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Landscapes & Cycles: An Environmentalist's Journey to Climate Skepticism Paperback – June 30, 2013

by Jim Steele (Author)

4.7 87 ratings

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For 25 years, as director of San Francisco State University’s Sierra Nevada Field Campus, Jim Steele has opened the eyes and ears of countless students to the magic of California’s Sierra Nevada. His first book, Landscapes and Cycles, An Environmentalist’s Journey to Climate Skepticism will likewise open your minds. It compares the effects of landscape changes, natural cycles and climate change on polar bears, whales, walruses, penguins, frogs, pika, butterflies and marine ecosystems. Although it is wise to think globally, all wildlife reacts locally and all regions of the earth have been behaving very differently from what a globally averaged statistic might suggest. Despite media horror stories, many species have benefitted from recent climate change. Those species that are struggling have invariably been affected by issues other than climate change and require very different remedies. Controlling our carbon footprints will never address the most pressing issues of habitat loss and watershed degradation. Landscapes and Cycles juxtaposes environmental optimism and with concern. It celebrates the work of conservationists and scientists whose tireless efforts have enabled the full recovery of a great many species. On the other hand it presents withering criticism against the politicization of climate change and those who have hijacked key environmental issues to the detriment of good environmental stewardship. Steele highlights how faulty science and bad models have misguided critical conservation efforts and misrepresented conservation success. Most distressing Landscapes and Cycles reveals how global warming advocates have opposed appropriate conservation efforts simply because the concerned scientists did not blame climate change. Landscapes and Cycles demystifies both climate science and conservation science in a manner easily understood by everyone. In easily grasped terms Steele explains how natural cycles can cause abrupt climate change and extreme weather events and how those events affect wildlife. If we want to be good stewards of the environment, understanding those natural cycles are essential. Landscapes and Cycles outlines how we can build a more resilient environment and provides a much-needed perspective from which we can better separate sincere concerns from the overzealous catastrophic predictions that dominate the media. Landscapes and Cycles highlights what we need to look for during the next 10 years in order to determine if the “control knob” of global climate change is natural cycles or the rising concentration of carbon dioxide. Until then Steele argues now more than ever, we need to have more transparent and respectful debates to move the science forward. Landscapes and Cycles will enlighten anyone concerned with climate change and the fate of endangered species. Not only is it fascinating reading for the general public, it should required reading for every high school and college environmental studies class.

Print length

342 pages
Language

English
Publication date

June 30, 2013
Dimensions

7.01 x 0.71 x 10 inches
ISBN-10

1490390189
ISBN-13

978-1490390185
See all details

Thomas Sowell
1,402
Hardcover
78 offers from $12.88
Javier Vinós
25
Paperback
12 offers from $28.95

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; First Edition (June 30, 2013)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 342 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1490390189
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1490390185
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.01 x 0.71 x 10 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,028,231 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,419 in Environmental Science (Books)
- #2,593 in Environmentalism
- #2,770 in Nature Conservation

Customer Reviews:
4.7 87 ratings

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Amazon Customer

Wonderful explanation of the complexities of the interactions of currents, climates, and landscapes

Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2021

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Phenomenal book. I liked it so much I bought four more copies to send to friends and family.

Landscapes and Cycles contains the most comprehensible explanation of climate and weather I have read to date, clearing explaining the heat and moisture transfer mechanisms of ocean currents and air circulation, as currently understood. I especially found the description of the interaction of air (Hadley cells) and ocean (El-Nino / La Nina) circulations to be illuminating.

Landscapes and Cycles conclusively demonstrates that while “climate change” may be global, it is the local changes in climate and environment that affect species and landscapes. Critical conclusions from the book are:
• When considering local effects, it is imperative to consider local climate.
• An obsession with “global climate change” leads many researchers and environmental advocates to blind themselves to the possibilities of local effects, whose remediation or mitigation holds real promise of preserving and improving fragile ecosystems.
• That natural systems (PDO, ENSO, AMO, sunspot cycles, etc.) have far quicker and far larger effects on climate than “global climate change”, and that the effects of these systems will continue regardless of human activities, so that learning to live with and mitigate their effects holds greater promise for a benign environment than mandating a “carbon free world”.
For example, learning that California experiences severe drought 30% of the time (over decades or centuries) implies that extreme wildfires are better prevented by wise land use and watershed protection than mandating electric vehicles (whose effect on CO2 emissions is infinitesimal compared to increased coal use in China and India).
• A trend towards politicized “science” and a quasi-religious subservience to the cause of “global climate change” has led far too many advocates of “global climate change” to corrupt their research, findings, and publications in order to promote their narrative, often through intentional obfuscation, omissions, or downright fraud.

The author does NOT deny that “global climate change” may be occurring. He simply states that it is not the end-all and be-all of observed species and landscape changes, and that many of the examples that purport to show that are simply not true.

His message is, to quote “The Princess Bride” – “"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”

3 people found this helpful

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Ray Cash

This is a book that should be read--and recommended--by every environmentalist

Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2014

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I've learned a lot from this book:
1) Climate change cannot be reduced to one, or even a few reasons.
2) Scientists are fallible; can and do follow their biases--and career opportunities.
3) Bad science, however well-intentioned, does exist.
4) There are much more productive ways to help our environment--and adapting to it--than vilifying oil companies and laggard governments.

Climate change has become a media darling, and for good reason: If our changing weather patterns can be reduced to one cause, our simplified news sources can always use a good sound byte--and who doesn't like to talk about the weather? If we can turn this into a political issue, all the more simple! We know all-too-well the two sides that will line up against each other. It can be a whole branch of the entertainment industry!

But Mr. Steele does not fall into this trap, and his thorough, documented, heavily footnoted, and illustrative evidence comes from an environmentalist well-schooled in the scientific method, not from an oil industry shill. The book begins with his own epiphany: A once thriving meadow that he and his students were studying for years had dried up. Mr. Steele's bias at the time was to blame climate change, but a little research into California's climate history showed no such trend (though California does have climate cycles of drought and heavy rain dictated by the Pacific Ocean and its cycles--he goes into this in great detail). Yes, the meadow's lifelessness was due to man-made causes, but a little local, hard-work restored the watershed by removing an old sunken railroad track that altered the landscape and ecosystem. Such a small-scale observation! What about our large scale industrial farming; continued rain forest decimation; over-fishing of the oceans? Yes, these are also CO2 culprits, but could these factors be a bigger threat than the more often blamed sources (coal, oil) of CO2 emissions, I thought?

Mr. Steele's book is not full of such conjecture; the bulk of it is research and critical examination of many scientific studies that support the current bias of man-made climate change: The seminal 1996 butterfly study by Dr. Camille Parmesan is a real eye-opener! There are chapters on pikas, penguins, frogs, walruses, whales, seals, and polar bears. In all, Mr. Steele questions their methods, deliberate exclusion of data, and documents contradictory studies. He also rightfully points out that wildlife react to local changes in the environment, not necessarily global ones--the latter being much harder to prove, unless we are talking about a catastrophic extinction event. . . It is evident all is not well in the 'peer review' department of these studies.

There is some finger-pointing at climate scientists--and the ever present blogs--of 'not playing fair'; of being too loose with the facts; of exclusion of meaningful contradictory data; in short, of preventing honest debate. This is to be expected, and more importantly, needs to be said. I think, however, Mr. Steele is very cautionary and fair, and gives most scientists the benefit of the doubt.

Woven throughout the book is an elucidation of climate patterns: Within and above the oceans, the arctic, glaciers, the tropics, in our industrialized landscapes--both urban and farmed. Solar patterns, ice ages, little ice ages are revealed. Tree-ring data, long the reliable thermometer of climate change through the ages, contradicts CO2 theory. . . The famous 'hockey-stick' spike in CO2 as documented and popularized in Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" does not even show up in the tree-ring studies, so they are 'conveniently' ignored. . . by some; that is, not Mr. Steele.

This is a book that should be read--and recommended--by every environmentalist, lover of the scientific method and nature: In short, by every thinking person.

8 people found this helpful

Helpful

John M. Cape, Author of Poorly Zeroed: A Net Zero Travesty.

An Eyeopener

Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2023

Verified Purchase

Several years ago, I had never heard of Jim Steele. Lately, he's gained a great deal more visibility with this novel and a number of Youtube presentations. He's an ecologist that really cares about the environment and has a low tolerance for more politically correct theories.

This book is thought provoking, easy to read, and well written. He focuses on land use and other environmental factors that explain phenonomen that are routinely blamed on climate change. To assist butterflies, for example, his team focused on addressing their local environment, which allowed their butterflies to thrive. Others more politically driven, recommended moving the butterflies farther north; those others were given global kudos, but their butterflies did not benefit from their recommendations.

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Top reviews from other countries

traveler

A view of organized debasement of science and scientists.

Reviewed in Canada on November 3, 2021

Verified Purchase

Climate alarmism is big business. The co-opting of scientists into this lucrative industry is leading to erosion of public trust in all scientists - the public reaction to Covid - 19 vaccines is the latest indicator of the decline of confidence scientists are speaking fact, not conjecture.

Amazon Customer

Excellent, insightful and brings to attention the more pressing threats to nature.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 28, 2020

Verified Purchase

This book is perfect for any true environmentalist who is aware that current climate change is not the most serious problem for our wildlife.
The many complex natural cycles always have and still do drive our weather and climate - Jim Steele discusses how local climate is what matters and how some locations have not warmed over the past few decades. Many places that have warmed almost always have some kind of landscape change around the weather stations that influence this. This book thoroughly details many examples of climate change from a historic and recent perspective - ice cores and other data show it has been warmer than today at lower CO2 concentrations, and that climate warming has been more rapid at the end of the last ice age. We have nothing to be alarmed about right now.
He also links this to some of the most pressing threats to our wildlife and habitats - over millions of years our species have always dealt with changes in weather and climate, but habitat loss and degradation, pollution, invasive species, disease and over-harvesting are the most important factors.
I would recommend this book to anyone who actually wants to learn about and help the environment.

2 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

The book shows a wide knowledge giving sound conclusions that CO2 is NOT a problem

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 15, 2019

Verified Purchase

Quite excellent. I have followed for over ten years on a daily basis the evidence for and against the hypothesis (NOT theory) that CO2 is causing the world to warm with predicted catastrophic results. I came to the conclusion that it was all nonsense based on a desire to destroy the capitalist world. CO2 is less than 1/20th of a percent of the atmosphere and is a weak greenhouse gas. Water vapour averages about 3% and is a much stronger greenhouse gas. Simple logic says that whatever role CO2 might play it is very minor.
Jim Steele quietly and slowly debunks varied ecological scares. He also gives carefully reasoned arguments of why polar bears are not endangered. Also why what warming that has recently occured in the Arctic is cyclical and due the varying ocean currents and has little or nothing to do with CO2.
The book is written in a straightforward and knowledgeable manner which is easily understood.

Thank you Jim Steele

3 people found this helpful

David Latremoille

Everyone interested in the subject matter and in climate science ...

Reviewed in Canada on November 3, 2016

Verified Purchase

Everyone interested in the subject matter and in climate science should read this book. An ideal Xmas gift for those interested in climate change regardless of their present opinions.

My major take away after reading the book "Is WHY are governments and the main media constantly preaching climate change is solely based on human emissions of CO2". There is no doubt that they are -but why? Undoubtedly the answer is more complex that we imagine given the number of organizations and governments involved.

iCurmudgeon

Illuminating insights from an experienced ecologist.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 26, 2021

Verified Purchase

The author studies the effects of natural cycles, which are driven by oceanic, atmospheric and solar activity, and of changes in landscapes and land use, on local climates and ecosystems. He demonstrates through many detailed case studies how these local effects overwhelm any contributions from anthropogenic global warming. He shows how the miss-attribution of local climatic variations to anthropogenic CO2 and the consequent ill-founded policies and practices can actively hinder the work of conservationists in preserving ecosystems and bio-diversity.

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