Beyond the Forecast : The Science, Impact, and Opportunity of Our Climate Crisis / Alisha S. Chandran.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Chandran, Alisha S., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Climatic changes.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (247 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Bradford : Ethics International Press Limited, 2024.

Summary:

'Beyond the Forecast' explores climate change and sustainability in a way that aims to bridge the gap between academic research and public discourse. This insightful new book delves into the scientific underpinnings of climate change, offering a detailed examination of its causes, impacts, and the urgent need for comprehensive solutions. It navigates through the complexities of climate science, presenting research and solutions that underscore the potential for transformative action across global and local scales. A particular feature is the focus on community initiatives and individual action in driving sustainable change. This means that the author is able to present engaging, and actionable, initiatives. This book's aim is to both educate and empower, offering a compelling call to action for all who wish to contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future.

Contents:

Intro

Table of Figures

Introduction: Why Climate Change is Already Knocking on Your Door

The Bigger Picture: Why This Matters Now

The Science of the Crisis: How We Got Here

Balancing Wit with Sobriety: The Gravity of the Crisis

Why This Book is Different

A Call to Action: You Can Be Part of the Solution

What's Coming Next

Chapter 1 The History of Climate Science - From Curiosity to Crisis

A Chilly Start: Early Theories and Discoveries

The CO2 Discovery: Thanks to a Jar and the Sun

The Industrial Revolution's Smoky Impact

Keeling's Curve: The Graph that Changed Everything

Skepticism and Breakthroughs: A Long Road to Acceptance

The Rise of Climate Models

Where Are We Now?

Foreshadowing the Future: What's Next?

Chapter 2 Earth's Atmosphere - The Foundation of Climate

The Atmosphere: Layered Like a Cake, Only Less Delicious

Solar Radiation and Earth's Energy Balance: Let the Sunshine In (But Not Too Much)

The Albedo Effect: Earth's Natural Mirror

Atmospheric Circulation: The Earth's Climate Conveyor Belt

Paleoclimatology: Learning from the Past to Understand the Future

Anthropogenic Impact: Humans, the New Climate Engineers

A Delicate Balancing Act on the Edge

Chapter 3 The Greenhouse Effect - How We're Turning Up the Heat

The Natural Greenhouse Effect: Earth's Perfect (and Fragile) Blanket

The Human-Enhanced Greenhouse Effect: Turning Up the Thermostat

Radiative Forcing and Climate Change: The Energy Tug-of-War

Feedback Loops: Warming on Overdrive

From Goldilocks to "Too Hot to Handle

Chapter 4 Earth's Energy Imbalance - How the Climate System is Disrupted

Understanding Earth's Energy Budget: The In and Out of Climate

Altering the Balance: Greenhouse Gases Tip the Scales

Consequences of the Energy Imbalance: The Planet Heats Up.

Long-Term Climate Sensitivity: How Much Warming Are We in For?

Our Seesaw is Teetering-Time to Restore Balance

Chapter 5 Climate Change Feedback Loops and Tipping Points - The Point of No Return

Feedback Loops: Nature's Amplifiers

Positive Feedback Loops: Turning Up the Heat

Negative Feedback Loops: Climate's Brakes

Tipping Points: When the Dominoes Start Falling

Climate Models: Predicting the Domino Effect

No Time to Tiptoe Around Tipping Points

Chapter 6 Hot Mess: The Impacts of Climate Change on Our Lives

The Heat is On: Rising Temperatures and Their Fallout

Feedback Loops and Tipping Points: Nature's Domino Effect

A World on Fire (Literally): The Rise of Extreme Weather

Food, Water, and Displacement: The Human Cost of Climate Change

The Mental Toll: Climate Anxiety and Psychological Impacts

The Future: A Glimpse of What's Coming Next

Chapter 7 Drowning in Trouble: How Climate Change Is Sinking Our Oceans

Sea-Level Rise: The Slow-Motion Catastrophe

Acidification: The Ocean's Awkward Chemistry Problem

Currents in Crisis: Ocean's Dysfunctional Thermostat

Marine Heatwaves: Turning the Ocean into a Jacuzzi

Global Cooperation: Saving the Oceans Takes a Village (or a Planet)

A Call to Action: We're All in This Boat Together

Chapter 8 Solutions - Can We Actually Fix This?

Looking Back: What Have We Tried So Far?

Renewable Energy: Progress, But Not a Silver Bullet

Carbon Trading and Offsets: Good in Theory, Flawed in Practice

Nuclear Power: Controversial but Reliable

Where Are We Now? Present-Day Solutions

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): The Workhorse That's Still in Beta

Methane Reduction: Plugging the Potent Leaks

Electric Vehicles (EVs): A Revolution on Four Wheels

Nature-Based Solutions (NbS): Working With Nature, Not Against It.

Indigenous Solutions: Age-Old Knowledge for a Modern Crisis

Direct Air Capture (DAC): A Dream or a Pipe Dream?

Equity Issues: Climate Solutions for All, Not Just the Wealthy

Looking Ahead: What's on the Horizon?

The Big Picture: Why a One-Size-Fits-All Solution Won't Work

Chapter 9 Surviving the Heat - How to Adapt When You Can't Change the Thermostat

The Basics: What is Climate Adaptation?

Strategy 1: Building Climate-Resilient Infrastructure

Strategy 2: Protecting Natural Ecosystems (a.k.a. Nature Knows Best)

Strategy 3: Agriculture and Water Management - When Crops Need SPF

Strategy 4: Adapting Cities - Because It's Not Just Polar Bears Who Need New Homes

The Role of Technology: When Innovation is More Than Just a Buzzword

Who Pays for All This?

A Balancing Act: Adaptation vs. Mitigation

Learning to Live with It

Chapter 10 Waste Not, Want Not - The Circular Economy Revolution

The Circular Economy: It's All About Loops

Industries Leading the Circular Charge

Waste as a Resource: Turning Trash into Treasure

The Role of Policy and Corporate Responsibility

Circular Economy at Home: What Can You Do?

The Future of the Circular Economy: Closing the Loop

Chapter 11 The CO2 Debate - Misconceptions, Misinformation, and Science

The Role of CO2 in Climate Change: The Scientific Consensus

CO2 and Plant Growth: The Misleading Argument

Short-Term Cooling Claims vs. Long-Term Warming Reality

CO2 in Geological History: Context Matters

Academic Research is Rooted in Peer-Reviewed Evidence

The Climate Crisis is a Collective Concern, Not a Political Agenda

A Call for Clear Thinking and Collective Action

Chapter 12 What's Stopping Us?

Political Inertia - Short-Term Thinking on a Global Scale

Corporate Lobbying - A Global Saboteur

Public Apathy - A Global Struggle.

The Role of International Organizations

Climate Litigation - A Rising Force

Turning the Tide

Chapter 13 Global Agreements - A Game of Diplomacy

The Paris Agreement - Big Promises, Bigger Challenges

Recent COP28 Outcomes - Steps Forward or More of the Same?

Global Climate Action: Different Paths, Same Destination

Common but Differentiated Responsibilities - The Equity Debate

Tech and Innovation - The Green Tech Revolution and the Challenges of Access

Corporate Climate Promises and Accountability - Walking the Talk?

Youth and Grassroots Movements - A Force for Change (With Caveats)

Turning Promises into Action

Chapter 14 Show Me the Money - The Billion-Dollar Climate Promise (And Why It's Still a Little Short)

The 100 Billion Promise - Progress and Challenges

Where's the Money Going?

Who's Contributing? Who's Not?

Private Sector Involvement: Running a Marathon in Flip-Flops?

Green Bonds and Public-Private Partnerships

Banking and Sustainability: Financing the Green Revolution

How Is the Money Distributed?

Looking Forward: From Billions to Trillions

Scaling Up: Turning Climate Pledges Into Action

Chapter 15 The Climate Tab: Why the World's Most Vulnerable Are Picking Up the Bill

Small Island Nations: Drowning in Injustice

Developing Nations: A Double Whammy

Latin America: A Hotspot of Vulnerability

Who's Paying for Climate Change?

Health Inequities and Vulnerability in Climate Change

The Climate Migration Crisis

The Role of Wealthy Nations: Responsibility and Action

Technology and Innovation: Hope on the Horizon

A Shared Responsibility

Chapter 16 Business vs. the Planet - A False Dichotomy

Corporate Climate Leaders: More Than Just a Green Badge

The Rise of ESG: An Acronym with Real Power?.

Potential Solutions: Avoiding Greenwashing and Embracing True Sustainability

Innovation: The Entrepreneurial Advantage

Corporate Accountability: Connection to Broader Climate Responsibility

The Business Case for Climate Action

The Road Ahead: Time to Get Serious

Chapter 17 Watt's Next? Powering the Planet Without Blowing a Fuse

Fossil Fuels: Still Lingering, But On Their Way Out

Renewables: The Rising Stars (With a Few Cloudy Days)

Hydrogen and CCUS: The Clean Energy X-Factors

Infrastructure: The Elephant in the Room

Global Equity: The Unequal Energy Transition

A Brighter (and Hopefully Cleaner) Future

Chapter 18 Tech to the Rescue - Saving the Planet, One Gadget at a Time

Energy Storage: The Batteries That Keep Us Cool (and Sometimes Hot)

Second-Life Batteries: A Win-Win Solution

What's Next? The Future of Energy Storage

Motorsport: Racing Toward Sustainability

Beyond the Track

MotoGP: On Two Wheels and a Cleaner Planet

Artificial Intelligence: The Climate Super Brain That Never Sleeps

Success Story: AI in Action

The IT Industry: Byte-Sized Solutions for a Planet-Sized Problem

Hydrogen: The Clean Fuel With an Identity Crisis

Carbon Capture: The Planet's Vacuum Cleaner

Environmental Cost: A Greener Future, But at What Price?

The Role of Policy: The Unsung Hero (Or Villain?)

The Road Ahead: The Clock's Ticking

Chapter 19 Citizen Science - Your Smartphone's Secret Superpower

Citizen Science: Science for the People, By the People

From Backyard to Breakthroughs

No White Coats Needed, Just a Smartphone

Chapter 20 Sky's the Limit: Betting Big on Geoengineering

Solar Radiation Management (SRM): Sun-Dimming, but Make It Sci-Fi

Direct Air Capture (DAC): The High-Cost Heavyweight

Governance and Ethics: Who's Steering This Ship?.

Moratoriums and Trial Phases: Baby Steps First.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9781804416303

1804416304