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Customer Reviews (4)

Waste of time...
This book makes one huge mistake. The author assumes that man-made catastrophic global warming is a reality when it's just a myth. It has been scientifically proven that global warming is natural part of the earth's cycle, and is most likely beneficial to mankind. Even the renowned environmentalist, Bjorn Lomborg, has publicly acknowledged that the global warming scare is a load of garbage.

What can I do about global warming? Here's the answer
Climate change can seem like a huge and abstract subject, a topic for politicians and scientists. This book attempts to bring things down to the level of the individual and the family.

There are the familiar predictions of life in the mid-21st century, if nothing is done about global warming. Sea levels will rise because of melting ice caps, flooding thousands of square miles of coastlines, displacing millions of people. Americans who live anywhere near the coast will find it increasingly hard, or impossible, to get flood insurance. Temperate climates will move north. Tropical climates will become hotter and more uninhabitable.

This book also visits the Carbone's, a typical family living in the American southeast. They own an SUV, and the two young sons live for video games and computers. The air conditioner is continually running all summer, the electronics are usually left on all day, and the SUV frequently has one occupant. The author looks at Mrs. Carbone starting an herb and vegetable garden in the back yard, Mr. Carbone becoming more environmentally aware at work, and the SUV being traded in for a smaller car.

The energy saving suggestions in this book may seem like common sense, but they bear repeating. Trade in your gas-guzzler for a more fuel-efficient car. If practical, consider mass transit. Start a vegetable garden, then start a compost pile. If your home or office computer needs to be on all day, use the monitor's Sleep mode. Use your town's recycling system. Keep in mind the distance traveled by produce to reach your supermarket, and buy local. Also, try vacationing closer to home. When a person has died, consider a biodegradable casket (isn't the intention that the body be returned to the soil?). Last but not least, buy items with less packaging or items made from recycled materials.

This book does an excellent job of bringing an abstract subject like global warming down to earth. It says a lot, in a very easy to read format. It is also pretty funny, too. What can I, or my family, do about global warming? Here is the answer.

Great book
It really makes one think about how every single person is responsible for global warming and the changes on our planet. Definetely worth reading!

Keeping up with the Carbones
If anybody has packed more common sense into such a small space as David Reay has accomplished with this book, i've missed it."Common sense" is the concept which supposedly governs our daily lives.However, somewhere along the way, there's been a slippage.Our lives, and that of our children, are under threat.Our common sense couldn't perceive the rapid rate of change occuring in the environment around us.Now, we must take back charge of the future.Reay isn't asking you to make drastic changes in your lifestyle to accomplish this.Instead, he demonstrates how small steps can improve our condition and make it sustainable for our children.

The author's method is well suited to the task.He invents a "typical" family of four, the Carbones, who could be your neighbours.There are John and Kate, with their two boys.Later, Kate will be discovered pregnant with Lucy.Lucy will become a guiding example for choices leading to alternative futures.Reay outlines the daily lives of the Carbones.There's getting the boys to school, John and Kate to work, and the various side trips for groceries and the like.Grandma Carbone visits from her house across town.What contribution to greenhouses gases does this lifestyle make every day?Every year?What changes can and should be made?Or can this daily round continue without modification?

Reay's answer to the last question is a resounding "No!".He provides numerous examples of visible and hidden costs that perhaps only a few of us recognise.Is your house one of the "uninsurable" residences?Insurance companies view climate change and sea level rise as inevitable and know the risks are too high for coverage.There are more direct considerations than insurance, however.What will your next automobile be?Reay suggests you review just what type of vehicle you really need.He favours the "dual-fuel" solution, since the overwhelming use of cars is local and urban.Can you resist the "upgrade" of your fridge to one that talks to you?If you need more space, is renovation more cost effective than shifting to a newer, larger residence?Finally, give thought to your workplace.How many lights, computers and other office appliances sitting there humming away drawing hydroelectric power for 24 hours per day, 365 days a year?What can you do about that?

Reay asks a good many questions of us all.He provides the reasons for the questions.One major factor behind many of them is the hidden "embodied" resource cost.That new fridge or upgraded personal computer arrived manufactured.The components, case and other parts required mining or other processing.While we're on the subject of hidden costs, what are you paying in "food-miles" - the shipping of foodstuffs from distant places that might just as readily be grown locally?Reay's approach isn't preachy nor does he want you to don a hair shirt of guilt over your climate impact.He does, however, urge immediate consideration of what you can do to reduce that effect.The choices are all yours, not his.However, for you, your children and for the rest of us, it's important that you confront the issue and make the decisions.The Carbones considered them carefully and implemented them without significant lifestyle adjustment.Can you keep up with the Carbones?[stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada] ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

Author's note
Slightly updated.Ought to be useful for both high school and college reading assignments. Unlike most climate books, it has a thorough examination of abrupt shifts in climate. (There have been six, global in scale, since 1976.)

Global Fever
Excellent book!Written in such a way as to be understandable to those with little background in climate issues yet blunt enough in its analysis to wake up those who politically or otherwise are laggards when it comes to moving forward on existential environmental issues.Written in plain english!

Even Handed Approach on How to Get Out of the GW Problem
The author is a neurosurgeon by training, but has a solid background in science that certainly qualifies him to write on the topic of this book. As such, he provides a fairly even handed view without a particular ax to grind. Years ago I read his very enjoyable and interesting The River That Flows Uphill -- From the Big Bang to the Big Brain. It's about his thoughts on such matters as he journeys down the Colorado River.In this book the backdrop is global warming, or, as he puts it, global fever. That backdrop isn't quite so pleasing. It starts with the defensible premise that it exists and we need to do something about it soon, 2020, to stop its catastrophic effects.

The book has some formidable forerunners, such as those by Tim Flannery (Weather Makers) or Elizabeth Kolbert (Field Notes ...). Calvin has plenty to say about how to proceed against antropogenic global warming, and takes the reader through many technical aspects of it with descriptions of (scientific) feedback (as opposed to social), mechanisms of sudden climate shifts, the importance of CO2 versus water and methane as key indicators, and the basics of climate modeling. Particularly important are his comments about the spread of disinformation. It's widespread, but after reading his book, you'll be in a better position to recognize it. There's an interesting comment early in the book about why Al Gore does not appear to support nuclear power, page 30.

He has a good appendix on further reads, and interesting notes in the back to supplement the text. His Read Widely appendix, in the last paragraph, discusses reliable sources, e.g., Real Climate (maintained by climate scientists, Google), and some that are just front organizations for business as usual (GlobalWarming ...). To get a good feel for the writing style, see his web page (Google). He has a couple of downloadable chapters, and more information on the subject of global fever. One fun one that caught my eye was a reference to the old (60s) Bell (Telephone) Science, a TV series. One episode was called Unchained Goddess. A one minute snippet can be found on YouTube. Yes, even then we new about the threat. (The complete DVD, 1 hour, of it can be found on Amazon. It's still a very good and light introduction to the basics of climate.)

A small word of warning. His book says the charts and diagrams are available on his web site for use. This is partly true. They are in the pdf files, but for only three chapters. A few minor points about the book are the charts and diagrams are sometimes hard to read, and the text sometimes loosely describes them. If you get stuck on explanations, skip ahead. There's lots of interesting material in the book. ... Read more

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Climate Change is geared toward a variety of students and general readers who seek the real science behind global warming. Exquisitely illustrated, the text introduces the basic science underlying both the natural progress of climate change and the effect of human activity on the deteriorating health of our planet. Noted expert and author Edmond A. Mathez synthesizes the work of leading scholars in climatology and related fields, and he concludes with an extensive chapter on energy production, anchoring this volume in economic and technological realities and suggesting ways to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

Climate Change opens with the climate system fundamentals: the workings of the atmosphere and ocean, their chemical interactions via the carbon cycle, and the scientific framework for understanding climate change. Mathez then brings the climate of the past to bear on our present predicament, highlighting the importance of paleoclimatology in understanding the current climate system. Subsequent chapters explore the changes already occurring around us and their implications for the future. In a special feature, Jason E. Smerdon, associate research scientist at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, provides an innovative appendix for students.

Customer Reviews (1)

A Missed Opportunity to Broker Peace
When interpretations of scientific evidence differ radically and acrimoniously, you can be certain that the interest of at least one of the parties is not a better understanding of what makes things tick in the natural world.Whether the topic is the heliocentric solar system, descent with modification, or rapid climate change, rarely are the scientific facts themselves a matter of contention.Edmond Mathez' book is a case in point.

The true value in Mathez' book is his treatment of the carbon cycle and the complexity of the interrelationships between the atmosphere, the lithosphere, the biosphere, the hydrosphere, and the cryosphere.Mathez' packaging of these topics for the scientifically literate reader, complete with illustrations, is masterful.Once Mathez equips us with the necessary vocabulary and the conceptual framework, he takes us back into deep geologic time to experience "climates past."Here we learn how carbon cycle disequilibria have created millennia of glacial and interglacial cycles, and we learn where we are in the present interglacial.And he shows the complexities and limitations of the climate models designed to forecast our destiny.

Mathez describes the three types of irregularities in the Earth's orbit which interact to create Milankovitch cycles, which explain much of the naturally-occurring cyclicality in Earth's' historic climate.He also describes the naturally-occurring accelerators, principally the polar albedo effect and water vapor, as well as the climate system's balancing factors.

One of the most startling of the historic cycles is the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), some 55 million years ago, which the author states "is analogous to resent-day climate change."During the Paleocene, climate had been slowly warming, but then a sudden, enormous mass of carbon flooded the ocean and atmosphere.During the PETM, 1,500 to 4,500 gigatons (billion metric tons) of carbon entered the Earth's climate system. This influx of carbon increased the Earth's temperature by 9 to 16 degrees Fahrenheit, about the amount of carbon and temperature we'd expect at current levels of anthropogenic carbon production.Another startling precedent was the Younger Dryas, only about 12,900 years ago, which in the space of only 1,300 years increased the Earth's temperature some 13 degrees Fahrenheit.The Younger Dryas warming period does not appear, however, to have been caused by an increase in carbon, but to a sudden decrease in the salinity of the oceans.

The author shows that in the last 100 thousand years there have been 23 naturally-occurring warm periods, the last of them causing the current increases in atmospheric and hydrospheric temperatures which account for the retreating glaciers.It is clear that with humans introducing some 36 gigatons of carbon dioxide annually, the current rate of naturally-occurring warming can only accelerate.

Edmond Mathez, provides all of this information, and more, yet he fails to draw the key conclusion which could have easily brokered a peace between partisans in the climate debate.Why doesn't he state unequivocally that there are both natural and anthropogenic causes to the current interglacial warming period and that climate research should focus on quantifying the percentages of each?Of course it makes sense for humans to reduce carbon emissions, but won't the impact of any reductions depend on the relative impact of our emissions?That is a question that Mathez curiously leaves unanswered.
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This series explores the various ways our planet is being polluted and what the effects of this pollution have been and will be in the future. Each book also looks at how people are trying to stop the pollution and find ways to reverse the effects, and highlights ways in which we can all make a difference to the environment. The books also look at how pollution is affecting different eco-systems and elements, and provide an excellent match to the 'Improving the Environment' Scheme of Work for Geography. ... Read more

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It's not your imagination: Earth is getting warmer. Global warming is perhaps the most prominent environmental issue of the past decade. Award-winning writer Laurence Pringle describes the causes of this worldwide trend, exploring its past, present, and potential future damage to our climate, ecology, and economy. He also offers practical solutions that will help avert a global disaster of our own making.With over thirty striking color photographs, here is an incisive, clear, authoritative look at a timely topic that all children and adults must face--and soon. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Light on Facts
The purpose of this book is to scare children about global warming. On the back cover: "Global Warming Can Lead to Global Disaster" is not intended to do anything else. Author Pringle would have been equally accurate to write: "Global Cooling Can Lead to Global Disaster".

The text begins with a call to act now to halt global warming. Some history since the Ice Ages is given. The insularity of the author is shown by his comment (p6): "...the year-round climate on the north side of a house...is cooler than the south side, where more sunlight falls." There was no qualification that this works in the northern hemisphere only and away from the equator. Why mislead children?

Chapter 3 on the greenhouse effect leads off with misinformation, namely, that nitrogen makes up 79% of the atmosphere and oxygen 20%. No mention of 1.5% water vapor and 1% argon. The explanation (p10) and diagram of the greenhouse effect does not explain how heat absorbed by the atmosphere results in a warmer surface, including oceans, on Earth. On p12 one of the common fables is presented -- that for 420,000 years the CO2 level in air was under 325 ppm, and paralleled the temperature. This is grossly wrong as shown by 90,000 direct chemical assays of air for CO2 by dozens of Chemists from 1812-1965, showing higher levels than NOW at least 3 times. See: Beck, E.-G. (2007). 180 Years of Atmospheric CO2 Gas Analysis by Chemical Methods, Energy & Environment, 18(2), 259-282. And these levels did NOT parallel temperature, but Followed rises and falls. Thus the graph on p34 is seriously in error.
Cement making does NOT release carbon atoms from carbonate rocks (p13, 33), but CO2. Its concentration in air is not likely to reach 600 ppm by 2050; 500 ppm is a better guess. The contribution of methane to warming is exaggerated by omission of its tiny concentration, as is also true for nitrous oxide and CFCs. A better explanation of variable ozone concentrations over the poles is Earth's magnetic lines of force leading micrometeorites toward the pole where they catalyze the normal decomposition of ozone into oxygen. The pie charton p16 ignores water vapor.

The retreat of glaciers is dramatized without the evidence that non-Alps glaciers stopped receding in 1975. See: Oerlemans, J. (2005). Extracting a Climate Signal from 169 Glacier Records. Science, 308, 675-677. The "awful" warming caused an 11-day increase in growing season (p19). Why is this bad? A certain butterfly species moved north 100 miles. Is that bad? Possibility of further sea level rise was presented as a horrifying certainty (p25). The 1990s were "honored" for having the most floods, storms, etc., but the 1940s actually did. See: Michaels, P. J., Meltdown, 2004. Deaths from excessive heat (p30) were not balanced by tales of more deaths from excessive cold. Common scares about the spread of insect-borne diseases (p31) are not backed by facts.

Computer modeling of clouds was said to include the effects of clouds since 1989 (p21). This is greatly disputed by Prof. Richard K. Lindzen of M. I. T. and others. The UN's IPCC is given great credibility, but whole books have been written to show bias at the IPCC. See: Michaels, P. J., Ed. (2004). Shattered Consensus: The True State of Global warming. Lanham, MD:Rowan & Littlefield. The straw man that fossil fuel industries have tried to show that global warming is a myth (p34) somehow missed the point that CO2 emissions are uncorrelated with warming (see above). Finally the warmer's standard propaganda ploy is used: repeat the phrase "greenhouse gases" over and over, but then push the Kyoto treaty and other means of limiting emissions of ONE gas: CO2, even though it is responsible for 2-20% of any warming, ignoring water vapor. See: Singer SF, Avery DT (2008). Unstoppable Global Warming Every 1,500 Years. Lanham, MD: Roman and Little field.

Alternate energy sources are given the standard treatment. Nuclear is said to be too costly and dangerous, while wind, water and solar are pushed (p40). "In 1996, 2,000 economists, including 4 Nobel Prize winners, signed a statement that the benefits of of action on global warming [entirely cutting CO2 emissions] outweigh the costs. Since when are economists scientists or engineers? In 1998 20,000 degree-holding scientists and engineers signed a statement that humans have not caused global warming. See: [...] under petition project.

Finally, after sporadic lip service to climate reality, there is a call for supporting the Kyoto Protocol for CO2 emissions reductions (p42) because there "...is no longer a choice..." according to "...the best information available.." For an antidote to such nonsense see: [...]

My advice is to keep this nightmare of scares away from your children.

Good emotion, but light on facts
While I was looking for a critical analysis of the dicussion regarding global warming, this book rather presents one side and ignores half of the evidence regarding the phenomina.This book is poorly researched, weak arguments, but high on emotion.

Global Warming
This book is about what is happening on our world. Global warming can lead to global disaster. Discover how this worldwide warming trend beagan, what problems it is causing, and how it can be reversed.This book talkes about how each day earth is geting warmer and that humans are warming earth's atmosphere by their every day activities.As a result,the polar ice is melting, and the sea level are racing nearly about two feet in this century. Warming climates are also causing more frequentand violent thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes.These effects of climate changes will almost certainly increase and accelerate. The author examines the causes of this worldwide warming trend, from the burning of the heattrapping gases into the atmosphere to the destruction of forests. Scientists explore the present and future damage to the world's climate, ecology, and economy. Scientists offer parctical solutions that could avert a global disaster of our own making.
BY:Wendy B. ... Read more

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Confronting climate change is now understood as a problem of 'decarbonising' the global economy: ending our dependence on carbon-based fossil fuels. This book explores whether such a transformation is underway, how it might be accelerated, and the complex politics of this process. Given the dominance of global capitalism and free-market ideologies, decarbonisation is dependent on creating carbon markets and engaging powerful actors in the world of business and finance. Climate Capitalism assesses the huge political dilemmas this poses, and the need to challenge the entrenched power of many corporations, the culture of energy use, and global inequalities in energy consumption. Climate Capitalism is essential reading for anyone wanting to better understand the challenge we face. It will also inform a range of student courses in environmental studies, development studies, international relations, and business programmes. ... Read more

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The sovereign state created at the onset of modernity can no longer protect us nor future generations from nuclear war and the effects of global warming. Politics now has to cope with the survival of humankind, not just ensure the security of individual nations. Will it fail or succeed? Far from touting easy solutions, this book provides food for thought about the future of state and politics and the meaning of our relationship with posterity. ... Read more

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Excessive burning of oil, gas, and coal is raising our planet's thermostat to unacceptable levels-a problem which as already resulted in increased natural catastrophes: storms, floods, droughts, and fire. Yet big oil companies have repeatedly hijacked efforts to slow global carbon emissions.

The Carbon War is a major call-to-arms for the safety of our planet. Throughout the last decade, Jeremy Leggett, a distinguished scientist at Oxford University and former director for Green peace, has worked doggedly to alert human kind to the threat of ecological catastrophe, He contents that the main enemies-Arab countries, the United States government, oil companies, and automobile manufacturers-have used junk science, an army of lobbyists, and outright lies to ensure that their profits stayed safer than the planet's future.

With the grace of a novelist and the precision of a scientist, Leggett recount his maddening interactions with scientific councils, international governmental meetings, and business leaders. Still, despite the government's backpedaling on eco-promises, the media's laziness, and fossil fuel company rhetoric, the transition to solar energy is coming, he argues. Called the "best book yet about the politics of global worming" by John Gribbin the London Sunday Times, The Carbon War is a riveting read and a critical contribution to the fight for sustainable energy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Okay
The book was in fairly okay condition except that it had laminated library stickers all over it, also I payed almost ten dollars extra for expedited shipping and it took over a week to get here, very slow service.
But I got the book, and I got the right book. If I had known it would have taken that long to get here I would have ordered elsewhere. Make sure you read exactly when they mandate the shipping!

An inside look at the politics of global warming
I found Jeremy Leggett's The Carbon War: Global Warming and the End of the Oil Era quite
interesting and informative. Leggett, a renowned scientist at Oxford and a former
Greenpeace UK director, discusses the politics of global warming. He focuses on oil
dependence, while working in explanations of resulting climate change and the possible
impacts. It?s engaging because it goes behind the scenes in recounting important
conferences with scientific, intergovernmental, and business representatives, not all of
which would be covered by the media. He traveled all over the world for nearly a decade
while he directed Greenpeace's Climate Campaign, and wrote this account of it in a kind
of journal style with entries spanning from October 1989 to December 1997. I appreciated
his vivid writing style in illustrating scenes and people, which helped relieve the
density of scientific detail. While I had expected a dry, rather dull scientific text, it
proved appealing as well as instructive.
The first portion of the book concerns the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,
which is a panel set up in 1988 by the UN General Assembly to advise governments on the
issue. The IPCC gathered worldwide input from scientists and experts over a year and a
half to formulate "consensus reports on the science of global warming, the probable
impacts, and the potential policy responses" (2), which is collectively called its
Scientific Assessment Report. At the time it was being prepared for the World Climate Conference where governments come together to decide what action to take. Leggett describes a series of
conferences with various governments, groups, scientists, and business leaders concerning
the final draft of this report. The first meeting mentioned deals with the summary of the
document. Strikingly, the draft states that 60-80% cuts in carbon dioxide emissions are
necessary to stabilize its atmospheric concentrations, a daunting goal. Leggett doesn?t
directly mention it but at least in the US such an extreme cut would be devastating to
the economy, with our dependence on oil leading to the colossal success of several major
oil companies. Thus throughout conferences in the book the US government, as well as oil
giants Saudi Arabia and Iran, refuses to set targets and timetables or make any kind of
commitment, arguing that the uncertainties over impacts make such action too drastic.
Legget emphasizes how scientists are certain that the current rates of greenhouse-gas
emissions will lead to climate change, but there is uncertainty over the degree of the
impacts because of the complexity of the climate system. Feedbacks in the climate system
are difficult to predict and almost impossible to calculate, making resulting climate
changes similar to a roll of dice. Toward the beginning of the semester we learned about
positive and negative feedback- positive leads to increase in a response while negative
contains the response, controlling it. In a warming world positive feedbacks would
amplify the warming by triggering extra carbon emissions from repositories in nature, and
negative feedbacks would suppress it (5). The concern is that the positive will end up
outweighing the negative. And the draft read that an overall increase rather than
decrease appears likely. All of this was more understandable because of learning about
climate change in class and about the carbon cycle.
Leggett has to deal with the frustrating responses of many people. Representatives of the
coal and oil industries, and countries dependent on them, deny the issue so their
livelihood won't be jeopardized. Others think that global warming is just a theory and
not a certainty, or aren't aware of just how urgent the situation is. At one point
Leggett gives a speech where he delivers his research of what the runaway greenhouse
effect or worst-case scenario would be. It describes how many island nations would be
submerged and coastline lost, unbreathable air, increase of famine, in areas of extremely
hot temperatures there would be many deaths leading to much conflict over water and food,
ect. He gives a survey on the worst case to around 100 different scientists- about 13%
say that they think it is a possibility. But the survey results are released to the media
who misrepresent the information, saying that only 13% of scientists thought that global
warming was happening. An oil company representative also gives a presentation and warps
the information because he is trying to recruit employers.
With this context you can really understand his vexation, and it draws the reader into
the cause. But yet his writing is hardly ever centered on himself despite the journal
style, but rather externally oriented. Other major points were the increase in coral
bleaching, which I hadn't known are the second major ecosystem in the world. He discusses
oil drilling at length, actually going to Siberia for an interview where a Texan company
is drilling. It should how drilling is happening in increasingly uninhabitable land, and
the Texans said that their motives are selfish, they don?t care about the earth and just
want to make money. Oil spills are another major issue. Each spill releases millions of
tones of oil onto the surface or in the ocean, which, in cold areas, doesn't evaporate
and breaks down very slowly.
The insurance industry is also in danger of crashing from paying the coverage of so many
major storms, which are increasing in frequency and intensity. Finance in general will
suffer great losses from cuts in emissions. After talking about insurance Legget mentions
a high tax on carbon use as a way to lessen emissions.
In trying to combat climate change I think the first step is raising awareness of the
urgency of the issue. Al Gore has admirably tried to do this, but the media has taken
hold of the topic and sensationalized it, which makes people less inclined to take it
seriously. Reliable information is key with this because of possible misrepresentation by
the media, as Leggett shows. This makes the public even less informed, and can be used to
downplay climate change to the public. Release of the runaway greenhouse effect
description could be very effective if delivered in a way that wouldn't cause a panic.
I think a carbon tax would help to an extent in decreasing emissions, but of course
carbon would still be burned. As the title of the work imparts, we are approaching the
end of the oil era. We cannot continue burning oil at our current rates for another
century without serious, even disastrous, consequences. This means we should focus on
research and development of alternative energy and fuel sources. Especially in such a
developed, industrialized, and technologically dependent country like the US, we are much
too used to moving around very quickly, making retrogression to earlier forms of
transportation out of the question. As alternative fuels are more accessible they will be
invested in, bringing back the economy. A huge issue is trying to convince the colossal
China, as well as India, to attempt to make cuts as well.

The Dark Side of Global Warming Politics
The Carbon War is aptly titled - it shows that the rough and tumble politics of global warming is actually a type of war, one fought with political weapons in the finest (or worst) Machiavellian approach using deception, lies, abuse of power, money, and any other means of gaining the desired goal.Although both sides in the debate (big business and governments beholden to big business versus environmental groups) resort to various machinations and deception to promote their agendas, as this book clearly demonstrates from a personal eye-witness (of one who was "in the trenches"), the big business consortium is much more guilty of lies, corruption, and blatant mis-use of power than the environmental side.One reason may simply be that the traditional energy industry (petrochemical and coal) fear they will lose significant amounts of money if they change the way they do business.

This book would be interesting to read in about 100 years.If things do not go well with mitigating climate change, the book could serve as an indictment of the guilty parties.If things do go well, people could say "I'm so glad governments didn't listen to those energy companies".

Easily five stars.Also, unfortunately in some ways, a very eye-opening look at the way international environmental politics is conducted.It probably goes without saying that many large energy companies really do not care about what is right for the average human, they only care about what is right for their shareholders.If you are still undecided on whether or not global warming is real, or is an issue you should be concerned about, and you receive conflicting information, keep in mind as you decide who is most likely to more truthful - the side trying to keep the planet livable, or the side with the most money to lose?

(Second Review one week later, same Reviewer): Title of Second Review: Casualties High in the Carbon War.

Jeremy Leggett has written a fascinating first-person account of an environmental organization representative's front row seat to the battle waged during the development of the Kyoto Protocol.As others have stated, politics is really a type of blood sport, with the winners left standing and everybody else dying or wounded.As Mr. Leggett points out, the real casualties are the truth and the average person.Huge amounts of money are at stake in any plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and most plans will create new winners in the changing market, and also will create new losers.No existing company wants to be one of the losers, and they will do everything in their power to maintain the status quo.If you aren't already suspicious of the petrochemical energy business, you probably will be after reading this book.(Note: Large energy companies do not necessarily have your best interests in mind.)

The Carbon Policy Wars
For a geologist Jeremy Leggett is a suprisingly good writer.As described in the previous reviews he details some of the history leading up to the Kyoto accords and provides insight from the participants perception.The meetings, the debates, the radio and TV interviews are all here. You will also read about all the tension and conflict that this global problem with its immense economic immplications brings to a head.

This book is mainly about the politics of the world climate change policies and does not have very much content regarding the science of climate change.I would have liked to see more of the science and perhaps a bit less of the details of meetings after more meetings.If you want to learn more about the science I would recommend Spencer Weart's The Discovery of Global Warming and John Houghton's Global Warming: The Complete Briefing.If you want to read about the war between Exxon,big Coal,corporate media, and environmentalists, scientists, and the countries that are first in line to suffer from the consequences of global warming this is your book.

Required reading for the informed citizen
Many authors, in meticulous science journalism style, write good environmental science and policy books that are worth reading.

Jeremy Leggett's "Carbon War" is an outstanding contribution from the front lines.A journal from a key player in the carbon war, with insights on other key players on all sides.

Leggett puts you at the international summits, to witness the best and worst elements at work.There are many books that will inform you on global climate change issues (and some that will intentionally disinform you).But few, if any, let you peer into the international efforts (and counterefforts) to deal with climate change like the "Carbon War."

... Read more

Product Description
Global warming is one of the most talked about science subjects today. Maybe you have seen pictures of polar bears or other animals stranded atop floating chunks of melting ice. Perhaps you have heard about or lived through extreme weather - hurricanes, floods, water shortages, heat waves, or electricity blackouts. Many of these events can stem from the world getting warmer. As that happens, the climate changes, too. This book helps young readers understand the sciences used to study global warming. Each chapter addresses specific questions about why the temperatures of the earth's air and oceans are rising. The information presented aligns with the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: that most of the warming observed over the last half-century is due to human activities and that the impacts of global warming will be significantly negative. Using a question-and-answer format supplemented by hands-on activities, this book fosters an understanding of the complex processes at work in global warming while also enabling youngsters to think critically about their future. McCutcheon ends his book by offering young readers productive ways to think about - and act on - changes in the environment contributing to climate change. McCutcheon taps his mastery of a complicated, highly charged topic to permit young readers to become informed consumers of sciences associated with the most urgent topic of their future - global warming. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

An empowering educational effort with far-reaching impact
"What Are Global Warming and Climate Change?: Answers for Young Readers" presents updated information based on scientific observations about why the temperatures of Earth's atmosphere and oceans are rising. Presented in a question and answer format that parallels findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes, conclusions indicate that global warming trends observed in the past 50 years are due to human impact/activity, and that impact is "significantly negative." Using a variety of resources and filled with hands-on learning activities related to the phenomena of global warming, "What Are Global Warming and Climate Change?" is an empowering educational effort with far-reaching impact, also a distinguished part of the Barbara Guth Worlds of Wonder Science Series for Young Readers.

A Useful Guide for All Ages
Chuck McCutcheon has done a real service by writing this clear, brisk, easy-to-read guide to climate change. It patiently walks the reader through all of the basics, like how greenhouse gases work, and then builds naturally to how human activities are changing the planet. It's hard to explain the science in non-technical, non-boring terms, but McCutcheon makes it look like the easiest thing in the world. This book is written for middle-school students, but it's a good read for grownups who want to understand the subject better, too.

A Balanced Read
I found Mr. McCutcheon's book to be quite objective.The subject is still somewhat controversial, but he is able to make the case while acknowledging arguments from those that remain non-believers.His introduction: "What's This Book About" lays out his message. He discusses climate, weather and the greenhouse effect, and then moves on to what will eventually happen if we don't change our ways.No book on the subject would be complete without a discussion of politics, which he deftly handles.He wraps it up with a discussion of what people are doing and what we can do to reduce our contributions to Global Warming. He includes a comprehensive Glossary and presents information in both English Units (feet, degrees Fahrenheit, etc.) and Metric Units (meters, degrees Celsius, etc.). He also lists many web sites for additional information or to learn more about the subject--for example, how to calculate your carbon-footprint.There is enough material in this thin (103 pp) volume to keep the interest of parents who will be called on to discuss many of Chuck's points. I found the book educational and entertaining. It is definitely worth a read for the kids in your household. ... Read more

Product Description
Coral reefs have managed to survive for eons. Now, we are told, they face the threat of extinction as a result of CO2-induced global warming and ocean acidification. Will these biological wonders of the world's oceans soon cease to exist? Find out in this insightful new book by Dr. Craig D. Idso. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent
This excellent book is a collaboration of about 300 references and contradicts the catastrophic global warming, ocean acidifaction theory. Get this book and find out why rising atmospheric CO2 is a boon to the planet's many life forms.

A surprisingly detailed and careful review of the research on the growth and survival of coral reefs.
This little book is quite deceptive in that its 67 pages of text provide a very wide ranging review of the research on coral reefs. The amount of detail is so great that I read many paragraphs multiple times and felt at the end that I had read a much longer book.

Dr. Idso is to be commended for this excellent review of the research on the state of these fascinating underwater ecosystems.Those 23 additional pages listing the many references are no joke. I was surprised at the amount of detailed research being done on coral. I don't even want to try and count the number of researchers involved. Or the many fine experiments and observational studies carried out.

As CO2 increases in the atmosphere it of course also increases in the ocean (some have suggested at a 1 to 50 ratio).There have been predictions that increased ocean temperature and acidity will reduce rates of coral calcification, weaken coral skeletons and cause coral death.

Dr. Idso reports that contrary to the models predictions there is no simple link between high ocean temperatures and coral bleaching, and that corals adapt and respond to their environment. Many times this is a replacement of the zooxanthellae during stress induced bleaching by varieties that are more tolerant of that particular stress.

Coral reefs have persisted through geologic time (about 200 million years for scleractinian corals, much, much longer than humans have existed) and in sea temperatures 10-15 degrees C warmer than at present. They have also survived periods when CO2 concentrations were 2 to 7 times higher. Thus coral survival seems to be more closely related to the rate of external change and their ability to adapt.

Predicted rises in sea level likewise are well within the growth rates of coral and will in fact allow for the expansion of coral in many areas.

Coral is bleaching in some areas and thriving in others. Its overall health appears very good with real world observations contradicting the results of the climate models and often refuting their predictions.

There is too much in this book to even list the major topics, but readers will be well rewarded if you have any interest in the effects of additional CO2 and the state of research in the marine world.
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An original essay by Patrick L. Halliwell
Series: Essays on Life, #3


It's been a perfect winter for global warming denial—mild enough to convince most Canadians that global warming will result in a more pleasant winter, and yet with enough snow and cold to remind us that the earth is not getting warmer (at least, not today).


About the Author
Patrick L. Halliwell is a Canadian author, composer and musicologist. His publications include fiction, humor, serious essays, practical items, and scholarly articles on traditional Japanese koto music. He is also creator and producer of "Phonobites," a unique set of exercises for English pronunciation. His original music combines musical principles and elements from a variety of the world's great traditions. His official website is www.lakipi.com
Patrick loves the outdoors, and is deeply worried about climate change.
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Product Description
This unique book examines the problem of global warming from the perspective of Asian Pacific countries. The unprecedented economic and demographic growth over the past two decades has increased the importance of the Asian Pacific region. It has become both a very large source of greenhouse gases as well as an important site to measure climate change impacts.

Complex economic tools including computable general equilibrium models, international input-output models and engineering-economic models are used to assess the baseline emission levels and abatement costs for the economies examined. All outcomes suggest that abatement is possible, but will be expensive. The studies also suggest that the more energy efficient the economy, the higher the costs of further abatement. The book reveals how Asian countries in the tropics are more likely to be harmed than those in the temperate zone.

Alternative strategies to mitigate carbon emissions such as energy conservation, emission permit trading, carbon tax, and carbon sequestration are examined to tackle the difficult problem of establishing effective policy tools to control warming in the Asian Pacific and the globe. While no single author provides a complete answer to this complex problem, all authors provide vital information and new ideas with which to fashion workable international and regional policies.

Global Warming and the Asian Pacific is likely to be read by scholars and researchers of Asian studies, environmental and resource economics, as well as policymakers and those specifically involved in global warming research and policy. ... Read more

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How will global warming affect developing countries, which rely heavily on agriculture as a source of economic growth? William Cline asserts that developing countries have more at risk than industrial countries as global warming worsens. Using general circulation and agricultural impact models, Cline boldly examines 2070-99 to forecast the effects of global warming and its economic impact. This detailed study:outlines existing studies on the agricultural impact of climate change; estimates projected changes in temperature, precipitation, and agricultural capacity; and concludes with policy recommendations. Cline finds that agricultural production in developing countries may fall between 10 and 25 percent, and if global warming progresses unabated, India s agricultural capacity could fall as much as 40 percent. Thus, policymakers should address this phenomenon now before the world s developing countries are adversely and irreversibly affected. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The human impact of global warming
Too often global warming is discussed in abstract terms.This book gets down to business.If the crop damage predicted here takes place, we are going to be talking about hundreds of millions of people dead.It's that basic.Be aware that most of the predictions here are on the optimistic side of estimates.Check this book out.You might also want to read Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization, Third Edition which discusses global warming and agriculture.I also have a Listmania list on agriculture.
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Product Description
ChemConnections modules cover a broad range of chemical topics and supply research-base, classroom-tested, active learning strategies that guide students through the scientific process.A project of the National Science Foundation, ChemConnections modules use guided, discovery-based learning activities to promote a deep understanding of a broad range of chemistry concepts and problem-solving techniques. Each module poses a central question for example, "What's in a Star?" or "How Can We Make Our Water Safe to Drink?" that students investigate through guided discussions, collaborative laboratory work, reading and writing assignments, case teaching, policy simulations, Web research, and videos. ... Read more

Product Description
Climate change represents a "tragedy of the commons" on a global scale, requiring the cooperation of nations that do not necessarily put the Earth's well-being above their own national interests. And yet international efforts to address global warming have met with some success; the Kyoto Protocol, in which industrialized countries committed to reducing their collective emissions, took effect in 2005 (although without the participation of the United States). Reversing the lens used by previous scholarship on the topic, Global Commons, Domestic Decisions explains international action on climate change from the perspective of countries' domestic politics.

In an effort to understand both what progress has been made and why it has been so limited, experts in comparative politics look at the experience of seven jurisdictions in deciding whether or not to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and to pursue national climate change mitigation policies. By analyzing the domestic politics and international positions of the United States, Australia, Russia, China, the European Union, Japan, and Canada, the authors demonstrate clearly that decisions about global policies are often made locally, in the context of electoral and political incentives, the normative commitments of policymakers, and domestic political institutions. Using a common analytical framework throughout, the book offers a unique comparison of the domestic political forces within each nation that affect climate change policy and provides insights into why some countries have been able to adopt innovative and aggressive positions on climate change both domestically and internationally.

Contributors: Steinar Andresen, Inga Fritzen Buan, Kate Crowley, Kathryn Harrison, Gørild Heggelund, Laura A. Henry, Miranda A. Schreurs, Lisa McIntosh Sundstrom, Yves Tiberghien ... Read more