Product Description
Representing the first major global assessment of climate change science in six years, Climate Change 2007 - The Physical Science Basic issued by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) confirms that our scientific understanding of the climate system and its sensitivity to greenhouse gas emissions is now richer and deeper than ever before. The chapters forming the bulk of this report describe scientists assessment of the state-of-knowledge in their respective fields. The report will be highly relevant as Governments and industry consider their options for moving forward together to address the challenge of climate change. (Includes CD-ROM)

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 6 reviews)

The definitive statement of the global warming theory by Richard Gibson (Woodland Hills, CA)

3 Stars
June 26, 2009
This is the most recent official statement by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the science relating to global warming. It is a very long and a very technical book. It is, beyond all question, the most definitive statement of the scientific case in favor of the theory that the global climate is warming to a dangerous extent, that this warming is caused primarily by human activity -- primarily the release of carbon dioxide into the air -- and that various disasters will occur if these trends are not reversed. Anyone who wishes to form a serious opinion on this subject has to read this book; it is the basis for, and foundation of, nearly all of the other discussions on this question. Considered as a book, it is well done. There are many attractive charts, graphs and photos. The science is thorough and well written. While no one would consider this an easy read or an entertaining book, it is no more technical than any other deeply serious book on a very technical subject. Whatever your point of view on the subject, you will learn a good deal reading this book. That said, I was not persuaded either way; I do not know if the theory is right or wrong. Here are the facts and the argument, in a nutshell: First, the Earth has gotten slightly warmer since 1750. This is well-established. The increase is not large, but it is real. Second, humanity has released a great deal of carbon dioxide into the air in the last century or so. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, meaning that it has a scientifically proven tendency to heat up the atmosphere in a way similar to that of the glass in a greenhouse. Other greenhouse gases, such as methane, have also been released in large quanities. Third, the amount of energy put out by the Sun has also increased since 1750. The increase is not huge, and it is not constant. There have been many decades in recent time in which solar energy has not increased. However, in the time since 1750 -- which is the time frame with which the theory is concerned -- solar output has increased. This is all well established and uncontroversial. Here is where the IPCC makes a big judgment call. They conclude that the increase of carbon dioxide in the air has a huge effect on climate, and the increase in solar energy has had a trivial effect on climate. How do they know this is true? How can you differentiate between the warming caused by carbon dioxide, and the warming caused by the sun, when both are occurring at the same time? As best as I could figure, the IPCC thinks that, since solar energy has not consistently increased since, say 1970, it cannot be the driver of the increase in temperatures which we have seen since 1970. That argument does not wash, however, for several reasons. First, there are lag times in the climate system. Heat is stored in the ocean, and re-circulated around the world. No sensible person expects to see an immediate link between the variables in so complex a system. Second, we have NOT seen a consistent increase in temperature since 1970. The temperature has not risen, at all, since about 1999. IPCC apologists tell us, of course, that one decade does not mean anything, one way or the other. I agree with them. But that undercuts their argument that the Sun cannot be the driver of climate change, because solar output has not risen consistently. No, the Sun has not gotten consistently warmer. Neither has the Earth. Our sister planet, Venus, has a hellishly hot climate, due to runaway global warming. Its atmosphere is more than 90% carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere has increased from about 250 parts per million to about 400 parts per million. In other ways, CO2 is a trace gas. Its amount has increased, but it is still a trace gas. Maybe a trace gas can deeply influence climate. But, again, how do we know? About the year 1000, Norse settlers in Greenland were growing crops in a rich land. They built a sizable colony, with a large enough surplus from farming that they were able to build a large cathedral. Then, the climate changed, it grew colder, ice covered their crop lands and the colony died out, to the last person around the year 1400. Since then, Greenland has an ice-covered wasteland, that cannot support a farm economy. This gives us a good idea of how much the climate varies, naturally. So far, Greenland is not yet as warm as it was in the time of Eric the Red. In other words, we are still within the range of what past experience tells us is natural variability. That being so, I do not think the IPCC has proven its case. If it gets so warm that Greenland is warmer than it was in 1000, then I think the IPCC will have the better end of this argument. And on this point, this book is very unpersuasive. Prior to the modern rise of the global warming theory, it was pretty well accepted that there had been a Medieval Warming Period, at time from roughly 950 to roughly 1300, when the climate was warmer. This was followed by the Little Ice, from 1350 to 1850, when the climate was cooler. There is abundant historical evidence of the reality of these natural climate changes. The IPCC, however, denies that the Medieval Warming period occurred. They acknowledge the earlier view, but then they just wave their hands in the air, and say that, gosh golly, nobody really knows; the science is not proven. This is nonsense. All you need to prove the existence of the Medieval Warming Period is to read the old Norse accounts of the settlement of Iceland, Greenland and Vineland. When the IPCC finds it necessary to claim that historical facts did not occur, their credibility becomes very low. In case it is not obvious, the IPCC has an agenda. They are here to prove the theory of human caused global warming. That does not mean that they are wrong. It does mean, however, that they are not objective. One could argue that the Medieval Warming Period was a regional, not a global, thing. You could contend that, yes, it was warmer in Greenland, but it was not warmer in the rest of the world. That, at least, is a coherent argument not based upon denial of well-established facts. As I recall, Spencer pretty completely demolished that argument in Unstoppable Global Warming: Every 1, 500 Years, in which he cited abundant evidence that the Medieval Warming Period was all over the world. In any event, the IPCC does not claim that the Medieval Warming Period was regional. It claims, instead, that we do not know, one way or the other, whether it happened. That is not a credible argument; it is disproven by well-known facts.

The best in Climate Science by SF Reader (White Stone, VA United States)

5 Stars
March 13, 2009
A must-read for all you climate change doubters out there. This is the real story!

save a tree, get it directly from IPCC by D. Mares (St. Louis, MO)

5 Stars
January 08, 2009
If you're interested in this in depth review of the current knowledge on global warming you can directly download the report from the IPCC at http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/ar4-wg1.htm

Comprehensive Reference for Climate Change Science and Understanding by Glenn Gallagher (Sacramento, CA)

5 Stars
April 22, 2008
This is the most important reference currently available on the understanding of the scientific basis for climate change - the main reason it is the most important is because this volume will become the basis for most climate change policy in the world, at least until the next IPCC Climate Change Report becomes available in 2013. The IPCC does not conduct original research - rather, it synthesizes and summarizes the most up-to-date scientific research regarding climate change - causes, effects, and ramifications of future scenarios ranging from do nothing (business-as-usual) to reducing greenhouse gas emissions significantly. Because of the comprehensive and exhaustive consensus policy that IPCC follows, the results are the best science as we now understand climate change, without the usual histrionics of those opposed to reducing greenhouse gases (climate change denyers/delayers) or even those who want to reduce greenhouse gases to near zero (some of the more extreme environmental action groups). In other words, this is an incredibly balanced, sober look at climate change and its potential to negatively impact the entire world in a very short time (if nothing is done). More than 5 stars, consider this an indispensable reference if you are interested in global warming and climate change. However, I am not sure if I can agree with another reviewer that no scientific understanding is necessary before reading this IPCC report. It helps to have a little understanding of the basic science before reading this (although the "frequent questions and answers" parts of the book are indispensable). At a minimum, I would recommend viewing "An Inconvenient Truth" by Al Gore before tackling this 1,000 page titan. If you purchase this (highly recommended), and actually read it (also highly recommended), you will get automatic bragging rights at the next social function you attend, because as the conversation will inevitably touch on global warming, you can just off-handedly comment, "Well, I just finished reading the IPCC complete report on climate change, and it says....". Impress your environmental friends, keep your finger on the pulse of an important global topic, and broaden your mind, all in one volume. Worth every penny.

What Percentage of the U.S. Population will Read This? by James Safranek (Steinbeck Country)

5 Stars
February 08, 2008
I think we know the answer to that. Instead, check out the 127 page technical summary. (Note that when I entered the ISBN for the Summary (92-9169-121-6) to do this review it did not come up on Amazon. However, the cover and title are the same for both documents. Climate Change 2007 includes a Summary for Policymakers, FAQs, and a useful glossary. The confidence displayed in this document should convince even the strongest of naysayers that we'll be entering a new climate regime, and fairly rapidly. See especially pages 81-91: 'Robust Findings vs Key Uncertainties'. Feb. 9 2008-- I just finished Novacek's chapter 'Heat Wave' in TERRA (2007). Here's what this paleontologist had to say about this IPCC Summary, p 314: "Scientific consensus is now overwhleming. In Feb '07, the IPCC issued the conclusion that global warming is unequivocal and humans are very likely (more than 90% likelihood) to be the cause. Ther last time the IPCC reported in 2001, it assigned a conservative 60% likelihood to warming and stated that the link between human activity and climate change was only 'likely.' Even so, some scientist protested that the IPCC 2007 report was too conservative in its estimates of sea level rise because it discounts the recent disclosures on the melting polar ice caps and sliding glaciers. In years past, many scientists regarded the IPCC results as overextended; now many are saying the opposite."

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