A 6 degree increase would eliminate most life on earth, including much of humanity. Possibly the most graphic treatment of global warming that has yet been published, six degrees is what readers of al gores bestselling an inconvenient truth or ross gelbspans boiling point will turn to next. In mark lynas book he outlines the effects on the planet of climate change equivalent to a global temperature rise of one, two, three, four, five and six degrees. Why 2 degrees celsius is climate changes magic number. Global temperatures on track for 35 degree rise by 2100. At copenhagen in december 2009, the international community agreed to limit global warming to below two degrees celsius to avoid the worst impacts of humaninduced climate change. Mark lynass six degrees is first, a graceful yet massive synthesis of a very large selection of scientific research papers. This work presents an eyeopening and vital account of the future of our earth and our civilisation if current rates of global warming persist.
It summarizes the results from scientific papers on climate change, and it uses successive chapters to. Despite its sound scientific background, the book resembles one of those vivid medieval paintings depicting sinners getting their just desserts. Fascinating and worrying book not loved by climate change deniers. Six degrees is one of the best global warming books for anyone new to the topic.
The best books on global warming five books expert. Financial times the saga of how, in the world as imagined by thousands of computermodelling studies, global warming kicks in degree by degree. Possibly the most graphic treatment of global warming that has yet bee. If this scenario were to occur, it would not only be the end of human life as we know it, but the death of the earth we know as well. Our future on a hotter planet is published by fourth estate, priced. It is a major aspect of climate change, and has been demonstrated by the instrumental temperature record which shows global warming of around 1 c since the preindustrial period, although the bulk of this 0. May 03, 20 6 degrees argument analysis may 3, 20 by jenny chen after i finished reading mark lynas book, six degrees. Our future on a hotter planet, i have to say that it was one of the most alarming yet compelling books that i have read regarding climate change. Then, a cataclysmic event wiped out nearly all life on earth.
Find high quality essays on global warming and climate change especially written for school, college and university students. Despite its sound scientific background, the book resembles one of those vivid medieval paintings depicting sinners getting their just desserts financial times the saga of how, in the world as imagined by thousands of computermodelling studies, global warming kicks in degree by degree. Changes in wind and ocean currents due to global warming and other factors will also affect regional sealevel rise, as will patterns of ocean heat uptake and warming. Written by the acclaimed author of high tide, this highly relevant and compelling book uses accessible journalistic prose to distill what environmental scientists. And we sure dont want to accumulate six of them, writes cnns john sutter. Our future on a hotter planet 358 pages, isbn 9780007209057 is a 2007 2008 in usa nonfiction book by author mark lynas about global warming. His research has found that wetbulb temperature extremes in the midwest increase by about 1. Aug 18, 2009 i suppose that in order to create the map, they used mark lynass excellent book 6 degrees which describes the impact of each degree of global warming on the worlds ecosystems and land. The hazard of global warming is continuously causing major damage to the earths environment. Sep 02, 2010 i suppose that in order to create the map, they used mark lynass excellent book 6 degrees which describes the impact of each degree of global warming on the worlds ecosystems and land. With regards to the intersection of politics and global warming, the. Since the early 20th century, earths mean surface temperature has increased by about 0. As the volume of greenhouse gases increases yearly, scientists are warning that the global average temperature could increase by as much as 6 degrees celsius over the next century, which would cause our world to change radically.
But quotations from dantes inferno make the point quite clearly by serving as epigraphs for chapter one, one degree, and for the final chapter, choosing our future. Suddenly, it seemed, everyone knew anct cared about a scientific principle long of deep concern to scientists studying the earth system. Our future on a hotter planet by mark lynas 360pp, fourth estate. Mark lynas on how global warming will affect the earth. Global warming is a gradual increase in the earths temperature generally due to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, cfcs, and other pollutants. Global warming refers to the longterm rise in the average temperature of the earths climate system. Aug 03, 2018 here are three books that predict how global warming may affect humanity and what we can still do. Here we envisaged massive climate disasters around the world in 2010 and 2011, causing a sudden increase in the sense of urgency surrounding global warming. This documentary joins british author mark lynas and climate experts. Written by the acclaimed author of high tide, this highly relevant and compelling book uses accessible journalistic prose to distill what environmental scientists p. Since 1880, the earths temperature has increased by 1. A degree by degree explanation of what will happen when the. May 12, 2020 left unchecked, global warming could lead to conditions similar to those of the end of the permian period, about 250 million years ago.
This is a 2007 2008 in usa book about global warming. Written by the acclaimed author of high tide, this highly relevant and compelling book uses accessible journalistic prose to distill what environmental scientists portend about the. However climate scientists agree that current national emissions targets collectively will still not. Lynas research, scientists have established that the current episode of global warming of about 0. Includes a volume on the wildlife of borneo alongside dh lawrences the rainbow. Its a very fastmoving explicit scenario about what might happen on earth to all of us, with each degree of global warming temperature rise.
Scientists are unsure what caused it, but one possibility is a greenhouse event that raised global temperatures by six degrees. The books six degrees deals with climate sensitivity in the context of a. It summarizes the results from scientific papers on climate change, and it uses successive chapters to describe the worlds climate at 1c, 2c, on up to 6c rise of average temperatures. This has resulted in an increase in melting of glaciers which have led to an increase in the sea levels. The book looks and attempts to summarize results from scientific papers on climate change.
But this book by mark lynas is a mustread, i think, for anyone who has any doubts about what is at stake. If global temperatures rose six degrees what would happen. Ive read many climate change books and this is up there with the best. Dec 16, 2014 they settled on preliminary language, to be finalized a year from now in paris, meant to help keep the longterm warming of the planet below 3.
Half a degree can make a world of difference science. A wide variety of temperature proxies together prove. In each chapter, you learn how each additional degree of warming will impact rivers, oceans. Image six degrees our future on a hotter planet by mark lynas 336 pp. Between five and six degrees of warming although warming on this scale lies within the ipccs officially endorsed range of 21stcentury possibilities, climate models have little to say about what lynas.
Suddenly, global warming has become an accepted fact of modern life, acknowledged as an imminent danger by. Bangladesh has added 10s of thousands of hectares of land area since the book six degrees of warming. At two degrees warming the arctic sea will lose its ice every third summer. Read these 3 books about global warming the new york times. As sea level rises 4 6 mm a year, the rivers and deltas dump their sediment and build barrier islands as a direct causal succession or consequence. The ozone layer, 12 to 19 miles above earth, protects life on earth by absorbing harmful solar ultraviolet radiation. The central structuring metaphor of six degrees is that global warming is hell. I initially distrusted the book because it was written by a journalist and not a scientist but it. Past disasters reveal terrifying future of climate change. By the end of the century the earth could be more than 6 degrees. Oct 24, 2007 in 2001 the intergovernmental panel on climate change predicted that by the end of the century global temperatures would have risen by between 1. The effects are compared to paleoclimatic studies, with six degrees of warming compared back to the.
This book shows global warming will change our world, says ben cooke. May 14, 2008 in 2001 the intergovernmental panel on climate change predicted that by the end of the century global temperatures would have risen by between 1. Global warming is the phenomenon of gradual increase in temperature near the earths surface. Nov 29, 2018 global temperatures are on course for a 35 degrees celsius 5. The third scenario called step change is worth a closer look.
The book offers you a detailed and graphic guide through the science of global warming, based on scientific articles, computer models and information about past warm events. Most people are still unaware of global warming and do not consider it to be a big problem in years to. Australia in a hot world outlines the expected consequences of this world for australia and its region. These essays will also guide you to learn about the causes, reasons, impact, relationship, similarities and.
Global warming has led to an incredible increase in earths temperature. When the ozone layer is depleted, more ultravioletb radiation than usual reaches earth, increasing our risk of sunburn and skin cancer and warming earth. Warming of 4c will likely lead to a sealevel rise of 0. This phenomenon has been observed over the past one or two centuries. Yet there are now suggestions that we should consider a 3 degrees c warming cap, even though the earths history suggests that with warming of 23c the new equilibrium sea level will include not only most of the ice from greenland and west antarctica, but a portion of east antarctica, raising sea level of the order of 25 meters. About six degrees could change the world show national. Based on authoritative scientific articles, the latest computer models, and information about past warm events in earth history, six degrees promises to be an eyeopening warning that humanity will ignore at its peril. A half a degree less warming also would shave an average of about 0. It paints a picture of what happens to the earth at each step as it warms up by one additional degree celsius, all the way up to six degrees above todays temperature. The best books on global warming recommended by rosamund mcdougall. Its contributors include many of australias most eminent and internationally recognized climate scientists, climate policy makers and policy analysts.
4 1383 15 1633 1613 435 409 414 1346 706 1468 1571 318 641 616 805 416 103 1146 993 1375 797 1052 416 750 884 176 868 846 935 1095 567 167 508 184 931 428 1366