Global Weirdness: Severe Storms, Deadly Heat Waves, Relentless Drought, Rising Seas And The Weather Of The Future (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
This book detailed the facts about our changing climate, and you can't argue with the data. They don't try to change people or suggest methods to fix our changing environment, they just lay out the facts and pose questions as to the consequences of our actions. Anyone who still doubts global warming should read this book. It was a bit alarming to think that significant changes could occur in less than 50 years! Basic Topic: Anthrogenic climate change. Oooh, big words.The title is an eye-grabber, no doubt. It is what caused me to pick it up off the shelf at my school's library and take a look. The premise made me check it out: a plain-language explanation of what we do and do not know about the whys, whens, and how muches (how on Earth does one pluralize "much" without looking like a complete twit???) of climate change. Anthrogenic (means humans cause it) climate change has been a topic for a long time now. Back in the 90's we called it global warming, but climate change is a more accurate term.The book met its ultimate goal of being very readable for the average person. They avoided long sentences and big words, and even avoided long chapters (most are only a handful of pages) within the very simple concepts that make up the larger sections of the book. It's not a life-changer, it doesn't make specific suggestions for reducing carbon emissions or using alternate energy sources. It simply states that if human beings continue to pump CO2 into the atmosphere, the global climate will change. We don't know precisely how much change will happen, or over how long, especially considering different regions of the planet, but we can definitely tell that humans are causing the climate to change, not just natural phenomena. It also says that we are eventually going to have to do something if we want to slow or stop this effect. It's difficult to summarize a summary.There have been a lot of people saying global warming is a myth, or that climate change scientists are a bunch of alarmists trying to cause world-wide panic. Neither of these things is true, and the science in this book shows that. There is still a lot of uncertainty to this science, especially as it's hard to predict how the near-infinite number of factors that make up both climate and climate change all get tossed into the mix. They aren't trying to say the world is going to end in fire and flood if we don't start living organic, vegan lifestyles NOW! They are saying the world is definitely changing at a more rapid rate than it did before we started putting crap in the atmosphere. They use science and logic to back it up.I felt it was a good read, if a bit much to digest in long sittings, even with short chapters and simple language. It's a lot to process. I think I have a better handle on the concept of climate change and the various factors involved. I think I also have a better sense about what the alternatives to oil can and can't do for the environment. If you're looking for a good, readable summary of the science and what it really says about climate change, this is a very good choice.
What do You think about Global Weirdness: Severe Storms, Deadly Heat Waves, Relentless Drought, Rising Seas And The Weather Of The Future (2012)?
Good overview and refresher if you are already familiar with how humans are changing the biosphere.
—haley
Interesting discussion of climate change and possible solutions.
—Meg
Seriously needs more detail on effects/cost.
—Lenaloch
