Acknowledgments xiii
Global Perspective---Thinking about the Earth
1 (6)
PART ONE WHAT WE KNOW AND HOW WE KNOW IT
Taking the Earth's Temperature
7 (26)
Global Temperature Measurement---The Basics
8 (2)
How Is the Earth's Temperature Changing?
10 (5)
Going Back in Time---The Next Best Thing to Having a Thermometer
15 (7)
Different Places, Different Temperature Changes
22 (5)
What the Data Are Telling Us
27 (1)
Cause and Effect
28 (1)
Key Ideas
28 (1)
Review Questions
29 (4)
Signs of Global Warming
33 (36)
Direct and Indirect Evidence
33 (1)
The Oceans
34 (7)
Melting Ice and Snow
41 (14)
Impact on Wildlife---Some Examples
55 (2)
Wacky Weather
57 (6)
Key Ideas
63 (1)
Review Questions
64 (5)
PART TWO WHY CLIMATE CHANGES
The Earth's Thermostat---Keeping the Earth Warm
69 (38)
The Earth's Orbit
70 (1)
How the Sun Warms the Earth
71 (19)
Natural Climate Cycles
90 (11)
Distribution of Heat around the Earth---Thermohaline Circulation and the Gulf Stream
101 (2)
Key Points
103 (1)
Review Questions
104 (3)
Greenhouse Chemistry
107 (20)
Gases in the Atmosphere
108 (1)
Generating Carbon Dioxide
108 (3)
Absorption of Light by Gases in the Atmosphere
111 (3)
Trace Gases with a Major Potential Impact
114 (2)
Carbon Sinks
116 (1)
Comparison of Fuels
117 (3)
The Effect of Increasing Concentration
120 (1)
Isotopes---Determining How Old Something Is
121 (2)
Key Ideas
123 (1)
Review Questions
124 (3)
Origin and Impact of Greenhouse Gases
127 (24)
What People Add to Nature's Greenhouse
128 (7)
How Do We Know Where the Greenhouse Gases Come From? Human Fingerprints versus Nature's Pawprints
135 (2)
How the Greenhouse Gases Affect the Atmosphere
137 (4)
Where the Human-Added Greenhouse Gases Come From
141 (3)
World Energy Use
144 (2)
Defining the Problem---Key Ideas
146 (1)
Review Questions
147 (4)
PART THREE WHAT WE CAN EXPECT AND WHAT WE CAN DO
Consequences of Global Warming
151 (34)
Climate Models
151 (6)
How Much and How Soon Will Climate Change?
157 (8)
Impacts of Climate Change
165 (2)
Regional Climate Changes
167 (3)
Back to the Future---Will the Past Repeat Itself?
170 (3)
Results of Climate Models---Levels of Certainty
173 (7)
Key Ideas
180 (1)
Review Questions
181 (4)
Resetting the Earth's Thermostat---Solutions
185 (46)
Electrical Power: The Problem with Coal
186 (17)
Transportation---The Problem with Oil
203 (7)
Steps Toward a Solution
210 (2)
Stepping Up to the Plate---Taking Action
212 (6)
Emissions Trading---Cap and Trade
218 (1)
Turing Your Money ``Green''
219 (1)
Adaptation---Global Band-Aids
219 (1)
So Crazy It Just Might Work
220 (3)
What You Can Do---Individual Actions
223 (2)
Final Thoughts
225 (1)
Key Ideas
226 (1)
Review Questions
227 (4)
Final Exam 231 (16)
Appendix A Glossary 247 (4)
Appendix B Milestones in the History of Climate Change 251 (4)
Appendix C Satellites That Monitor Weather and Climate 255 (4)
Appendix D Units of Measurement Applied to Climate Change 259 (1)
Temperature Units 260 (1)
Measurement of Wavelength 260 (1)
Energy and Power 260 (1)
Examples of the Use of Prefixes 261 (2)
Appendix E Selected Resources 263 (1)
Publications 263 (1)
Web Sites 263 (2)
Appendix F Summary of Key Climate Variables 265 (4)
Appendix G Lingering Doubts and Concerns 269 (4)
Appendix H Answers to Chapter Review Questions 273 (2)
Appendix I Answers to Final Exam 275 (2)
Index 277