Climate Change Science Strategies And Solutions

Covers a variety of topics on climate change, including greenhouse gases and the ozone layer, and the effects of climate change on wildlife and water.

It is the greatest environmental challenge of the 21st Century. But what do we truly know about global climate change? And what can we do about it? Most of the world’s top scientists agree that emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from human activities such as industrial processes, fossil fuel combustion, and land-use changes are causing the earth to get warmer. Impacts of this warming may include damage to our coastal areas, accelerated rates of species loss, altered agricultural patterns, and increased incidences of infectious diseases. The effects of climate change — and efforts to mitigate climate change — could also have substantial economic ramifications. The book presents the latest research and analysis from prominent scientists, economists, academics, and policy-makers, including: Tom Wigley and Joel Smith, who, along with other authors of the Science and Impacts chapter, explain the basic science of climate change, the growing evidence that human activities are changing our climate, and the impacts of these changes; Eileen Claussen, John Gummer, Henry Lee, and other authors of the Global Strategies chapter, who describe what nations are or are not doing to address climate change, and the state of international climate talks; Robert Stavins, John Weyant, Ev Ehrlich, and other economists, who explain why economic analyses of climate policy are conducted, why the projected costs of addressing climate change vary so widely among economic models, and how changes driven by today’s economy can influence climate policy; Gov. Jean Shaheen and other authors of the Innovative Solutions chapter, who describe what state and local governments in the United States and multinational companies are doing to monitor and curb greenhouse gas emissions; and Forest Reinhardt, who offers business leaders advice on steering their companies on a path that is healthy for business as well as the global climate. This publication has also been published in paperback, please click here for details.

It is widely accepted in the scientific community that climate change is a reality, and that changes are happening with increasing rapidity. In this second edition, leading climate researcher Barrie Pittock revisits the effects that global warming is having on our planet, in light of ever-evolving scientific research. Presenting all sides of the arguments about the science and possible remedies, Pittock examines the latest analyses of climate change, such as new and alarming observations regarding Arctic sea ice, the recently published IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, and the policies of the new Australian Government and how they affect the implementation of climate change initiatives. New material focuses on massive investments in large-scale renewables, such as the kind being taken up in California, as well as many smaller-scale activities in individual homes and businesses which are being driven by both regulatory and market mechanisms. The book includes extensive endnotes with links to ongoing and updated information, as well as some new illustrations. While the message is clear that climate change is here (and in some areas, might already be having disastrous effects), there is still hope for the future, and the ideas presented here will inspire people to take action. Climate Change: The Science, Impacts and Solutions is an important reference for students in environmental or social sciences, policy makers, and people who are genuinely concerned about the future of our environment.

With the effects of climate change already upon us, the need to cut global greenhouse gas emissions is nothing less than urgent. It’s a daunting challenge, but the technologies and strategies to meet it exist today. A small set of energy policies, designed and implemented well, can put us on the path to a low carbon future. Energy systems are large and complex, so energy policy must be focused and cost-effective. One-size-fits-all approaches simply won’t get the job done. Policymakers need a clear, comprehensive resource that outlines the energy policies that will have the biggest impact on our climate future, and describes how to design these policies well. Designing Climate Solutions: A Policy Guide for Low-Carbon Energy is the first such guide, bringing together the latest research and analysis around low carbon energy solutions. Written by Hal Harvey, CEO of the policy firm Energy Innovation, with Robbie Orvis and Jeffrey Rissman of Energy Innovation, Designing Climate Solutions is an accessible resource on lowering carbon emissions for policymakers, activists, philanthropists, and others in the climate and energy community. In Part I, the authors deliver a roadmap for understanding which countries, sectors, and sources produce the greatest amount of greenhouse gas emissions, and give readers the tools to select and design efficient policies for each of these sectors. In Part II, they break down each type of policy, from renewable portfolio standards to carbon pricing, offering key design principles and case studies where each policy has been implemented successfully. We don’t need to wait for new technologies or strategies to create a low carbon future—and we can’t afford to. Designing Climate Solutions gives professionals the tools they need to select, design, and implement the policies that can put us on the path to a livable climate future.

• New York Times bestseller • The 100 most substantive solutions to reverse global warming, based on meticulous research by leading scientists and policymakers around the world “At this point in time, the Drawdown book is exactly what is needed; a credible, conservative solution-by-solution narrative that we can do it. Reading it is an effective inoculation against the widespread perception of doom that humanity cannot and will not solve the climate crisis. Reported by-effects include increased determination and a sense of grounded hope.” —Per Espen Stoknes, Author, What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming “There’s been no real way for ordinary people to get an understanding of what they can do and what impact it can have. There remains no single, comprehensive, reliable compendium of carbon-reduction solutions across sectors. At least until now. . . . The public is hungry for this kind of practical wisdom.” —David Roberts, Vox “This is the ideal environmental sciences textbook—only it is too interesting and inspiring to be called a textbook.” —Peter Kareiva, Director of the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, UCLA In the face of widespread fear and apathy, an international coalition of researchers, professionals, and scientists have come together to offer a set of realistic and bold solutions to climate change. One hundred techniques and practices are described here—some are well known; some you may have never heard of. They range from clean energy to educating girls in lower-income countries to land use practices that pull carbon out of the air. The solutions exist, are economically viable, and communities throughout the world are currently enacting them with skill and determination. If deployed collectively on a global scale over the next thirty years, they represent a credible path forward, not just to slow the earth’s warming but to reach drawdown, that point in time when greenhouse gases in the atmosphere peak and begin to decline. These measures promise cascading benefits to human health, security, prosperity, and well-being—giving us every reason to see this planetary crisis as an opportunity to create a just and livable world.

In 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize (with former Vice President Al Gore) for its reporting on the human causes of climate change. In 2008, the National Council for Science and the Environment reported that the acceleration of climate change is already faster than the IPCC projected only a year earlier. How we deal with the rapid environmental changes, and the human forces that are driving these changes, will be among the defining issues of our generation. Climate Solutions Consensus presents an agenda for America. It is the first major consensus statement by the nation’s leading scientists, and it provides specific recommendations for federal policies, for state and local governments, for businesses, and for colleges and universities that are preparing future generations who will be dealing with a radically changed climate. The book draws upon the recommendations developed by more than 1200 scientists, educators and decision makers who participated in the National Council for Science and the Environment’s 8th National Conference on Science, Policy and the Environment. After presenting a lucid narrative of the science behind climate change and its solutions, Climate Solutions Consensus presents 35 practical, results-oriented approaches for minimizing climate change and its impacts. It clearly spells out options for technological, societal, and policy actions. And it deals head-on with controversial topics, including nuclear energy, ocean fertilization and atmospheric geo-engineering. One of the book’s key conclusions is that climate solutions are about much more than energy sources. They involve re-examining everything people do with an eye toward minimizing climate impacts. This includes our eating habits, consumption patterns, transportation, building and housing, forestry, land use, education, and more. According to these scientists, the time to act is now. With clarity and urgency, they tell us exactly what needs to be done to start reversing the driving factors behind climate change, minimizing their consequences, and adapting to what is beyond our power to stop.

Global Warming: Causes, Impacts and Solutions covers all aspects of global warming including its causes, impacts, and engineering solutions. Energy and environment policies and strategies are scientifically discussed to expose the best ways to reduce global warming effects and protect the environment and energy sources affected by human activities. The importance of green energy consumption on the reduction of global warming, energy saving and energy security are also discussed. This book also focuses on energy management and conservation strategies for better utilization of energy sources and technologies in buildings and industry as well as ways of improving energy efficiency at the end use, and introduces basic methods for designing and sizing cost-effective systems and determining whether it is economically efficient to invest in specific energy efficiency or renewable energy projects, and describes energy audit producers commonly used to improve the energy efficiency of residential and commercial buildings as well as industrial facilities. These features and more provide the tools necessary to reduce global warming and to improve energy management leading to higher energy efficiencies. In order to reduce the negative effects of global warming due to excessive use of fossil fuel technologies, the following alternative technologies are introduced from the engineering perspective: fuel cells, solar power generation technologies, energy recovery technologies, hydrogen energy technologies, wind energy technologies, geothermal energy technologies, and biomass energy technologies. These technologies are presented in detail and modeling studies including case studies can also be found in this book.