It has been just over 60 years since the first satellite pictures of earth were recorded, and since that time, the increasing number and sophistication of photographs from space have enabled scientists to see changes in earth’s atmosphere, land, and water with greater accuracy. This book covers a wide range of topics, from seasonal changes in foliage in North America to sea-surface temperature changes worldwide. Content is organized in sections treating the atmosphere, the land, the ocean, the ice caps, and human activities. Fairly short subsections focus on particular issues or geographic areas. For example, one subsection in “Evidence of Our Tenure,” which discusses human activities, deals with the drainage of Iraqi marshlands. In addition to satellite photos and photographs of landscapes on earth, most sections include graphs and charts to further explain or interpret the views from space. Captions offer considerable detail that supplements the information found in the text. Appendixes contain an explanation of satellite orbits and remote sensing and a glossary. The index provides many access points to the information. A browser interested in global change would find much fascinating material in the exceptional photographs and diagrams and in the explanations found in the captions and text. A researcher could use this as a starting point. Firefly’s Earth from Space (2007) contains some of the same images but does not have as much analysis on planetary change as Our Changing Planet. Many libraries will want both. --Elaine Lindstrom
Review
Pre-publication praise for Our Changing Planet: The View from Space:
"I've had the good fortune to visit some of the most beautiful parts of our home planet, and witness first hand the effect human activity is having on our world. This book allows you to explore some of these effects through an awe-inspiring collection of images of the Earth from space. This wonderful volume provides a masterful association of imagery and explanation. You will have difficulty closing it once opened. I give it my highest recommendation."
Sir Ranulph Fiennes, internationally renowned explorer and adventurer
"Our understanding of the world radically changed when we first saw it from space. It became at once precious yet vulnerable, romantic yet realistic, and above all unified as the physical and living environments came indissolubly together. The pictures in this remarkable book could almost tell the story by themselves; but they are supported by a well written collection of essays which together explain the underlying science and how the system actually works. As tiny ephemeral creatures on the surface, we can also see the alarming effects our activities are having, whether on the land, in the seas or in the atmosphere, so that this epoch in the Earth's long history can be appropriately named the Anthropocene. We still have to reckon with the consequences. This is an excellent guide to greater understanding of the fundamental issues of our time."
Sir Crispin Tickell, Director of the Policy Foresight Programme at the James Martin Institute for Science and Civilization at Oxford University, former British Ambassador to the United Nations, former President of the Royal Geographical Society
"Great, readable book with spectacular space views of how our home planet is changing - the land, atmosphere, oceans and ice."
James Hansen, Director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
"We have been advised for years to act locally and think globally and nothing helps us think more about the globe than the wonder of viewing the whole and all its changeable parts from space. This book tells us what is happening to our world in graphic detail and it is truly an eye opener."
William Ruckelhaus, First Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency
"This collection of stunning images of our planet from space serves as a focus for a discussion of geologic, atmospheric and oceanic processes. The emphasis is on change, and here the images of shrinking glaciers are particularly impressive. Much of scientific progress has been associated with increased magnification of ever smaller subjects, down to the molecular and atomic dimensions. This volume illustrates rather the opposite: of how much can be learned from integrated views of large areas, up to the planetary dimension."
Walter Munk, Professor Emeritus at Scripps Institution of Oceanography
"Our Changing Planet expresses a vision the Earth System Science community has pursued for a generation. By observing the earth from space as completely as science knows how, we would document the state of our planet in the midst of the tremendous changes wrought by our burgeoning global society. We hoped our work would be a landmark; the beauty revealed here goes beyond our dreams."
Charles F. Kennel, Former Associate Administrator at NASA for Mission to Planet Earth, Director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Vice Chancellor of Marine Sciences at the University of California, San Diego.
"One book that capably captures the Big Changes is Our Changing Planet: The View From Space … This is a thoughtful survey, full of stunning photos – both satellite and earthbound – and illuminating charts and graphs. The editors have done a splendid job of organizing a daunting array of material into a genuinely engaging, sobering and informative work that will appeal to even the most science-challenged reader."
LK Hanson, Minneapolis Star Tribune
"There are dozens of coffee table books available featuring stunning images of the earth which appeal to the aesthetic in all of us, since the world is indeed beautiful at any scale on which we choose to observe it. What allows NASA’s Our Changing Planet to distinguish itself in the competitive field is the accompanying chapters which contextualise the images, explaining not only their geographical significance but also enriching our scientific, environmental and even political knowledge. In a series of short and highly accessible chapters, the book combines stunning satellite imagery with succinct explanations, taking care to avoid an excess of scientific mumbo jumbo. … what raises Our Changing Planet’head and shoulders above similar books is the accompanying explanations … The book conclusively demonstrates that, beyond enhancing our appreciation of the natural world with revealing and vibrant pictures, satellite imagery can also contribute toward emergency responses and even prevention of accidents through effective monitoring. These photographs which draw us into the wonders of our planet should also inspire us to safeguard its future. So if you need a Christmas present of a budding ecologist but you want them to get the facts – then this book is out of this world."
Robert Wilkinson, Lloyd’s List, December 2007
"The attractive presentation and detailed analysis will combat glum feelings about the Earth's prospects and inspire action to improve them."
Anna Lena Phillips, American Scientist
"This is a benchmark publication."
Dr. Murray Felsher, Washington Remote Sensing Letter, Volume 28, No. 1, January 2008
"This is a stunningly attractive and informative book for anyone interested in environmental issues and the beauty of our home planet, providing inspiration for students, teachers, environmentalists and the general public alike."
Ian Stirling, The Society for Marine Mammalogy Newsletter - Vol. 15, No 4 (Winter 2007)
"Much of what I have learned in this remarkable book will find its way into my lectures and texts, and I can only thank the editors for the skill and balance demonstrated in their selection of contributors and topics." - Tom Garrison, Orange Coast College, Costa Messa, CA
"Here is a call to action in the clearest sense. In a perfect world, every science educator would receive a copy of this book and pass its fundamental message along to his and her students. We have much to do!" - Tom Garrison, Oceanography
Book Description
Inside, you'll find captivating views of Earth from space alongside the science behind observed changes.
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