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The third edition of this introductory textbook for both science students and non-science majors has been brought completely up-to-date. It reflects the most recent findings from the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports, as well as advances in the political arena around climate change. As in previous editions, it is tightly focussed on anthropogenic climate change. The first part of Introduction to Modern Climate Change concentrates on the science of modern climate change, including evidence that the Earth is warming and a basic description of climate physics. Concepts such as radiative forcing, climate feedbacks, and the carbon cycle are discussed and explained using basic physics and algebra. The second half of Introduction to Modern Climate Change goes beyond the science to address the economics and policy options to address climate change. The book's goal is for a student to leave the class ready to engage in the public policy debate on the climate crisis.
Preface
1. An introduction to the climate problem
2. Is the climate changing?
3. Radiation and energy balance
4. A simple climate model
5. The carbon cycle
6. Forcing, feedbacks, and climate sensitivity
7. Why is the climate changing?
8. Predictions of future climate change
9. Impacts of climate change
10. Exponential growth
11. Fundamentals of climate change policy
12. Mitigation policies
13. A brief history of climate science and politics
14. Putting it together: A long-term policy to address climate change
Index
Andrew E. Dessler is a climate scientist and professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University. He researches atmospheric chemistry, climate change, and climate change policy. He is a fellow of the American Geophysical Union and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The first edition of this book won the Louis J. Battan Author's Award from the American Meteorological Society. He has authored two books on climate change: this one, and The Science and Politics of Global Climate Change: A Guide to the Debate.
Reviews of the first edition
"At last, a textbook about the scientific basis for global climate change that's well balanced, well written, highly illuminating, and accessible to non-science majors."
– John M. Wallace, University of Washington
"Understanding the challenges of climate change requires an understanding of the relevant science, economics and policy. However, existing introductory textbooks focus on only one of these disciplines, and there is a need for books covering all aspects. This textbook fills this void. Dessler has done an excellent job of clearly describing the different issues of climate change in a way that will be accessible to both science and non-science majors. I can see this book becoming the standard textbook for the growing number of introductory courses that discuss both the science and policy of climate change."
– Darryn Waugh, Johns Hopkins University
"Andy is a natural teacher and writer with such an ease of presentation that he makes complex subjects accessible by his clever use of everyday analogies. Climate change is a subject that [he] cares about passionately, and he really cares about his reader as well. [This] book provides an expert's exposition of climate change in all its facets [...] written primarily as a textbook, it also provides excellent reading for any layperson [...]"
– Gerald R. North, Texas A&M University
"Professor Dessler's book is written for 'undergraduate non-science majors'. He must believe in the impossible – that he can bring a topic as complex as climate change into focus for students with little background in science. However, I must say that Professor Dessler has succeeded. Students who read this book will achieve a level of understanding of climate change that they may, first, 'engage in an informed debate of public policy'; second, understand the deep significance of Climategate; and third, explain and act upon the recent explosion of public interest in climate change."
– Ted Munn, University of Toronto
"The text provides a readable, concise summary of the science of climate change, but it is the nonscientific aspects of the book that set it apart [...] a well-crafted textbook. The writing is very accessible without being too simplistic. The combination of a broad overview of the science and policy of climate change is both novel and appropriate for [...] an introductory-level survey course on climate change. Reading the book was a learning experience for me, and I would happily recommend this book to anyone seeking an introduction to climate change."
– Guillaume Mauger, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
"The book reads extremely well: it uses stories, analogues, and examples to draw the reader into the story of the science of our changing planet. Despite the complexity of the actual science, Dessler presents the material in a clear manner and does it without drawing on mathematics any more difficult than simple algebra [...] I recommend this book for anyone interested in learning more about climate change and the challenges it presents to humanity."
– Donald J. Wuebbles, Physics Today
