Global Warming and Climate Change Demystified

A non-heated discussion on global warming and climate change

Interested in getting to the core of the reasons for the Earth's changing climate? Want an accurate reading on the science behind global warming? Here's your gauge! This easy-to-follow guide offers a temperate view of this hot topic.

Global Warming & Climate Change Demystified starts by looking at scientific data gathered from weather instruments, satellite telemetry, ice cores, and coral sections that reveal how the Earth's temperature is changing. The book goes on to examine the causes of climate change, including both natural processes and human-generated greenhouse gases. Finally, the consequences of global warming are discussed and a wide variety of viable solutions that can be implemented by individuals as well as society as a whole are presented. Complete with end-of-chapter quizzes and a final review to test your knowledge, this book will teach you the fundamentals of global warming and climate change in an unbiased and thorough manner.

This fast and easy guide offers:

• A thorough review of scientific data
• Details on the evidence of global warming worldwide
• Information on the origin and impact of greenhouse gases
• Explanations of alternatives to carbon-based energy sources

• Suggestions for local and global solutions Simple enough for a beginner, but challenging enough for an advanced student, Global Warming & Climate Change Demystified is your shortcut to understanding this important and timely issue.

Contenu

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Taking the Earth's temperature
Stability over time - what is "normal"
Variations in the solar orbit
Statistical variation - identifying trends
Pre-historic carbon dioxide variation
Ice core data - oxygen isotopes
Nature's CO2 "pawprint"
When did global warming start?

Chapter 3: The physics of heating the Earth
The Earth's thermostat
Radiation - reflection and absorption
The "glass" of the Earth's greenhouse
Nature's greenhouse - water vapor
The impact of human activity
Carbon and nitrogen dioxide, methane
Heat capacity of the oceans and air
Distribution of heat on the Earth
Volcanoes
Solar flares, El Nino, the Earth's core

Chapter 4: The chemistry of burning fuel
Hydrocarbons
Coal
Ethanol
Hydrogen
Energy payback - the hydrogen plant
How much CO2 to make one solar cell

Chapter 5: Sources of greenhouse gases
The natural carbon cycle
Human-added greenhouse gases
Auto emissions
Deforestation
Electrical power generation
Agriculture
Industry

Chapter 6: Evidence for global warming
Direct and indirect evidence
Atmospheric measurements
Ocean measurements
Carbon dioxide measurements
The correlation: carbon dioxide and temperature
Snow cap and glacier loss
What we know for certain
What most scientists believe to be true

Chapter 7: Consequences of global warming
Archimedes' principle and floating ice
Coastlines moving inland
Wacky weather - drought and flooding
Ecological changes
Proliferation of disease
Regional climate changes
Global inertia: greenhouse emissions

Chapter 8: Solutions
Demand reduction
Fuels that produce less carbon dioxide
Use of non-polluting forms of energy
Sequestering greenhouse gas emissions
Sinks foratmospheric greenhouse gases
Alternatives to burning forests
Why we think oil is cheaper than solar
Band-Aids: new levees
Relocating populations
Economic trade-off:action and in-action
Turing your money "green"
The ozone problem-hopeless

Chapter 9: Global response
The lesson of space flight
A small step for mankind
State and city initiatives
Industry taking the lead
Current U.S. and world programs