Tewksbury Public Library

Climate change, the science of global warming and our energy future, Edmond A. Mathez and Jason E. Smerdon

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

mapsillustrations

index present

non fiction

Climate change

bibliography

1019844757

Edmond A. Mathez and Jason E. Smerdon

the science of global warming and our energy future

"This second edition of Climate Change is an accessible and comprehensive guide to the science behind global warming. Exquisitely illustrated, the text is geared toward students at a variety of levels. Edmond A. Mathez and Jason E. Smerdon provide a broad, informative introduction to the science that underlies our understanding of the climate system and the effects of human activity on the warming of our planet. Mathez and Smerdon describe the roles that the atmosphere and ocean play in our climate, introduce the concept of radiation balance, and explain climate changes that occurred in the past. They also detail the human activities that influence the climate, such as greenhouse gas and aerosol emissions and deforestation, as well as the effects of natural phenomena. Climate Change concludes with a look toward the future, discussing climate model projections, exploring the economic and technological realities of energy production, and presenting a view of the global warming challenge through the lens of risk. Each chapter features profiles of scientists who advanced our understanding of the material discussed. This new edition expands on the first edition's presentation of scientific concepts, making it ideal for classroom use for a wide swath of undergraduate and masters students with both science and nonscience backgrounds."--Publisher's description

Prologue -- Weather and climate -- The climate system -- Climate change : separating facts from fears -- Thinking about the future in the face of uncertainty -- The story -- The atmosphere -- The world ocean -- Ocean-atmosphere interactions -- The carbon cycle and how it influences climate -- The concept of radiation balance, a scientific framework for thinking about climate change -- Radiative forcing, feedbacks, and some other characteristics of the climate system -- Learning from climate of the distant past -- Climate of the recent past and impacts on human history -- Observing the change -- Greenland, Antarctica, and sea level rise -- Climate models and the future -- Climate change risk in an unknowable future -- Energy and the future -- What we have learned -- Back of the envelope calculation : obtaining all of Earth's energy needs from -- The sun -- Epilogue