Revised and updated edition
Scientists have been warning the world about global warming for almost
three decades. But the rest of us are only now starting to get the
message. The planet is warming at an unusually rapid rate, and this
warming is largely being caused by human activity. Shrinking glaciers,
thawing permafrost, erratic weather and threatened freshwater supplies
are already affecting the lives of people around the globe, and the
worst is yet to come.
The crisis is real, but there is little consensus about how to confront
the problem, not only because the science is complex, but because the
economic, political and social implications of taking action are vast,
far-reaching and unsettling. And despite the urgency, climate change
deniers seem to be more vocal than ever.
This revised and updated edition includes the most recent scientific
findings while addressing the main issues. What is happening, and how
did we get here? What is the basic science behind climate change? What
is going to happen in the future? And, most important, why is it so hard
for us to accept what is going on, and what can we do about it?
Charts, maps, a glossary, an index and suggestions for further reading
accompany the text.