Product Description
The Rough Guide to Climate Change gives the complete picture of the single biggest issue facing the planet. Cutting a swathe through scientific research and political debate, this completely updated 2nd edition lays out the facts and assesses the options- global and personal- for dealing with the threat of a warming world. The guide looks at the evolution of our atmosphere over the last 4.5 billion years and what computer simulations of climate change reveal about our past, present, and future. This updated edition includes new information from the 2007 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and an updated politics section to reflect post-Kyoto developments. Discover how rising temperatures and sea levels, plus changes to extreme weather patterns, are already affecting life around the world. The guide unravels how governments, scientists and engineers plan to tackle the problem and includes in-depth information and lifestyle tips about what you can do to help.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 11 reviews)

very broad overview by Barry A. Klinger

4 Stars
November 07, 2009
This book gives a quick overview of a very broad subject. It presents clear outlines of the science of global warming, what the current and possible future impacts of climate change will be, and what humans are or could be doing to reduce the changes we are making to climate. This is the perfect book for someone who doesn't have the time or the inclination to go deeply into these complex issues but wants to know what all the fuss about climate change is. For others, it may be a good introduction to the subject which will lead them to do further reading. Written by a scientist, this book is unusually accurate on the science, sticking close to the majority view represented by the IPCC. Readers may appreciate the calm tone of the book, which conveys the strength of the case for global warming and some of the risks to people and the environment, but freely discusses uncertainty and alternate possibilities. On the other hand, this reasonable tone makes it less likely that readers will be galvanized into action as they have been by Al Gore's book and movie. The book discusses and argues against a few of the more respectable scientific arguments against aspects of the IPCC view of global warming. As with other issues, the discussion is a good summary of the debate rather than a detailed analysis. Global warming deniers, or those looking for a rebuttal to humans-don't-cause-global-warming arguments, will need to look to the IPCC reports, the Real Climate website, or elsewhere for an in-depth discussion of the scientifically or politically controversial topics.

Works well as supplementary text book by E. Mauritz (Lansing, MI)

5 Stars
October 08, 2009
I am currently teach a course to upper level college science students about climate change. Compared with the other texts that focus on the politics/policy/public perception debate and in-depth climate science, my students really enjoy this one for its straightforward approach. It is well organized, provides adequate detail to support claims and understand the concepts and technical matter without getting too bogged down in the equations or argumentative claims. It fills a need in explaining the impacts and potential adaptations and mitigation strategies as well as giving some history on contemporary climate change and climate basics. I will definitely use it again if I repeat this course in the near future.

Superb Reinforcement by R. Baron (Arizona)

5 Stars
October 03, 2009
Having made generous use of the "Look Inside" feature to examine the book, it is clear that the author has produced a superb reinforcement for the true believers in anthropogenic global warming. But that is exactly the reason for deciding not to make the purchase. For instance, on page 7, it is said, "The amount of greenhouse gas we add is staggering - in carbon dioxide alone, the total is more than thirty billion metric tonnes per year." The author provides no perspective. The 30 billion tons is being added to an atmosphere weighing 5300 trillion tons, even while the CO2 is continuously being scrubbed out of the atmosphere. Indeed, all the carbon that we are putting into the atmosphere was at one time in the atmosphere. On page 5 the author does the usual bait and switch along with playing the consensus card, "But there's near-unanimous agreement that global climate is already changing and that fossil fuels are at least partly to blame." But the fact that the climate is changing does not lend credibility to the unproven theory of an anthropogenic cause. Consensus has political meaning but has no scientific relevance whatsoever. Furthermore the statement lacks perspective since it would still be true even if the effects of man-made satanic gases were inconsequential.

A timely guide to a complex issue.. by rickzz (New Jersey)

5 Stars
July 11, 2009
This updated 2nd edition (2008) is aimed at a general audience, but it contains a wealth of detail on the latest science. The level of detail is probably the book's greatest strength and perhaps it's greatest weakness in that I doubt it'll convince the naysayers that GW is a serious concern. (They'll argue that it's impossible to make any real predictions given the numerous factors involved.) The author is objective for the most part but it's clear he believes GW is a major problem- however, for balance, he probably should have presented more of the "CON" pov. GW is a very contentious issue- but one thing is clear from postings on the internet (including this site): some people are truly idiots :) Ignore all of the clamor and endless debate about whether GW, if it occurs at all, is "natural" or "man-made" or whatever. It's irrelevant! Someday, our planet will have another ice age- and it'll be a "natural" event but few would argue that's desirable. Likewise, using GW to justify anti-globalization is naive since few appreciate how much our modern lifestyle (and physical comfort) depends on it and oil and gasoline for that matter. The only REAL issues are whether this planet's climate is changing in a manner which will harm the human race in the "short" term; and what is the most cost-effective way to deal with GW, if it is a problem. (Bjorn Lomborg has unfairly gotton a bad rap for his views.) It's astounding how many people on the far right and left just don't get it.

Climate Change by Kimala (Alhambra, California)

5 Stars
April 18, 2009
This was an awsome book to read. Each page I read was insightful. I have always been into the environment from a young age. It goes into detail the things that one can do to help with the planet, certain things you can use instead of the things that are harmful to the Earth. They also have the scientist that disagree with the idea that we are warming the Earth. They say that it is natural for this to happen. It is an really interesting read.

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