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Contents:
1 - What is global warming?; 2 - A brief history of the global warming hypothesis; 3- Your viewpoint determines the future; 4 - What is the evidence for climate change?; 5 - How do you model the future?; 6 - What are the possible impacts of global warming?; 7 - Surprises; 8 - Politics; 9 - What are the alternatives?; 10 - Conclusion.
Review:
This book is one of a series (Oxford's 'very short introduction') covering a huge range of topics. The aim is to produce a text containing both the key facts and a commentary. Given that even reviews for global warming can cover thousands of pages this is a tall order.
The text opens with an overview of the concept of global warming. There's the usual basic description but also some tables on relative contribution of pollutants and graphs showing the universality of this phenomenon. Chapter two provides a very good, brief history of the topic. Along with the main characters we also get a commentary about the relative contributions of the key actors. Chapter three takes a different tack to most texts in this field. It looks at the way in which viewpoints are made by people and the parameters involved. Since the aim of the text is to add to the debate this is a crucial (and welcomed) addition. Chapter four looks at the evidence both for and against global warming. As with previous chapters, data are taken from an international collection (thankfully without the too-familiar Mauna Loa data!). Chapter five takes another detour, this time to evaluate how we model the future and the accuracy of our predictions. Chapter six outlines the possible impacts of global warming in a variety of situations. It is widely recognised that effects will not be equal and so a discussion is this area is very useful. Chapter seven deals with the fringes of the topic - those areas currently being studied that might yet prove to be central to the debate but which, at present, are under-regarded. Examples given include gases and ocean circulation. As if to highlight this, just prior to the review, an article in the UK'sNew Scientist described new ideas on ozone/global warming so there's always new information coming along. Chapter eight delves into the murky world of global politics and tries to tease out the main players and protocols and give a reasoned case for each one. Chapter nine examines some of the alternatives starting with risk management ideas and then looking at how the problem might be addressed. The final chapter acts as a two-page statement of what has gone before.
Despite its size this book packs in a huge amount of information. More than that it seems to clear a way through the debate mentioning all the key elements whilst avoiding the situation of too much information. Given the huge volume of information produced each year this is no mean feat. Maslin should be congratulated for producing such an excellent guide. As such, even though it's very late in the year, I see this as the best text to have crossed this reviewer's desk this year giving it the 'star-text' logo.
If you are in any way involved in global warming education get a copy of this book.