ABSTRACT

The science of climate change is a complex subject that balances the physical record and scientific fact with politics, policy, and ethics - and is of particular importance to the geosciences. This thoughtfully crafted new text and accompanying media encourage non-science majors to practice critical thinking, analysis, and discourse about climate change themes. Taking a cross-disciplinary approach, acclaimed educator and researcher, David Kitchen, examines not only the physical science, but the social, economic, political, energy, and environmental issues surrounding climate change. His goal: to turn knowledge into action, equipping students with the knowledge and critical skills to make informed decisions, separate facts from fiction, and participate in the public debate.

part |3 pages

Part 1 The Evidence: Is This Normal?

chapter 1|22 pages

“So, What’s Up with the Weather?”

chapter 2|27 pages

The Evidence: Observing Climate Change

part |3 pages

Part 2 Follow the Energy: Atmosphere, Oceans, and Climate

chapter 3|30 pages

Energy and Earth’s Climate

chapter 4|41 pages

Understanding Weather and Climate

part |3 pages

Part 3 Deep Time: A Long History of Natural Climate Change

chapter 5|32 pages

Revealing ancient Climate

chapter 6|47 pages

Climate history

part |3 pages

Part 4 Impacts of Climate Change: From Polar Bears to Politics

chapter 7|44 pages

The Global Impact of Climate Change

chapter 8|31 pages

People and Politics

part |3 pages

Part 5 GloBal Solutions: Managing the Crisis

chapter 9|34 pages

The Energy Crisis

chapter 10|26 pages

Turning Knowledge into Action