The global warming reader A century of writing about climate change

Noted environmentalist/writer McKibben is founder of 350.org , an organization that advocates reduction of atmospheric CO^D[2 levels to 350 parts per million (PPM); CO^D[2 levels are already around 390 PPM. This advocacy is based on several premises: greenhouse gases (GHG) warm the planet (physics fact, known since the 19th century); the burning of fossil fuels increases GHG (undeniable); and the resulting changes if GHG accumulation is uncontrolled will be catastrophic (plausible). In The Global Warming Reader, McKibben has selected 36 contributions that support the above premises, and divided the writings into three parts, "Science," "Politics," and "Impact." The only contributions from climate change skeptics are those of Senator James Inhofe (Republican, Oklahoma) and novelist Michael Crichton--who are not scientists. This reflects the documented difficulty of finding the rare credible scientist-skeptic who is not partially or wholly funded by the fossil fuel industries or conservative think tanks. These contributions give the reader an idea of the causes and effects of GHG-mediated climate change and the difficulties facing the human race in responding to those challenges. The book includes references for documentation and further exploration of the topic. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through professionals; general readers. M. K. Cleaveland University of Arkansas at Fayetteville