Conversations, Reading Guides, VOLUME 12

The Science of Climate Change [A Reading List ]

Climate change is one of the most pressing threats to humanity and to the life of creation. Although it has been disputed by politicians, the scientific community unequivocally stands behind the grim view that science lays out for us. 

 
As one of the hottest heat waves in recent memory has just swept over the United States,  we offer this list of essential books on understanding the science of climate change and the disputes that it has spawned…

Climate Change: The Science of Global Warming and Our Energy Future

Edmond Mathez and Jason Smerdon

Edmond A. Mathez and Jason E. Smerdon provide a broad, informative introduction to the science that underlies our understanding of the climate system and the effects of human activity on the warming of our planet.
 
Mathez and Smerdon describe the roles that the atmosphere and ocean play in our climate, introduce the concept of radiation balance, and explain climate changes that occurred in the past. They also detail the human activities that influence the climate, such as greenhouse gas and aerosol emissions and deforestation, as well as the effects of natural phenomena. Climate Change concludes with a look toward the future, discussing climate model projections, exploring the economic and technological realities of energy production, and presenting a view of the global warming challenge through the lens of risk.

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3 Comments

  1. As a climate change skeptic, it would be helpful to see author bios – or something that provides a better sense of the credentials of the person writing the book

  2. Walt, a good and reasonable suggestion. Thanks!
    Reality is that I likely might not have the time to update the post in this way.
    (Guess it’s easy enough for folks to drop an author’s name into Google?)

  3. Failed Climate Disaster Predictions
    sea level rise https://www.salon.com/control/2001/10/23/weather
    ice-free arctic http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7139797.stm
    not ice-free https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/arctic-sea-ice/

    The arctic ice trend from 1980, just after all the “New Ice Age” predictions (Time magazine, Newsweek, etc.) is down. But there has been a rebound from the 2012 low. Regardless of the trends, the prediction for ice-free by 2013 was off by millions of square kilometers or over a million square miles. In other words: epic fail.

    As for the issue of “settled science” and the idea that there is a overwhelming consensus of approaching disaster: the way we know that scientific theories are valid is that they make predictions that come true. Accurate predictions are the “gold standard” of science. Climate science has a long history of failed predictions, which strongly suggests that the science is not settled. (Actually “settled science” and “scientific consensus” are oxymorons, as has been demonstrated numerous times in the last 100 years.)