Global Warming: The Complete BriefingHow much of global warming is due to human activities? How far will it be possible to adapt to changes of climate? Sir John Houghton's definitive, full colour guide to climate change answers these questions and more by providing the best and latest information available, including the latest IPCC findings. The simple, logical flow of ideas gives an invaluable grounding in the science, as well as the physical and human impacts of climate change, for undergraduate students across a wide range of disciplines. Accessible to both scientists and non-scientists, the text avoids mathematical equations and includes more technical material in boxes, while simple figures help students to understand the conclusions the science leads to without being overwhelmed by vast amounts of data. Questions for students to consider and test their understanding are included in each chapter, along with carefully selected further reading to expand their knowledge. |
Contents
2 | 17 |
3 | 32 |
Climates of the past | 65 |
The last thousand years | 77 |
How stable has past climate been? | 84 |
Modelling the climate | 90 |
Seasonal forecasting | 99 |
Feedbacks in the climate system | 106 |
Climate change for the twentyfirst century and beyond | 133 |
The impacts of climate change | 162 |
53 | 202 |
Why should we be concerned? | 218 |
Weighing the uncertainty | 238 |
A strategy for action to avoid dangerous climate change | 263 |
Energy and transport for the future | 291 |
The global village | 346 |
Models for climate prediction | 112 |
Comparison with observations | 120 |
Regional climate modelling | 126 |
Acknowledgements for figures and photos | 359 |
Glossary | 367 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
adaptation aerosols amount anthropogenic areas Assessment Report Bangladesh biomass Cambridge University Press carbon dioxide carbon dioxide concentration Chapter Climate Change 2013 climate models climate system cloud CO2e components contribution cost crops cycle decades decrease deforestation detail developing countries droughts Earth economic ecosystems efficiency El Niņo electricity energy environmental especially estimates factors feedback Figure floods Forecast forest fossil fuel global average temperature global warming greenhouse effect greenhouse gases Greenland heat human activities ice age ice core ice-sheets impacts of climate industry instance intensity IPCC WGI land latitudes methane million observations occur ocean surface ozone period Physical Science Basis precipitation prediction processes projections radiative forcing rainfall reduced regions result scenarios scientific sea level rise simulations solar radiation sources stabilisation substantial Summary for policymakers surface temperature thermal radiation tropical twenty-first century uncertainty variability variations vulnerability water vapour weather