Details

Climate Change For Dummies


Climate Change For Dummies


1. Aufl.

von: Elizabeth May, John Kidder

16,99 €

Verlag: Wiley
Format: EPUB
Veröffentl.: 31.03.2022
ISBN/EAN: 9781119703129
Sprache: englisch
Anzahl Seiten: 384

DRM-geschütztes eBook, Sie benötigen z.B. Adobe Digital Editions und eine Adobe ID zum Lesen.

Beschreibungen

<p><b>Get clear about why climate change is so complicated and discover how you can help reverse it</b></p> <p>More and more frequent extreme weather events occur each year, and planet Earth is in danger of developing more climates where life — whether animal, vegetable, or human — is unsustainable. <i>Climate Change For Dummies</i> explains how rising temperatures, shrinking lakes, rising oceans, and shifting weather patterns affect your life on a daily basis. And of course the book goes a step further and offers suggestions about how you can take steps to limit your impact on the environment and help to reverse climate change.</p> <p>This straightforward guide demystifies the impact of climate’s No. 1 enemy — carbon dioxide — and breaks down the many sources of this damaging but inescapable gas. From there, the book reveals how rising CO<sub>2 </sub>levels affect the weather, water levels, plant and animal species around the world, the food you eat, and your health. But the situation isn’t hopeless! <i>Climate Change For Dummies</i> outlines actions governments, industries, and you can take to fight global warming and turn the tide to live in a cooler world. Discover details about</p> <p>              * Short- and long-term effects of climate change</p> <p>              * How some actions contribute to climate change and others reduce it</p> <p>              * The many options for renewable energy and the pros and cons of nuclear energy</p> <p>              * Actions nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are taking to draw attention to the climate crisis</p> <p>              * The debate around whether climate change even needs to be addressed</p> <p>Climate change won’t be easy to overcome, but when you’re armed with the facts, you can do your best to make a difference. Let <i>Climate Change For Dummies </i>point you in the right direction.</p>
<p><b>Introduction 1</b></p> <p>About This Book 1</p> <p>Foolish Assumptions 2</p> <p>Icons Used in This Book 3</p> <p>Beyond This Book 3</p> <p>Where to Go from Here 4</p> <p><b>Part 1: Understanding Climate Change 5</b></p> <p><b>Chapter 1: Covering the Basics of Climate Change 7</b></p> <p>Getting a Basic Overview — Global Warming 101 8</p> <p>Heating things up with GHGs 8</p> <p>Investigating other causes of global warming 9</p> <p>Tapping into The Roots of Global Warming 12</p> <p>Fueling global warming 12</p> <p>Heating up over deforestation 13</p> <p>Examining the Effects of Global Warming around the World 13</p> <p>The United States and Canada 14</p> <p>Latin America 16</p> <p>Europe 17</p> <p>Africa 18</p> <p>Asia 18</p> <p>Australia and New Zealand 19</p> <p>Small islands 20</p> <p>Polar regions 20</p> <p>Positive Politics: Governments and Global Warming 22</p> <p>Making a difference from city hall to the nation’s capital 22</p> <p>Working with a global government 23</p> <p>Helping developing countries 23</p> <p>Solving the Problem 24</p> <p>Changing to alternative energies 24</p> <p>Getting down to business 25</p> <p>Making it personal 26</p> <p><b>Chapter 2: Looking Closely at Greenhouse Earth 27</b></p> <p>Examining Greenhouse Effect 101 28</p> <p>Focusing On Carbon Dioxide: Leader of the Pack 30</p> <p>Looking at the carbon cycle 31</p> <p>Investigating humanity’s impact on the carbon cycle 36</p> <p>Checking Out the Other GHGs 39</p> <p>Methane (CH4) 40</p> <p>Nitrous oxide (N2O) 42</p> <p>Hexafluoro-what? 42</p> <p>Other players on the GHG bench 43</p> <p><b>Chapter 3: Recognizing the Big Deal about Carbon 47</b></p> <p>Considering Other Causes of Global Warming 48</p> <p>Solar cycles — Irradiance and Milankovitch 49</p> <p>Cloud cover 49</p> <p>Long-term climate trends 50</p> <p>Making the Case for Carbon 51</p> <p>Geologic and prehistoric evidence 52</p> <p>Modeling and forecasting 53</p> <p>A few degrees is a lot 55</p> <p>Going, going, gone The tipping point 56</p> <p>Eyeballing the Consequences of Continued Carbon Dioxide Increases 57</p> <p>What happens when the mercury rises 58</p> <p>Cutting back on carbon 58</p> <p><b>Part 2: Tracking Down the Causes 61</b></p> <p><b>Chapter 4: Living in the Dark Ages of Fossil Fuels 63</b></p> <p>From Fossils to Fuel — How Fossil Fuels Came to Be 64</p> <p>Examining the Different Types of Fossil Fuels 66</p> <p>Coal 67</p> <p>Oil 68</p> <p>Natural gas 71</p> <p>Fueling Civilization’s Growth: Adding to the Greenhouse Effect 73</p> <p>A growing world population’s impact 73</p> <p>Growing economies also play a role 74</p> <p><b>Chapter 5: Getting Right to the Source: The Big Emitters 77</b></p> <p>Power to the People: Energy Use 77</p> <p>Producing electricity 78</p> <p>Using up energy in buildings 79</p> <p>Powering industry 81</p> <p>The Road to Ruin: Transportation and GHGs 84</p> <p>Cheap goods at a high price to the climate 85</p> <p>Keep on truckin’ 85</p> <p>Draining the Carbon Sinks: Land Use 87</p> <p>Timber! Deforestation 87</p> <p>Down on the farm: Agriculture and livestock 88</p> <p><b>Chapter 6: Taking It Personally: Individual Sources of Emissions 91</b></p> <p>Driving Up Emissions: Transportation and GHGs 92</p> <p>Driving 93</p> <p>Flying 94</p> <p>Using Energy around the House 95</p> <p>Controlling the climate in your home 96</p> <p>Operating electric appliances 98</p> <p>You Are What You Eat: Food and Carbon 99</p> <p>Wasting Away 99</p> <p><b>Part 3: Examining the Effects of Climate Change 101</b></p> <p><b>Chapter 7: Focusing on Not-So-Natural Disasters 103</b></p> <p>H2 Oh No: Watery Disasters 104</p> <p>Rising sea levels 104</p> <p>Melting mountain glaciers 106</p> <p>Putting a brake on the Gulf Stream 109</p> <p>Rainfall (or lack thereof) 111</p> <p>Flooding 111</p> <p>Freshwater contamination 113</p> <p>Stormy Weather: More Intense Storms and Hurricanes 113</p> <p>Forest Fires and Wildfires: Trees and Grasses as Fuel 114</p> <p>Considering the costs 115</p> <p>Recognizing how they start and how to prevent them 115</p> <p>Turning Up the Heat 116</p> <p>Examining the Negative Side Effects of Positive Feedback Loops 117</p> <p><b>Chapter 8: Risking Flora and Fauna: Impacts on Plants and Animals 121</b></p> <p>Understanding the Stresses on Ecosystems 122</p> <p>Ecosystems can adapt to some climate change 122</p> <p>Some species have limitations for adapting 123</p> <p>Warming the World’s Waters: Threats to the Underwater World 124</p> <p>Under the sea 125</p> <p>Lakes, rivers, wetlands, and bogs 129</p> <p>Risking Earth’s Forests 130</p> <p>Tropical 131</p> <p>Boreal 131</p> <p>Preparing for Mass Extinctions 133</p> <p>Life’s no beach: Endangered tropical species 134</p> <p>Thin ice: Polar bears and other polar animals 135</p> <p><b>Chapter 9: Hitting Home: Global Warming’s Direct Effect on People 137</b></p> <p>Focusing on the Health Scare — Outbreaks and Diseases 138</p> <p>Dengue fever 139</p> <p>Lyme disease 140</p> <p>Other diseases and problems worsened by global warming 140</p> <p>Putting Pressure on the Fields 143</p> <p>Affecting farmers 143</p> <p>Hurting the global food supply 144</p> <p>Paying the Price for Global Warming 145</p> <p>Highways, waterworks, and the other stuff humans build 146</p> <p>An unfair split: Costs to the industrialized and developing nations 147</p> <p>Feeling the Heat First: Unequal Effects 149</p> <p>Northern Hemisphere communities 150</p> <p>People in poverty 152</p> <p>Women (and children) 152</p> <p><b>Part 4: Political Progress: Fighting Global Warming Nationally and Internationally 155</b></p> <p><b>Chapter 10: Voting for Your Future: What Governments Can Do 157</b></p> <p>If They Had a Million Dollars (Wait — They Do! —Funding Measures 159</p> <p>Creating incentives 160</p> <p>Planning for emissions trading 161</p> <p>Putting Programs into Place 164</p> <p>Research 164</p> <p>Education and awareness 165</p> <p>Adaptation 166</p> <p>Cleaning Up Transportation 171</p> <p>Bringing back the bike 171</p> <p>Investing in public transportation 172</p> <p>Greening cars 172</p> <p>Dealing with personal vehicles 173</p> <p>Redefining Long-Term Investments 174</p> <p>Considering the lack of progress 175</p> <p>Focusing on the good news 175</p> <p>Recognizing the countries leading the way 176</p> <p>Laying Down the Law 178</p> <p>Improving building regulations 178</p> <p>Regulating energy use 179</p> <p>Taxing the polluters 180</p> <p>Identifying Some Success Stories 182</p> <p>Cities and towns 182</p> <p>States, provinces, and territories 183</p> <p>Countries 185</p> <p><b>Chapter 11: Beyond Borders: Progress on a Global Level 187</b></p> <p>Understanding Why Global Agreements Are Important 188</p> <p>Examining the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change 189</p> <p>Recognizing what the Convention does 190</p> <p>Establishing a game plan 191</p> <p>Dividing up the parties 192</p> <p>Looking At the Paris Agreement 193</p> <p>Setting targets 193</p> <p>Adding flexibility 196</p> <p>Ratifying climate pacts 197</p> <p>Introducing the World’s Authority on Global Warming: The IPCC 198</p> <p>Getting to know the IPCC 199</p> <p>Reading the reports 199</p> <p><b>Chapter 12: Developing in the Face of Climate Change 201</b></p> <p>Identifying Challenges Faced by Developed and Developing Nations 202</p> <p>Promising Developments: Looking at Progress in China, Brazil, and India 204</p> <p>China 205</p> <p>Brazil 208</p> <p>India 211</p> <p>Choosing Sustainable Development 213</p> <p>Understanding what sustainable development is 213</p> <p>Expressing what developing countries can do 214</p> <p>How industrialized countries can help 216</p> <p><b>Part 5: Solving the Problem 221</b></p> <p><b>Chapter 13: Powering the World — Renewable Green Energy 223</b></p> <p>Addressing Energy Demand 224</p> <p>Being more efficient 224</p> <p>Combining heat and power 226</p> <p>Changing How to Handle Fossil Fuel’s Emissions 227</p> <p>Capturing and storing carbon dioxide 228</p> <p>Considering carbon capture cons 230</p> <p>Reducing Energy Demand 231</p> <p>Investigating Renewable Energy Options 232</p> <p>Blowin’ in the wind 233</p> <p>Here comes the sun 235</p> <p>Heat from the ground up 238</p> <p>Hydropower 239</p> <p>Ocean power 240</p> <p>From plants to energy 241</p> <p>Nothing wasted 242</p> <p>Exploring Another Nonrenewable Energy Source: Nuclear Power 245</p> <p>Understanding nuclear power 245</p> <p>Looking at the positives 246</p> <p>Weighing the negatives 246</p> <p><b>Chapter 14: Show Me the Money: Business and Industrial Solutions 249</b></p> <p>Processing and Manufacturing Efficiently 250</p> <p>Taking steps to conserve energy 251</p> <p>Using energy efficiently 252</p> <p>Considering individual industries 253</p> <p>Trading Carbon between Manufacturers — The Carbon Market 254</p> <p>Constructing Greener Buildings 256</p> <p>Cutting back on heating and cooling 256</p> <p>Exploring energy alternatives 257</p> <p>Certifying new buildings 257</p> <p>Identifying Corporate Success Stories 258</p> <p>Recognizing Corporate Nonsuccess Stories 259</p> <p>Focusing on Support from the Professional Service Sector 261</p> <p>Banking on the environment 261</p> <p>Stranding assets and liabilities 262</p> <p>Insuring against climate change 263</p> <p>Making it legal 264</p> <p>Looking At Farming and Forestry 264</p> <p>Supplying biofuels 265</p> <p>Improving land management 265</p> <p>Reducing rice farms’ emissions 268</p> <p><b>Chapter 15: Activists without Borders: Nongovernmental Organizations 271</b></p> <p>Understanding What NGOs Do 272</p> <p>Educating people 272</p> <p>Keeping watch 273</p> <p>Getting the word out 274</p> <p>Working with industry and government 275</p> <p>Meeting This Generation 278</p> <p>The importance of youth 279</p> <p>Groups that speak up 279</p> <p>Getting Involved 280</p> <p>Seeking out groups 280</p> <p>Helping out 281</p> <p><b>Chapter 16: Lights, Camera, Action: The Media and Climate Change 285</b></p> <p>Growing News Coverage 285</p> <p>Bias and balance: Distorting the story 286</p> <p>Consider the source: Being an informed media consumer 286</p> <p>Focusing on Science on the Red Carpet 288</p> <p>Movies: Facts and (science) fiction 288</p> <p>For the kids (and adults, too) 291</p> <p>Following the stars 292</p> <p>Worldwide Warming: Climate Change Blogs 293</p> <p>Bestselling Books: Reading between the Lines 294</p> <p>True stories 294</p> <p>Fiction and fairytales 296</p> <p><b>Chapter 17: Figuring Out How to Change before Global Warming Is Unstoppable 297</b></p> <p>Asking Tough Questions 297</p> <p>Making the Changes in Limited Time 298</p> <p>Staying within the carbon budget: Is it possible? 299</p> <p>Getting to net zero — Is it possible? 300</p> <p>Staying below “1.5 to stay alive” — Is it possible? 300</p> <p>Addressing What Needs to be Done 301</p> <p>Forecasting a path to 1.5 degrees 301</p> <p>Understanding Disruption 303</p> <p>Predicting what disruption of fossil fuels looks like 303</p> <p>Recognizing the cost of disruption 304</p> <p>Considering other benefits to disruption 306</p> <p>Ending the Dominance of Fossil Fuels as Humanity’s Main Source of Energy 308</p> <p>Changing the ways humans use energy and power to get things done 308</p> <p>Changing what political leaders see the best interests of humanity 309</p> <p>Understanding How Disruption Can Be Accelerated 311</p> <p>Getting There from Here: A Conversation among Citizens 312</p> <p><b>Part 6: The Part of Tens 315</b></p> <p><b>Chapter 18: Ten (Plus One) Things You Can Do to Fight Climate Change 317</b></p> <p>Greening Your Car 318</p> <p>Upgrading Major Appliances 319</p> <p>Buttoning Up Your House 319</p> <p>Making Your Daily Living More Energy Efficient 319</p> <p>At home 320</p> <p>On the road 320</p> <p>At work 321</p> <p>Going Vegetarian or Vegan (Sort of) 322</p> <p>Reducing Food Waste 322</p> <p>Supporting Clean, Renewable Energy 323</p> <p>Being a Smart Investor and Encouraging Smart Disinvestment 324</p> <p>Getting (or Making) a Green Collar Job 324</p> <p>Helping To Make Change Where You Live 326</p> <p>Spreading the Word 327</p> <p><b>Chapter 19: Ten (Plus Three) Inspiring Leaders in the Fight 329</b></p> <p>Arnold Schwarzenegger 330</p> <p>Angela Merkel 330</p> <p>Mia Amor Mottley 331</p> <p>Bill McKibben 331</p> <p>George Monbiot 331</p> <p>Sheila Watt-Cloutier 332</p> <p>Elizabeth Wathuti 332</p> <p>Greta Thunberg 333</p> <p>Michael Mann 333</p> <p>Katharine Hayhoe 334</p> <p>James Hansen 334</p> <p>Bill Gates 335</p> <p>Nandita Bakhshi 335</p> <p><b>Chapter 20: Top Ten Myths about Climate Change Debunked 337</b></p> <p>Knowing That a Debate Doesn’t Exist among Scientists 338</p> <p>Recognizing That Human Activity Has Caused Current Global Warming 339</p> <p>Looking into the Danger of Increased Carbon Dioxide Concentrations 340</p> <p>Discovering the Truth about Sunspots 340</p> <p>Understanding That Scientists Don’t Exaggerate to Get More Funding 341</p> <p>Grasping the Misconceptions about the Science of Global Warming 341</p> <p>Thinking It’s All Your Fault 342</p> <p>Considering You Can’t Do Anything about It 343</p> <p>Pinning the Blame on Developing Countries Isn’t Realistic 343</p> <p>Living with Climate Change — and Doing Something about It 344</p> <p><b>Chapter 21: Ten (Plus One) Online Climate Change Resources 345</b></p> <p>National Geographic 346</p> <p>Three Other Kid-Friendly Sites 346</p> <p>Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 347</p> <p>Climate Analysis Indicators Tool 347</p> <p>Canada’s Environment and Climate Change 347</p> <p>The U.K.’s Climate Challenge 348</p> <p>Environmental Protection Agency 348</p> <p>The International Energy Agency 349</p> <p>Gateway to the UN System’s Work on Climate Change 350</p> <p>Index 351</p>
<p><b>Elizabeth May</b> is the former leader of the Green Party of Canada. She founded and served as the Executive Director of the Sierra Club Canada from 1989 to 2006. May has been the Member of Parliament in Canada since May 2011.</p> <p><B>John Kidder</b> was a founding member of the Green Party in British Columbia. He has been a cowboy, miner, fisher, range management specialist, technology entrepreneur, small farmer, and governance practitioner since then. <p>The authors married on Earth Day 2019.
<p><b>The lowdown on the climate’s dire condition</b></p> <p>The planet is warming—this we know. What will a warmer Earth mean for each of us? <i>Climate Change For Dummies</i> demystifies what you need to know about the science behind climate change and shows you in plain English what’s happening on Earth. You’ll investigate the causes of the climatic shift, including how we human-folk are altering Earth’s atmosphere. Best of all, you’ll explore how you can help with the solution. Discover how the sun, wind, earth, and ocean can provide clean sources of energy. And more! <p><b>Inside…</B> <ul><b><li>Get the lowdown on carbon</li> <li>Grasp the effect of greenhouse gases</li> <li>Make sense of political debates</li> <li>Look at industry’s role</li> <li>Explore renewable energy sources</li> <li>Identify solutions to the crisis</li></b></ul>

Diese Produkte könnten Sie auch interessieren:

Chemie in Lebensmitteln
Chemie in Lebensmitteln
von: Johannes Friedrich Diehl
PDF ebook
61,99 €
Lebensmittelführer
Lebensmittelführer
von: Günter Vollmer, Gunter Josst, Dieter Schenker, Wolfgang Sturm, Norbert Vreden
PDF ebook
16,99 €
Lebensmittelführer
Lebensmittelführer
von: Günter Vollmer, Gunter Josst, Dieter Schenker, Wolfgang Sturm, Norbert Vreden
PDF ebook
16,99 €