Climate change : briefings from Southern Africa / Bob Scholes, Mary Scholes and Mike Lucas.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Scholes, R. J., author.

Scholes, Mary, author.

Lucas, Mike, author.

Contributor:

ebrary, Inc.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Climatic changes--Africa, Southern.

Climatic changes.

Climatic changes--Social aspects--Africa, Southern.

Climatic changes--Social aspects.

Southern Africa.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xiv, 199 pages) : illustrations (some colour), colour maps

Place of Publication:

Johannesburg : Wits University Press, 2015.

System Details:

text file

Contents:

Foreword by Minister Pandor; General introduction: How do governments assess climate change? Earth system science

The processes that underlie climate change; Introduction; Why is Earth habitable?; How do greenhouse gases regulate Earth's temperature?; Is water vapour the most important greenhouse gas?; Why are clouds the wild card in climate change?; Isn't climate change just part of a long-term natural cycle?; Are climate variations just due to volcanoes or other Earth processes?; How do El Nino and La Nina events affect South African weather?; How hot might it get in South Africa this century? How might the rainfall in southern Africa change in the 21st century?; Are extreme weather events related to climate change?; How do land-use changes and deforestation add to global warming?; What is South Africa's contribution to global warming?; What happens to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions?; Can ecosystems keep sucking up carbon dioxide (CO2) from fossil-fuel burning?; Could ocean currents slow down or change direction?; Is there any chance of runaway global warming?; Consequences of a changing climate for the southern African environment; Introduction; Maps: South African biomes, oceans; How resilient are ecosystems to climate change?; How will South Africa's plants respond to climate change?; Could rising carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations boost plant growth?; Is bush encroachment caused by global change?; Will South Africa's land animals cope with climate change?; Are South Africa's birds taking flight?; Will South Africa run out of water?; How will climate change affect freshwater systems?; How much, and how fast, will sea level rise?; What is ocean acidification?; How will ocean acidification affect marine organisms?; How is climate change affecting South Africa's coastal seas?; How is our marine life responding to climate change?; Will coral reefs survive climate change?; How are Antarctica and the Southern ocean responding to climate change?; Climate change at South Africa's Prince Edward islands; Consequences of a changing climate for society; Introduction; Is the South African economy vulnerable to climate change?; How will climate change affect agriculture?; Will there be enough food to eat?; Do cow-farts really cause global warming?; How will forestry in South Africa respond to climate change?; How will climate change affect marine fisheries and aquaculture?; What are the human costs of climate variability?; How do climate and air pollution affect human health?; Is climate change accelerating the spread of malaria in South Africa?; Should South Africans worry about rising sea levels?; What can we do to avoid and adapt to climate change?; Introduction; Is it cheaper to tolerate climate change or prevent it?; Is carbon trading desirable or useful?; Is it possible to take carbon dioxide (CO2) back out of the atmosphere?; Could ocean fertilization fix climate change?; Could we reduce incoming solar radiation?; Are there viable alternatives to coal for South Africa?; Can nuclear power provide the clean energy we need?; Can we harness the sea's energy?; Can we turn garbage into energy?; Do biofuels offer a solution?; Could spekboom save our bacon?; Can we help plants and animals adapt to climate change?; Can we build climate-friendly houses and cities?; How can I reduce my carbon footprint?; Codicil: Is there a dangerous level of climate change?

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 190-193) and index.

Electronic reproduction. Palo Alto, Calif. Available via World Wide Web.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781868149230

1868149234

Publisher Number:

99969135758

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.