Climate Change What The Science Tells Us [Paperback]

This book introduces climate change fundamentals and essential concepts that reveal the extent of the damage, the impacts felt around the globe, and the innovation and leadership it will take to bring an end to the status quo. Emphasizing peer-reviewed literature, this text details the impact of climate change on land and sea, the water cycle, human communities, the weather, and humanity’s collective future. Coverage of greenhouse gases, oceanic and atmospheric processes, Pleistocene and Holocene paleoclimate, sea levels, and other fundamental topics provide a deep understanding of key mechanisms, while discussion of extreme weather, economic impacts, and resource scarcity reveals how climate change is already impacting people’s lives—and will continue to do so at an increasing rate for the foreseeable future. 

Preface ix

1 Evidence of Climate Change 1

Chapter Summary 1

Introduction 2

Climate Change is Real and it is Dangerous 6

The Earth System is Changing 12

Reliable Sources of Climate Change Information 19

How Unusual is the Present Warming? 25

Surface Temperature 26

Human Fingerprints on Climate 27

A Consistent Picture Emerges 31

Animations and Videos 35

Comprehension Questions 35

Thinking Critically 36

Activities 36

Key Terms 36

2 Radiative Equilibrium 37

Chapter Summary 37

Earth’s Energy Budget 38

Anthropogenic Forcing 49

Animations and Videos 67

Climate Change Essay 68

Comprehension Questions 68

Thinking Critically 68&lã1