publisher.

A concise and clear overview of the essential scientific information on climate change for students and the general reader.

An incredible wealth of scientific data on global warming has been collected in the last few decades. The history of the Earth's climate has been probed by drilling into polar ice sheets and sediment layers of the oceans' vast depths, and great advances have been made in computer modeling of our climate. This book provides a concise and accessible overview of what we know about ongoing climate change and its impacts, and what we can do to confront the climate crisis. Using clear and simple graphics in full color, it lucidly highlights information contained in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports, and brings the subject completely up-to-date with current science and policy. The book makes essential scientific information on this critical topic accessible to a broad audience. Obtaining sound information is the first step in preventing a serious, long-lasting degradation of our planet's climate, helping to ensure our future survival.

Arvustused

' It is balanced in explaining what is known with confidence and what is not and the uncertainties. This book should be read by anyone who is interested in climate change but does not have the time or commitment to read the IPCC reports.' Eos

Muu info

A concise and clear overview of the essential scientific information on climate change for students and the general reader.
Preface ix
Retrospective: what we knew and when we knew it
1(15)
Awareness of the past
4(3)
Understanding climate
7(4)
Finding the smoking gun
11(4)
Summary
15(1)
Earth's energy budget
16(23)
The concept of radiative forcing
17(4)
Greenhouse gases
21(11)
Other human-related climate forcings
32(2)
Climate forcings that are not our fault
34(3)
Summary
37(2)
Climate change so far
39(29)
Temperature changes
40(7)
Rain and snow
47(4)
Clouds and radiation
51(3)
Patterns of atmospheric circulation
54(3)
Tropical storms
57(5)
Causes of the observed climate changes
62(5)
Summary
67(1)
Snow and ice
68(18)
Ice sheets
69(9)
Sea ice
78(3)
Permafrost
81(3)
Summary
84(2)
How the oceans are changing
86(19)
The oceans are heating up
87(4)
Sweet or salty?
91(2)
Are ocean currents changing?
93(1)
Sea level rise
94(4)
The oceans are turning sour
98(5)
Summary
103(2)
The past is the key to the future
105(20)
Climate changes over millions of years
106(1)
The Paleocene Eocene thermal maximum (PETM)
106(3)
Pliocene
109(1)
Glacial cycles
109(9)
Our current interglacial period
118(1)
The last 2000 years
119(3)
The instrumental period
122(1)
Summary
123(2)
What the future holds
125(26)
Scenarios or predictions?
126(1)
How future climate is computed
127(2)
How warm will it get?
129(6)
Rainfall changes
135(4)
How high will the seas rise?
139(6)
Changing ocean currents?
145(1)
Ice and snow changes
146(2)
How sour will the oceans get?
148(2)
Summary
150(1)
Impacts of climate change
151(40)
Are plants and animals already feeling the heat?
152(8)
The future of nature
160(10)
Food, water, health: how global warming will affect us
170(8)
Climate impacts by region
178(7)
Can we adapt?
185(6)
Avoiding climate change
191(30)
Energy supply: the present, the forecast, and what can be changed
196(9)
Energy consumption
205(5)
Other mitigation strategies
210(3)
A more optimistic vision
213(4)
What it will cost
217(4)
Climate policy
221(10)
Do we need a climate policy?
222(2)
What global policy targets?
224(3)
Global conflict, or unprecedented global cooperation?
227(4)
Epilogue 231(1)
References 232(3)
Illustration credits 235(5)
Index 240
David Archer is a professor of Geophysical Sciences at the University of Chicago. Dr Archer has published over 70 scientific papers on a wide range of topics on the carbon cycle and its relation to global climate. He teaches classes on global warming, environmental chemistry, and geochemistry. His previous books include Global Warming: Understanding the Forecast (2006, Wiley-Blackwell) and The Long Thaw: How Humans are Changing the Next 100,000 Years of Earth's Climate (2008, Princeton University Press). He is a regular contributor to the website realclimate.org. Stefan Rahmstorf is professor of Physics of the Oceans, and head of department at Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. Dr Rahmstorf is a member of the Academia Europaea and of the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU).He is also one of the lead authors of the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In 2007 he became an Honorary Fellow of the University of Wales. He has published over 50 scientific papers (14 of which in Nature and Science) and co-authored two previous books: Der Klimawandel (2006, C.H. Beck) and Wie bedroht sind die Ozeane? (2007, Fischer), published in English as Our Threatened Oceans (2008, Haus publishing). He a co-founder and regular contributor to the website realclimate.org.