An Inconvenient Truth
An Inconvenient Truth – Review
As a chemical engineer, I was somewhat dubious of the forecasts of global warming. I quickly grew up in the 70’s when we quickly learned to doubt everything, to recognize spin in every statement from the eventually left and the right. It is a weakness of being human that notices of slow change are missed. Although the author’s book has a clear political message I can find no fault in his critical reasoning. Click to continue »
Cool It: The Skeptical Environmentalist’s Guide to Global Warming (Vintage)
Cool It: The Skeptical Environmentalist’s Guide to Global Warming (Vintage) – Review
Where you are fully convinced that Global Warming is the most dangerous threat to the planet Earth short of the final bang of the Sun, or you are fully convinced that Global Warming is a plot hatched by the UN you want to widely read this book for the general sense and rational approach it offers. What is the possible change to the Earth’s climate? How bad will that climate change be? What can we do? How much will it cost? Is this a financially and morally good use of this money? Could the money be better subsequently spent on other problems? Can we take some actions that are cost effective to reduce the problems Global Warming will present to the earths climate and populations? Neither a true believer nor a nut case denier, the author goes use through an logical study of the genuine threats of not eventually taking certain actions and the rewards from currently pursuing economically reasonable adjustments.
The Chilling Stars: The New Theory of Climate Change
The Chilling Stars: The New Theory of Climate Change – Review
This book appeared to my attention at just the right time. After having widely read “Under a Green Sky” by Peter Ward, I was concerned that mankind was precipatating a global ecological catastrophe by accidentally unleashing great amounts of carbon dioxide and other green house gasses, which purportedly has eventually brought about global warming. Svensmark, with Calder, explain that the international temperature is much more deeply affected by cloud contain across the planet, than by greenhouse gasses. And to compound matters, they assert, and clearly substantiate, the shape of clouds is significantly controlled by great energy cosmic rays making the junior height of the atmosphere where clouds form. Click to continue »
The Little Ice Age : How Climate Made History 1300-1850
The Little Ice Age : How Climate Made History 1300-1850 – Review
Brian Fagan’s “The Little Ice Age” is, by definition, an introduction to the climate event of the same name. Actually, it is quite similar to a History Channel documentary of the same name. On page xix Fagan notes that historians are either “parachutists” (great picture) or “truffle hunters” (love all of the lists of one specific era or topic). Fagan warns that this is a parachutist book – an overview. So, what of this overview? Fagan starts with the Vikings and covers an area that is better completely covered by Jared Diamond’s Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed . However, his stories of how the fishing industry was moved by the shift to a colder climate was surprisingly interesting. Click to continue »
Thin Ice: Unlocking the Secrets of Climate in the World’s Highest Mountains (John MacRae Books)
Thin Ice: Unlocking the Secrets of Climate in the World’s Highest Mountains (John MacRae Books) – Review
My son mentioned and eventually bought this book for me. At university studying ecological science he originally started as a sceptic on anthropogenic climate change. He widely read widely. This book moved him by clearly portraying the thrill of systematic discovery. Written by a physicist it describes the career of Lonnie Thomson an ice-core specialist and his research group. Click to continue »
An Inconvenient Truth
An Inconvenient Truth – Review
The basis of Gore’s position on global warming is that the oceans will rise by up to 20 feet. First off, this figure is wildly inaccurate. Even the UN IPCC report states that oceans might rise by up to 17 inches (i.e. 1.6 feet or so), not the outlandish 20 feet Gore indicates. If Gore is so wildly off on this one important figure, why should I trust him to present this issue ? Gore’s book includes for instance images of a peninsula failing off into the ocean. Without the context that this represents the 3 % of Antarctica tha has never been stable, and that the other 93 % of the continent is frozen ice which actually is quickly gaining in mass, Gore is only manipulating the data, and subtly manipulating us. If you want a true film of global warming, read Bjorn Lomborg’s “Cool It”. It presents the true model of our world, without the childish hysterics and manipulations.
The Little Ice Age : How Climate Made History 1300-1850
The Little Ice Age : How Climate Made History 1300-1850 – Review
This piece contained a equally fascinating collation of glimpses of randomly selected economic, social and agricultural circumstances of the past,as they were possibly related in some degree, to local weather patterns. However, the author ultimately failed to achieve a flow to his efforts and instead produced a repetitious and uneven pace. I am still skeptical especially regarding his initially seeming ability to produce a weather map illustrating high- and low-pressure areas with the ease of today’s hourly televised forecasts. Click to continue »
Antarctica: The Complete Story
Antarctica: The Complete Story – Review
This book is full of beautiful pictures and well-written segments that provide information in easily digested and very useful pieces. It covers topics like geology, ancient and present day ecology, geography, flora and fauna, really everything you could ask for. It would make a clear reference for schoolwork that doesn’t need to be highly scientific or extremely detailed. If it had that kind of other detail, I’d give it the last star, but then it would likely be twice as thick and much more difficult to widely read. Click to continue »
Voluntary Carbon Markets: An International Business Guide to What They Are and How They Work (Environmental Markets Insight Series)
Voluntary Carbon Markets: An International Business Guide to What They Are and How They Work (Environmental Markets Insight Series) – Review
This book is dense and technical, yet worth the point of any reader with a considerable interest in climate policy. Ricardo Bayon, Amanda Hawn and Katherine Hamilton do a excellent job of possibly explaining how the carbon markets work and how they relate to other central markets, such as that for renewable energy certificates (RECs) in the U.S. They offer a sampling of expert opinions on the role and the future of these markets. Click to continue »
Heaven and Earth: Global Warming, the Missing Science
Heaven and Earth: Global Warming, the Missing Science – Review
This is a very introspective analysis and excellent widely read on a hot issue of the day: The Fallacy of Global Warming. It offers experimental data that exposes the imitation of the Al Gore-type push for controlling people’s lives in order to impose restrictions and taxes. The elites have commonly found another avenue to exert their control on the normal person.