Cover Image

The science and politics of global climate change : a guide to the debate /

Show other versions (3)

This third edition has been comprehensively updated to reflect the large changes in scientific knowledge and policy debates on climate change since the previous edition in 2009. It provides a concise but thorough overview of the science, technology, economics, policy, and politics of climate change...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Dessler, Andrew Emory (Author), Parson, Edward (Author)
Format: Book
Language:English
Published: Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, [2020]
Edition:Third edition.
Subjects:
Climatic changes.
Climatic changes > Government policy.
Table of Contents:
  • 1. Global climate change : a new type of environmental problem
  • 1.1. The climate-change controversy
  • 1.2. Climate and climate change : a scientific primer
  • 1.3. Background on climate-change policy
  • 1.4. Plan of the book
  • 2. Science, politics, and science in politics
  • 2.1. Justifications for action : positive and normative statements
  • 2.2. How science works
  • 2.3. Politics and policy debates
  • 2.4. When science and politics meet
  • 2.5. Limiting the damage : the role of scientific assessments
  • 3. Human-induced climate change : present scientific knowledge and uncertainties
  • 3.1. Is the climate changing?
  • 3.2. Are human activities responsible for the observed changes?
  • 3.3. What further changes are likely? Predicting Twenty-First Century climate change
  • 3.4. What will the impacts of climate change be?
  • 3.5. Contrary claims
  • 3.6 Conclusions
  • 4. Climate change policy : impacts, assessments, and responses
  • 4.1. Impacts and adaptation
  • 4.2. Emissions and mitigation responses
  • 4.3. The third response : climate engineering
  • 4.4. Choosing a path : balancing benefits and costs of mitigation and adaptation
  • 4.5. Conclusion : technology and policy for a climate-safe transition
  • 5. Climate policy and politics in 2019, and a path forward
  • 5.1. Climate-change politics : current policies and positions
  • 5.2. Climate-change politics : remaining arguments against action
  • 5.3. So what should be done? Recommendations for an effective response
  • 5.4. Conclusion.