Customer Reviews

The No-Nonsense Guide to Climate Change (No-Nonsense Guides)

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Even conservatives now admit that global warming is a reality and that it's primarily the result of fossil fuel use (see the EPA document on global warming published earlier this year). But the extent of the problem is only beginning to sink in. The twentieth century was the hottest century, the 1990s the hottest decade of the millennium, and 1998 the hottest year of the 1990s (we know this from analyzing atmospheric gases trapped in Arctic ice). And we're only feeling the effects of CO2 emissions from 35 years ago! The nasty effects of all the emissions since then haven't even kicked in yet. Moreover, global warming will also lead to "feedback"--the official term for extreme weather. Tornadoes out of season, violent thunderstorms and hail, droughts, floodings, blizzards: all of these are already occuring as wind currents and meterological conditions feel the effects of overall global warming.

Dinyar Godrej's *Climate Change,* a volume in the excellent "No-Nonsense" series, outlines the basic (and frightening!) facts about global warming, backing his claims up with a wealth of data and references. This makes his book a convenient (and affordable) resource for anyone who wants to get a handle on what's happening to the planet. But Godrej also offers some social, political, and personal suggestions for slowing down and hopefully reducing the human activity that creates global warming. Highly recommended. Read it, get scared, get angry, get working! And while you're at it, get rid of your SUV.

Unfortunately the author has gotten some of the science wrong, stating for example that carbon is radioactive and mislabeling important graphs. Since this is the 3rd edition one would have hoped the editors would have glanced at the book since it was written in 2001. The author (an immigrant from India) has a very strong anti developed-world bias. He argues vehemently against carbon trading and offsets, not acknowledging that these mechanisms reduce CO2 buildup. He wants instead, I think, punishment to be meted out to the developed countries for their success and rewards to be given to developing countries for their lack of success. He does not appear to want emission controls on developing countries, but prefers that the developed world gift the developing world with free solar power plants. For a no-nonsense guide, there is too much of this nonsense.
I do like the chart on top of page 138 on tips to personally cut emissions (like becoming a vegetarian).