图书简介

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS; PREFACE: Why You Need To Know About Climate Change; I. Climate Science Basics; What is the greenhouse effect and how does it warm the Earth?; Why are scientists so certain the climate system is warming?; How does global warming increase sea levels and what has been observed to date?; Where does most of human-caused warming go?; What fraction of recent global warming is due to human causes vs. natural causes?; How certain are climate scientists that humans are the primary cause of recent warning?; How do scientists know that recent climate change is primarily caused by human activities?; Why has the climate changed in the past, before there were human-caused greenhouse gas emissions?; What are the climate system?s amplifying feedbacks, which turn a moderate initial warming into a big ultimate warming?; Is the current level of atmospheric CO2 concentration unprecedented in human history?; Are recent climatic changes unprecedented?; Has recent human-caused climate change been occurring faster or not as fast as scientists predicted?; Is there a difference between global warming and climate change?; What are the sources of the most important human-caused pollutants that drive global warming?; How does deforestation contribute to warming?; What is Global Warming Potential and why it is different for various greenhouse gases?; Why does the rate of warming appear to vary from decade to decade?; Has global warming slowed down or paused in recent years?; Can we reach a point where emitting more CO2 into the air will not cause more climate change?; Have we already crossed tipping points (points of no return) in the climate system?; II. Extreme Weather and Climate Change; What is the difference between weather and climate?; Which extreme weather events are being made worse by climate change, and which are not?; What is the role of natural climatic variation, such as the El Nino-La Nina cycle, in extreme weather?; Did climate change cause hurricane Sandy (and why is that the wrong question to ask)?; How does climate change affect heat waves?; How does climate change affect droughts?; How does climate change affect wildfires?; How does climate change affect the chances of deluges or severe precipitation?; Does climate change mean more snow or less, worse snow storms or weaker ones?; How does climate change affect storm surge?; Is climate change making hurricanes more destructive?; What is Arctic amplification?; Is Arctic amplification affecting extreme weather in the northern hemisphere?; Is climate change affecting tornado formation?; In a warming world, why do some winters still seem unusually severe?; III. Projected Climate Impacts; What kind of impacts can we expect this century from business-as-usual climate change?; What are the biggest sources of uncertainty in projecting future global warming? What do previous hot periods in Earth?s climate tell us about what the future may hold in store?; How could the thawing permafrost speed up global warming beyond what climate models have projected?; How could an increase in wildfires speed up global warming beyond what climate models have projected?; What are some other key positive or amplifying feedbacks affecting the climate system?; What will the impacts of sea level rise be?; How will climate change lead to more destructive superstorms this century?; What kind of droughts can we expect this century?; What are the expected health impacts of climate change?; How does global warming affect human productivity?; Does carbon dioxide at exposure levels expected this century have any direct impacts on human health or cognition?; What is ocean acidification and why does it matter to sea life?; What is biodiversity, and how will climate change impact it?; How will climate change affect the agricultural sector and our ability to feed the world?s growing population?; How is climate change a threat to national, regional, and global security threat?; What is the plausible best-case scenario for climate change this century?; What is the plausible worst-case scenario for climate change this century?; What do scientists mean by irreversible impacts and why are they such a concern with climate change?; IV. Avoiding The Worst Impacts; What is the biggest source of confusion about what humanity needs to do to avoid the worst climate impacts?; What is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change?; Why did scientists and governments decide 2DGC (3.6DGF) was the limit beyond which climate change becomes dangerous to humanity?; What kind of greenhouse gas emissions reductions are needed to achieve a 2C target?; What would the economic cost of meeting the 2C target be?; What happens if we miss the 2C target?; Can we adapt to human-caused climate change?; What is geo-engineering and can it play a major role in reducing the impact of climate change?; V. Climate Politics and Policies; What climate policies are governments around the world using to fight climate change?; What is a carbon tax?; What are cap-and-trade and carbon trading?; What is China doing to restrict carbon dioxide emissions?; What is the United States doing to restrict carbon dioxide emissions?; How do different political parties view climate science and policies in the United States and around the world?; Is there are a large-scale effort to spread misinformation on climate science and if so, who funds it?; What are climate science deniers?; VI. The Role of Clean Energy; What kind of changes in our energy system would a 2C target require?; What is energy efficiency and what role will it play?; Will nuclear power be a major factor in the effort to minimize climate change?; What role does natural gas have in the right transition to a 2C world?; How much can solar power contribute to averting dangerous climate change?; How big a role will windpower play in averting dangerous climate change?; What is carbon capture and storage (aka carbon sequestration) and what role can it play?; What is bio-energy and what is its role in cutting carbon pollution?; What other carbon-free forms of energy can contribute to cutting greenhouse gas emissions?; How can we reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the transportation sector?; What challenges have limited the marketplace success of alternative fuels and alternative fuel vehicles to date?; What role can electric vehicles play?; What are hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles?; What are the challenges facing hydrogen fuel cell vehicles as a climate solution?; What role can energy storage play in the clean energy transition?; What can the agricultural and livestock sector do to minimize climate change; What is energy conservation and what role can it play?; VII. Climate Change and You; How will climate change impact you and your family in the coming decades?; How might climate change affect the future price of coastal property?; How might climate change affect decisions about where to live and retire in the coming decades?; What should students study today if they want to prepare themselves for working in a globally warmed world?; Should climate change affect how you invest for the future?; How can you reduce your carbon footprint?; What role can dietary changes play in reducing your carbon footprint?; What is the best way to talk to someone who does not accept the growing body of evidence on climate science?; PRIMARY SOURCES; ENDNOTES; INDEX

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