The need for effective communication, public outreach and education to increase support for policy, collective action and behaviour change is ever present, and is perhaps most pressing in the context of anthropogenic climate change. This book is the first to take a comprehensive look at communicatio
Climate Change for Dummies
✍ Scribed by Elizabeth May; John Kidder
- Publisher
- For Dummies
- Year
- 2022
- Tongue
- English
- Leaves
- 387
- Category
- Library
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Master the hottest--and most chilling--topic in the world today
More and more frequent extreme weather events occur each year, and wildlife everywhere is increasingly endangered. Science fiction or science fact, most climate experts see this as our world on climate change--and, according to polls, a majority of people around the globe agree. Climate Change For Dummies allows you to investigate this hottest of hotly debated issues for yourself--examining its causes, the way it affects our lives, and what we can all do to make a difference.
This straightforward guide--cowritten by the former leader of Canada's Green Party and the Canadian Chief of Staff to the Minister of Natural Resources--sifts the fact from the fiction: Is climate change caused by human activity or by natural elements beyond our control? What contribution can clean energy make? What are our best and worst-case scenarios?
What are the likely long- and short-term effects? How can human activity can impact the environment? Can individuals and governments help reverse the possible effects? Which are the best sources of cleaner energy? With the IPCC predicting a 2.5-10�F warming over the next century, this complex subject will be making temperatures soar for years to come--on both sides of the debate. Climate Change For Dummies is the ideal tool to navigate these increasingly choppy waters--and to make an informed difference where you can.
✦ Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond This Book
Where to Go from Here
Part 1: Understanding Climate Change
Chapter 1: Covering the Basics of Climate Change
Getting a Basic Overview — Global Warming 101
Heating things up with GHGs
Investigating other causes of global warming
Tapping into The Roots of Global Warming
Fueling global warming
Heating up over deforestation
Examining the Effects of Global Warming around the World
The United States and Canada
Latin America
Europe
Africa
Asia
Australia and New Zealand
Small islands
Polar regions
Positive Politics: Governments and Global Warming
Making a difference from city hall to the nation’s capital
Working with a global government
Helping developing countries
Solving the Problem
Changing to alternative energies
Getting down to business
Making it personal
Chapter 2: Looking Closely at Greenhouse Earth
Examining Greenhouse Effect 101
Focusing On Carbon Dioxide: Leader of the Pack
Looking at the carbon cycle
Investigating humanity’s impact on the carbon cycle
Checking Out the Other GHGs
Methane (CH4)
Nitrous oxide (N2O)
Hexafluoro-what?
Other players on the GHG bench
Chapter 3: Recognizing the Big Deal about Carbon
Considering Other Causes of Global Warming
Solar cycles — Irradiance and Milankovitch
Cloud cover
Long-term climate trends
Making the Case for Carbon
Geologic and prehistoric evidence
Modeling and forecasting
A few degrees is a lot
Going, going, gone . . . The tipping point
Eyeballing the Consequences of Continued Carbon Dioxide Increases
What happens when the mercury rises
Cutting back on carbon
Part 2: Tracking Down the Causes
Chapter 4: Living in the Dark Ages of Fossil Fuels
From Fossils to Fuel — How Fossil Fuels Came to Be
Examining the Different Types of Fossil Fuels
Coal
Oil
Natural gas
Fueling Civilization’s Growth: Adding to the Greenhouse Effect
A growing world population’s impact
Growing economies also play a role
Chapter 5: Getting Right to the Source: The Big Emitters
Power to the People: Energy Use
Producing electricity
Using up energy in buildings
Powering industry
The Road to Ruin: Transportation and GHGs
Cheap goods at a high price to the climate
Keep on truckin’
Draining the Carbon Sinks: Land Use
Timber! Deforestation
Down on the farm: Agriculture and livestock
Chapter 6: Taking It Personally: Individual Sources of Emissions
Driving Up Emissions: Transportation and GHGs
Driving
Flying
Using Energy around the House
Controlling the climate in your home
Operating electric appliances
You Are What You Eat: Food and Carbon
Wasting Away
Part 3: Examining the Effects of Climate Change
Chapter 7: Focusing on Not-So- Natural Disasters
H2 Oh No: Watery Disasters
Rising sea levels
Melting mountain glaciers
Putting a brake on the Gulf Stream
Rainfall (or lack thereof)
Flooding
Freshwater contamination
Stormy Weather: More Intense Storms and Hurricanes
Forest Fires and Wildfires: Trees and Grasses as Fuel
Considering the costs
Recognizing how they start and how to prevent them
Turning Up the Heat
Examining the Negative Side Effects of Positive Feedback Loops
Chapter 8: Risking Flora and Fauna: Impacts on Plants and Animals
Understanding the Stresses on Ecosystems
Ecosystems can adapt to some climate change
Some species have limitations for adapting
Warming the World’s Waters: Threats to the Underwater World
Under the sea
Lakes, rivers, wetlands, and bogs
Risking Earth’s Forests
Tropical
Boreal
Preparing for Mass Extinctions
Life’s no beach: Endangered tropical species
Thin ice: Polar bears and other polar animals
Chapter 9: Hitting Home: Global Warming’s Direct Effect on People
Focusing on the Health Scare — Outbreaks and Diseases
Dengue fever
Lyme disease
Other diseases and problems worsened by global warming
Putting Pressure on the Fields
Affecting farmers
Hurting the global food supply
Paying the Price for Global Warming
Highways, waterworks, and the other stuff humans build
An unfair split: Costs to the industrialized and developing nations
Feeling the Heat First: Unequal Effects
Northern Hemisphere communities
People in poverty
Women (and children)
Part 4: Political Progress: Fighting Global Warming Nationally and Internationally
Chapter 10: Voting for Your Future: What Governments Can Do
If They Had a Million Dollars . . . Wait — They Do! — Funding Measures
Creating incentives
Planning for emissions trading
Putting Programs into Place
Research
Education and awareness
Adaptation
Cleaning Up Transportation
Bringing back the bike
Investing in public transportation
Greening cars
Dealing with personal vehicles
Redefining Long-Term Investments
Considering the lack of progress
Focusing on the good news
Recognizing the countries leading the way
Laying Down the Law
Improving building regulations
Regulating energy use
Taxing the polluters
Identifying Some Success Stories
Cities and towns
States, provinces, and territories
Countries
Chapter 11: Beyond Borders: Progress on a Global Level
Understanding Why Global Agreements Are Important
Examining the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change
Recognizing what the Convention does
Establishing a game plan
Dividing up the parties
Looking At the Paris Agreement
Setting targets
Adding flexibility
Ratifying climate pacts
Introducing the World’s Authority on Global Warming: The IPCC
Getting to know the IPCC
Reading the reports
Chapter 12: Developing in the Face of Climate Change
Identifying Challenges Faced by Developed and Developing Nations
Promising Developments: Looking at Progress in China, Brazil, and India
China
Brazil
India
Choosing Sustainable Development
Understanding what sustainable development is
Expressing what developing countries can do
How industrialized countries can help
Part 5: Solving the Problem
Chapter 13: Powering the World — Renewable Green Energy
Addressing Energy Demand
Being more efficient
Combining heat and power
Changing How to Handle Fossil Fuel’s Emissions
Capturing and storing carbon dioxide
Considering carbon capture cons
Reducing Energy Demand
Investigating Renewable Energy Options
Blowin’ in the wind
Here comes the sun
Heat from the ground up
Hydropower
Ocean power
From plants to energy
Nothing wasted
Exploring Another Nonrenewable Energy Source: Nuclear Power
Understanding nuclear power
Looking at the positives
Weighing the negatives
Chapter 14: Show Me the Money: Business and Industrial Solutions
Processing and Manufacturing Efficiently
Taking steps to conserve energy
Using energy efficiently
Considering individual industries
Trading Carbon between Manufacturers — The Carbon Market
Constructing Greener Buildings
Cutting back on heating and cooling
Exploring energy alternatives
Certifying new buildings
Identifying Corporate Success Stories
Recognizing Corporate Nonsuccess Stories
Focusing on Support from the Professional Service Sector
Banking on the environment
Stranding assets and liabilities
Insuring against climate change
Making it legal
Looking At Farming and Forestry
Supplying biofuels
Improving land management
Reducing rice farms’ emissions
Chapter 15: Activists without Borders: Nongovernmental Organizations
Understanding What NGOs Do
Educating people
Keeping watch
Getting the word out
Working with industry and government
Meeting This Generation
The importance of youth
Groups that speak up
Getting Involved
Seeking out groups
Helping out
Chapter 16: Lights, Camera, Action: The Media and Climate Change
Growing News Coverage
Bias and balance: Distorting the story
Consider the source: Being an informed media consumer
Focusing on Science on the Red Carpet
Movies: Facts and (science) fiction
For the kids (and adults, too)
Following the stars
Worldwide Warming: Climate Change Blogs
Bestselling Books: Reading between the Lines
True stories
Fiction and fairytales
Chapter 17: Figuring Out How to Change before Global Warming Is Unstoppable
Asking Tough Questions
Making the Changes in Limited Time
Staying within the carbon budget: Is it possible?
Getting to net zero — Is it possible?
Staying below “1.5 to stay alive” — Is it possible?
Addressing What Needs to be Done
Forecasting a path to 1.5 degrees
Understanding Disruption
Predicting what disruption of fossil fuels looks like
Recognizing the cost of disruption
Considering other benefits to disruption
Ending the Dominance of Fossil Fuels as Humanity’s Main Source of Energy
Changing the ways humans use energy and power to get things done
Changing what political leaders see the best interests of humanity
Understanding How Disruption Can Be Accelerated
Getting There from Here: A Conversation among Citizens
Part 6: The Par t of Tens
Chapter 18: Ten (Plus One) Things You Can Do to Fight Climate Change
Greening Your Car
Upgrading Major Appliances
Buttoning Up Your House
Making Your Daily Living More Energy Efficient
At home
On the road
At work
Going Vegetarian or Vegan (Sort of)
Reducing Food Waste
Supporting Clean, Renewable Energy
Being a Smart Investor and Encouraging Smart Disinvestment
Getting (or Making) a Green Collar Job
Helping To Make Change Where You Live
Spreading the Word
Chapter 19: Ten (Plus Three) Inspiring Leaders in the Fight
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Angela Merkel
Mia Amor Mottley
Bill McKibben
George Monbiot
Sheila Watt-Cloutier
Elizabeth Wathuti
Greta Thunberg
Michael Mann
Katharine Hayhoe
James Hansen
Bill Gates
Nandita Bakhshi
Chapter 20: Top Ten Myths about Climate Change Debunked
Knowing That a Debate Doesn’t Exist among Scientists
Recognizing That Human Activity Has Caused Current Global Warming
Looking into the Danger of Increased Carbon Dioxide Concentrations
Discovering the Truth about Sunspots
Understanding That Scientists Don’t Exaggerate to Get More Funding
Grasping the Misconceptions about the Science of Global Warming
Thinking It’s All Your Fault
Considering You Can’t Do Anything about It
Pinning the Blame on Developing Countries Isn’t Realistic
Living with Climate Change — and Doing Something about It
Chapter 21: Ten (Plus One) Online Climate Change Resources
National Geographic
Three Other Kid-Friendly Sites
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Climate Analysis Indicators Tool
Canada’s Environment and Climate Change
The U.K.’s Climate Challenge
Environmental Protection Agency
The International Energy Agency
Gateway to the UN System’s Work on Climate Change
Index
EULA
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