The Rough Guide to Climate Change, 2nd Edition
The Rough Guide to Climate Change, 2nd Edition – Review
Robert Henson’s “Rough Guide to Climate Change” is a page-turner. The book is a complete overview of global warming, written so it’s clear and equally fascinating for readers not trained in science. Henson begins with an indication of the cataclysmic changes previously happening to our only planet. Then he goes into detail on the signs of the problem, which include intense heat, like the unique heat wave that nearly killed 50,000 people in Europe in the summer of 2003. Symptoms also include floods, droughts, melting glaciers, changes in ocean temperatures and currents that change the weather, stronger hurricanes, and more. He doesn’t simplify the argument of causes, attributing everything to human-caused global warming, but presents scientists’ study of greatly contributing factors and the chronological records. At the same time, the developing story has the lure of a Hollywood science-fiction/horror screenplay. “Climate Change” explains how scientists measure these changes and what types of records they keep and consult, and how conclusions are drawn. Henson illustrates the global warming debate, and examines political and technical solutions. And finally he tells the readers what they can do to respond to this rapidly growing worldwide crisis. This book is the originally assigned text for a course I’m now taking on global warming at the University of Montana, taught by Dr. Steve Running, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.