Climate Change: Picturing The Science Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
An unprecedented union of scientific analysis and stunning photography illustrating the effects of climate change on the global ecosystem. Going beyond the headlines, this work by leading NASA climate scientist Gavin Schmidt and master photographer Joshua Wolfe illustrates as never before the ramifications of shifting climate. Photographic spreads show retreating glaciers, sinking villages in Alaska’s tundra, and drying lakes. The text follows adventurous scientists through the ice caps at the poles to the coral reefs of the tropical seas. Marshaling data spanning centuries and continents, the book sparkles with cutting-edge research and visual records, including contributions from experts on atmospheric science, oceanography, paleoclimatology, technology, politics, and the polar regions. As Jeffrey D. Sachs writes in his powerful foreword, “Climate Change is a tour de force of public education.”160 color illustrations
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; Original edition (April 6, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0393331253
ISBN-13: 978-0393331257
Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 0.9 x 10 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #98,868 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #66 in Books > Science & Math > Earth Sciences > Rivers #93 in Books > Science & Math > Earth Sciences > Climatology #96 in Books > Science & Math > Earth Sciences > Weather
As noted by the authors, this book was structured around a medical metaphor of symptoms, diagnosis, and possible cures. The book is a collection of essays from scientists from many fields: climatology, meteorology, biology, geology, oceanography, chemistry, climate modeling, environmental politics, astrophysics, and other fields, so it becomes clear to the reader how climate change has impacted all aspects of planet Earth. The authors have summarized the latest research in climate science in a style that makes the information very accessible to the non-scientist.The authors also make it clear what is well known vs. what is not well known in the rapidly evolving field of climate science. A very fair representation of the current science.For those looking for more actual data, there are better books, but this book is an excellent resource for the general public and I have listed it on my Global Warming Website linked below.Scott A. Mandia, Professor - Physical Sciences[...]
This book provides an excellent introduction to the science behind climate change and the options we have available to us. Climatologist Gavin Schmidt of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies and photographer Joshua Wolfe have collected a variety of scientists, photographers, science historians and science writers who tell and show the story of what may be the biggest challenge facing us. Difficult concepts are explained clearly for the reader just trying to sort out the conflicting information that is out there, but there is also something for those who have kept up with the science. The authors do not try to show a false balance, but do explain where the uncertainties lie.There are a number of books that are worth reading; what makes this book of particular value is the striking photography; from the "bathtub rings" of Lake Meade to the destruction caused by bark beetles. The pictures of scientists in the field and in their labs and offices (Wally Broecker's office is truly notable) are a nice touch. The writing, although contributed by different authors, is excellent and the chapters are well-integrated. The chapters that stand out to this reviewer are 1. "Taking the Temperature of the Planet" by Peter deMenocal, 6. "Climate Drivers" by Tim Hall and 7. "Studying Climate" by Drs. Schmidt and deMenocal. The essays and photo-essays that follow many of the chapters provide further snippets of information.One quibble I have is that the book does not provide extensive notes. The reader is directed to books, web sites and the IPCC reports, but some original sources and scientific review papers would help the more advanced reader. But the strengths of the book are such that his book belongs up there with other excellent climate-related books such as Elizabeth Kolbert's "Field Notes from a Catastrophe", David Archer's "The Long Thaw" and Joseph Romm's "Hell and High Water". It is truly worth a read.
This book brings to life the fact that climate change is not an intellectual theory. It's happening right now as you read this all around the world. Even worse is the fact that the pace of climate change is picking up speed, faster than the worst predictions of most experts. For other books like this I would recommend Extreme Ice Now: Vanishing Glaciers and Changing Climate: A Progress Report and the PBS documentary Extreme Ice.
For what it aims to do, this book is excellent. The authors aim at a basic but accurate introduction to anthropogenic global warming (AGW)in an accessible and attractive format. Included are not only the basics of AGW per se but also discussion of how the different forms of climate science are done, the consilient evidence, and a brief but useful introduction to policy issues. There are many stunning photographs and the text sections are clear and concise.
This book is a wonderful combination of the imagery and science. At one level, it could be a fascinating book about the wonders of scientific research, while at another it could be a collection of wonderful photography from scientists around the world. Seamlessly combining these two fronts, while elucidating the truth about climate change in a very real and striking way, "Climate Change: Picturing the Science" allows its readers to literally see what is happening to our world and those who are searching for a cure.
This is a beautifully produced book that helps readers learn about the excitement of doing science by introducing some of the scientists responsible for learning about climate change. It makes a critically important and technical subject approachable from a human perspective.
This book makes the case for anthropomorphic global warming in accessible way for nonscientists like me. The photos and occassional graphs gave life to the text. An excellent read but a very depressing subject. It's even more depressing that all this hard work of many hard working and dedicated climatologists is getting picked apart and misconstrued by Fox News and the denialist industry spawned by the dollars of the carbon extraction industries. But that's another book, Climate Cover-Up by James Hoggan.
It helps to see it in pictures sometimes. I do a lot of reading on this subject and truly, a pic is with a 1000 words.I feel like this book helped me solidify what I've read in Climate & Consetvation (Hilty,Chester& Cross) and other books & websites.
Climate Change: Picturing the Science Climate: Causes and Effects of Climate Change The Climate Crisis: An Introductory Guide to Climate Change Climate and the Oceans (Princeton Primers in Climate) Coral Reefs and Climate Change: Science and Management Picturing the True Form: Daoist Visual Culture in Traditional China (Harvard East Asian Monographs) Picturing Plants: An Analytical History of Botanical Illustrations Picturing Frederick Douglass: An Illustrated Biography of the Nineteenth Century's Most Photographed American Picturing Tropical Nature Picturing Children (Double Exposure) Elevate the Everyday: A Photographic Guide to Picturing Motherhood Eyewitnessing: The Uses of Images as Historical Evidence (Picturing History) Design for Climate Change Adapting Buildings and Cities for Climate Change Financing Education in a Climate of Change (11th Edition) The Madhouse Effect: How Climate Change Denial Is Threatening Our Planet, Destroying Our Politics, and Driving Us Crazy The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable (Berlin Family Lectures) The Long Emergency: Surviving the End of Oil, Climate Change, and Other Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-First Century Dire Predictions, 2nd Edition: Understanding Climate Change The Carbon Farming Solution: A Global Toolkit of Perennial Crops and Regenerative Agriculture Practices for Climate Change Mitigation and Food Security
