Global Changes in the Perspective of the Past

Global Changes in the Perspective of the Past PDF Author: J. A. Eddy
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 410

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Book Description
Global Changes in the Perspective of the Past Edited by J. A. Eddy and H. Oeschger To identify the marks of humans on the planet we must know the natural background on which they were imposed. To determine their importance we need to know the range of variability of the natural system. To be able to predict the ultimate impact of human intervention on the Earth system it is necessary to understand how the system works, including the chemical interactions that link the living and nonliving parts. Such answers will come, in part if not completely, from what is known of past changes on the Earth, derived from the history and written records held in natural archives, e.g. tree rings, ice, ocean and lake sediments, coral deposits, and in the strata of soils and rock. On this basis, leading experts from the broad spectrum of science met in Berlin to discuss the use of paleoclimatic data for analyzing climatic processes and for modeling the future evolution of climate. It is hoped that this volume, which contains the background papers and summary group reports of the workshop, will illuminate some of the burning questions yet unanswered in the field of paleostudies and accelerate the pace of progress in this field. It should be of interest to climatologists, atmospheric scientists, biogeochemists, oceanographers, ecologists, glaciologists, and numerical modelers. Goal of this Dahlem Workshop: to discuss the use of paleoclimatic data for analyzing climatic processes and for modeling the future evolution of the climate.

Global Changes in the Perspective of the Past

Global Changes in the Perspective of the Past PDF Author: J. A. Eddy
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 410

Get Book Here

Book Description
Global Changes in the Perspective of the Past Edited by J. A. Eddy and H. Oeschger To identify the marks of humans on the planet we must know the natural background on which they were imposed. To determine their importance we need to know the range of variability of the natural system. To be able to predict the ultimate impact of human intervention on the Earth system it is necessary to understand how the system works, including the chemical interactions that link the living and nonliving parts. Such answers will come, in part if not completely, from what is known of past changes on the Earth, derived from the history and written records held in natural archives, e.g. tree rings, ice, ocean and lake sediments, coral deposits, and in the strata of soils and rock. On this basis, leading experts from the broad spectrum of science met in Berlin to discuss the use of paleoclimatic data for analyzing climatic processes and for modeling the future evolution of climate. It is hoped that this volume, which contains the background papers and summary group reports of the workshop, will illuminate some of the burning questions yet unanswered in the field of paleostudies and accelerate the pace of progress in this field. It should be of interest to climatologists, atmospheric scientists, biogeochemists, oceanographers, ecologists, glaciologists, and numerical modelers. Goal of this Dahlem Workshop: to discuss the use of paleoclimatic data for analyzing climatic processes and for modeling the future evolution of the climate.

Development and Social Change

Development and Social Change PDF Author: Philip McMichael
Publisher: SAGE Publications
ISBN: 1483323226
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 449

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Book Description
In this new Sixth Edition of Development and Social Change: A Global Perspective, author Philip McMichael describes a world undergoing profound social, political, and economic transformations, from the post-World War II era through the present. He tells a story of development in four parts—colonialism, developmentalism, globalization, and sustainability—that shows how the global development “project” has taken different forms from one historical period to the next. Throughout the text, the underlying conceptual framework is that development is a political construct, created by dominant actors (states, multilateral institutions, corporations and economic coalitions) and based on unequal power arrangements. While rooted in ideas about progress and prosperity, development also produces crises that threaten the health and well-being of millions of people, and sparks organized resistance to its goals and policies. Frequent case studies make the intricacies of globalization concrete, meaningful, and clear. Development and Social Change: A Global Perspective challenges us to see ourselves as global citizens even as we are global consumers.

Value Change in Global Perspective

Value Change in Global Perspective PDF Author: Paul Abramson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 204

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Book Description
A comprehensive examination of global attitude changes

Climate Change and the Course of Global History

Climate Change and the Course of Global History PDF Author: John L. Brooke
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521871646
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 655

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Book Description
The first global study by a historian to fully integrate the earth-system approach of the new climate science with the material history of humanity.

The Discovery of Global Warming

The Discovery of Global Warming PDF Author: Spencer R. Weart
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674011570
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 241

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Book Description
In 2001 a panel representing virtually all the world's governments and climate scientists announced that they had reached a consensus: the world was warming at a rate without precedent during at least the last ten millennia, and that warming was caused by the buildup of greenhouse gases from human activity. The consensus itself was at least a century in the making. The story of how scientists reached their conclusion--by way of unexpected twists and turns and in the face of formidable intellectual, financial, and political obstacles--is told for the first time in The Discovery of Global Warming. Spencer R. Weart lucidly explains the emerging science, introduces us to the major players, and shows us how the Earth's irreducibly complicated climate system was mirrored by the global scientific community that studied it. Unlike familiar tales of Science Triumphant, this book portrays scientists working on bits and pieces of a topic so complex that they could never achieve full certainty--yet so important to human survival that provisional answers were essential. Weart unsparingly depicts the conflicts and mistakes, and how they sometimes led to fruitful results. His book reminds us that scientists do not work in isolation, but interact in crucial ways with the political system and with the general public. The book not only reveals the history of global warming, but also analyzes the nature of modern scientific work as it confronts the most difficult questions about the Earth's future. Table of Contents: Preface 1. How Could Climate Change? 2. Discovering a Possibility 3. A Delicate System 4. A Visible Threat 5. Public Warnings 6. The Erratic Beast 7. Breaking into Politics 8. The Discovery Confirmed Reflections Milestones Notes Further Reading Index Reviews of this book: A soberly written synthesis of science and politics. --Gilbert Taylor, Booklist Reviews of this book: Charting the evolution and confirmation of the theory [of global warming], Spencer R. Weart, director of the Center for the History of Physics of the American Institute of Physics, dissects the interwoven threads of research and reveals the political and societal subtexts that colored scientists' views and the public reception their work received. --Andrew C. Revkin, New York Times Book Review Reviews of this book: It took a century for scientists to agree that gases produced by human activity were causing the world to warm up. Now, in an engaging book that reads like a detective story, physicist Weart reports the history of global warming theory, including the internal conflicts plaguing the research community and the role government has had in promoting climate studies. --Publishers Weekly Reviews of this book: It is almost two centuries since the French mathematician Jean Baptiste Fourier discovered that the Earth was far warmer than it had any right to be, given its distance from the Sun...Spencer Weart's book about how Fourier's initially inconsequential discovery finally triggered urgent debate about the future habitability of the Earth is lucid, painstaking and commendably brief, packing everything into 200 pages. --Fred Pearce, The Independent Reviews of this book: [The Discovery of Global Warming] is a well-written, well-researched and well-balanced account of the issues involved...This is not a sermon for the faithful, or verses from Revelation for the evangelicals, but a serious summary for those who like reasoned argument. Read it--and be converted. --John Emsley, Times Literary Supplement Reviews of this book: This is a terrific book...Perhaps the finest compliment I could give this book is to report that I intend to use it instead of my own book...for my climate class. The Discovery of Global Warming is more up-to-date, better balanced historically, beautifully written and, not least important, short and to the point. I think the [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] needs to enlist a few good historians like Weart for its next assessment. --Stephen H. Schneider, Nature Reviews of this book: This short, well-written book by a science historian at the American Institute of Physics adds a serious voice to the overheated debate about global warming and would serve as a great starting point for anyone who wants to better understand the issue. --Maureen Christie, American Scientist Reviews of this book: I was very pleasantly surprised to find that Spencer Weart's account provides much valuable and interesting material about how the discipline developed--not just from the perspective of climate science but also within the context of the field's relation to other scientific disciplines, the media, political trends, and even 20th-century history (particularly the Cold War). In addition, Weart has done a valuable service by recording for posterity background information on some of the key discoveries and historical figures who contributed to our present understanding of the global warming problem. --Thomas J. Crowley, Science Reviews of this book: Weart has done us all a service by bringing the discovery of global warming into a short, compendious and persuasive book for a general readership. He is especially strong on the early days and the scientific background. --Crispin Tickell, Times Higher Education Supplement A Capricious Beast Ever since the days when he had trudged around fossil lake basins in Nevada for his doctoral thesis, Wally Broecker had been interested in sudden climate shifts. The reported sudden jumps of CO2 in Greenland ice cores stimulated him to put this interest into conjunction with his oceanographic interests. The result was a surprising and important calculation. The key was what Broecker later described as a "great conveyor belt'"of seawater carrying heat northward. . . . The energy carried to the neighborhood of Iceland was "staggering," Broecker realized, nearly a third as much as the Sun sheds upon the entire North Atlantic. If something were to shut down the conveyor, climate would change across much of the Northern Hemisphere' There was reason to believe a shutdown could happen swiftly. In many regions the consequences for climate would be spectacular. Broecker was foremost in taking this disagreeable news to the public. In 1987 he wrote that we had been treating the greenhouse effect as a 'cocktail hour curiosity,' but now 'we must view it as a threat to human beings and wildlife.' The climate system was a capricious beast, he said, and we were poking it with a sharp stick. I found the book enjoyable, thoughtful, and an excellent introduction to the history of what may be one of the most important subjects of the next one hundred years. --Clark Miller, University of Wisconsin The Discovery of Global Warming raises important scientific issues and topics and includes essential detail. Readers should be able to follow the discussion and emerge at the end with a good understanding of how scientists have developed a consensus on global warming, what it is, and what issues now face human society. --Thomas R. Dunlap, Texas A&M University

Development and Social Change

Development and Social Change PDF Author: Philip McMichael
Publisher: SAGE Publications, Incorporated
ISBN: 9780761986676
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 408

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Book Description
The Second Edition of this popular textbook has been conceptually reworked to take account of the instabilities underlying the project of global development. While the conceptual framework of viewing development as shifting from a national, to a global, project remains, new issues such as the active engagement in the development project by Third World elites and peoples are considered. The first four chapters cover the rise and fall of the "development project" around the world. The next three cover the period of globalization, from the mid 1980s onwards. The final two chapters rethink globalization and development for the 21st century. Throughout, extensive use is made of case studies.

Globalization in Historical Perspective

Globalization in Historical Perspective PDF Author: Michael D. Bordo
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226065995
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 600

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Book Description
As awareness of the process of globalization grows and the study of its effects becomes increasingly important to governments and businesses (as well as to a sizable opposition), the need for historical understanding also increases. Despite the importance of the topic, few attempts have been made to present a long-term economic analysis of the phenomenon, one that frames the issue by examining its place in the long history of international integration. This volume collects eleven papers doing exactly that and more. The first group of essays explores how the process of globalization can be measured in terms of the long-term integration of different markets-from the markets for goods and commodities to those for labor and capital, and from the sixteenth century to the present. The second set of contributions places this knowledge in a wider context, examining some of the trends and questions that have emerged as markets converge and diverge: the roles of technology and geography are both considered, along with the controversial issues of globalization's effects on inequality and social justice and the roles of political institutions in responding to them. The final group of essays addresses the international financial systems that play such a large part in guiding the process of globalization, considering the influence of exchange rate regimes, financial development, financial crises, and the architecture of the international financial system itself. This volume reveals a much larger picture of the process of globalization, one that stretches from the establishment of a global economic system during the nineteenth century through the disruptions of two world wars and the Great Depression into the present day. The keen analysis, insight, and wisdom in this volume will have something to offer a wide range of readers interested in this important issue.

Global Warming in Local Discourses

Global Warming in Local Discourses PDF Author: Michael Brüggemann
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781783749393
Category : Electronic books
Languages : en
Pages : 288

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Book Description
Global news on anthropogenic climate change is shaped by international politics, scientific reports and voices from transnational protest movements. This timely volume asks how local communities engage with these transnational discourses.The chapters in this volume present a range of compelling case studies drawn from a broad cross-section of local communities around the world, reflecting diverse cultural and geographical contexts. From Greenland to northern Tanzania, it illuminates how different understandings evolve in diverse cultural and geographical contexts while also revealing some community.

Natural Climate Variability and Global Warming

Natural Climate Variability and Global Warming PDF Author: Richard W. Battarbee
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1444300946
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 288

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Book Description
Whilst there is now overwhelming evidence that greenhouse-gaspollution is becoming the dominant process responsible for globalwarming, it is also clear that the climate system varies quitenaturally on different time-scales. Predicting the course of futureclimate change consequently requires an understanding of thenatural variability of the climate system as well as the effects ofhuman-induced change. This book is concerned with our currentunderstanding of natural climate change, its variability on decadalto centennial time-scales, the extent to which climate models ofdifferent kinds simulate past variability, and the role of pastclimate variability in explaining changes to natural ecosystems andto human society over the later part of the Holocene. The bookhighlights the need to improve not only our understanding of thephysical system through time but also to improve our knowledge ofhow people may have influenced the climate system in the past andhave been influenced by it, both directly and indirectly. This ground-breaking text addresses predictable modification inthe climate system in the context of global warming. Ideal forresearchers and advanced students, it explores current thinking onnatural climate change. Addresses the natural variability of the climate system in thecontext of global warming Contributes substantially to the ongoing discussion on globalwarming Integrates state of the art research and brings togethermodeling and data communities in a balanced way Considers questions of climate change on differenttime-scales “Natural climate variability and global warming isclearly an important book, well-focused and distinctive, withfundamental things to say about Holocene science and its interfacewith the practical problem of global warming. It is anauthoritative, up-to-date summary and synthesis of currentknowledge in this area and is attractively produced with clear,colour illustrations throughout. It is a ‘must’ for alluniversity libraries and our private book collections.”The Holocene, 2009.

Historical Perspectives on Climate Change

Historical Perspectives on Climate Change PDF Author: James Rodger Fleming
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199885095
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 209

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Book Description
This intriguing volume provides a thorough examination of the historical roots of global climate change as a field of inquiry, from the Enlightenment to the late twentieth century. Based on primary and archival sources, the book is filled with interesting perspectives on what people have understood, experienced, and feared about the climate and its changes in the past. Chapters explore climate and culture in Enlightenment thought; climate debates in early America; the development of international networks of observation; the scientific transformation of climate discourse; and early contributions to understanding terrestrial temperature changes, infrared radiation, and the carbon dioxide theory of climate. But perhaps most important, this book shows what a study of the past has to offer the interdisciplinary investigation of current environmental problems.