Contents
Dedication 1
About the Author 1
Table of Contents 2
Why This Book – Answers to Critical Questions About Climate Change 4
Part I: How We Got Here 6
Chapter 1: Our Planet’s Climate History 7
Chapter 2: Industrial Revolution – the Starting Point 8
Chapter 3: Understanding Greenhouse Gases 9
Chapter 4: Early Warnings of the Coming Climate Crisis 12
Chapter 5: 2024 Decade Update – Climate in the News 15
Part II: What Scientists Think, But Aren’t Telling Us 17
Chapter 6: What’s Already Happened – the Facts 17
Chapter 7: What’s Happening Now – the Evidence 20
Chapter 8: What is Likely to Happen – Where Discovery is Taking Us 25
Chapter 9: Is There a Worse Case? 34
Part III: How Climate Change Impacts Mankind 38
Chapter 10: Rising Temperatures 38
Chapter 11: Rising Sea-Levels 42
Chapter 12: Extreme Weather Events 47
Chapter 13: Ocean Acidification 47
Chapter 14: Agricultural Production 47
Chapter 15: Loss of Fresh Water Sources 47
Chapter 16: Loss of Critical Ecosystems 50
Chapter 17: Health Risks 50
Chapter 18: Population Centers Move North 50
Chapter 19: Socioeconomic Changes 50
Part IV: What Will 2100 Look Like on the Present Course of Failing Response? 50
Chapter 20: Acceleration of Climate Changes 50
Chapter 21: Catastrophic Tipping Points 50
Chapter 22: Destruction or Elimination of Vulnerable Nations 50
Chapter 23: Decay of International Cooperation and Wars for Dominance 50
Chapter 24: How Life as We Know It Will Change 50
Part V: Why is Mankind Failing to Respond? 50
Chapter 25: Are Advocates Making the Case as Strongly as Needed 51
Chapter 26: Political and Economic Opposition 51
Chapter 27: Emissions Reduction is Necessary but Insufficient 55
Chapter 28: Green Energy is Necessary but Insufficient 55
Chapter 29: New and Yet to Be Discovered Solutions and Technologies 55
Chapter 30: Who Should Be Leading the Response 55
Chapter 31: China is Already the Leader 55
Part VI: What Should Be Done and Who Should Do It? 55
Chapter 32: Understanding the Timeline to Avoid Catastrophe 56
Chapter 33: The Role of Scientific and Engineering Analysis 56
Chapter 34: How We Should Plan 56
Chapter 35: The Role of Education 56
Chapter 36: Developing New Skills for a Changing Climate 56
Chapter 37: Technology Investment 56
Chapter 38: Global Leadership 56
Part VII: Is Mankind Making Progress? 50
Chapter 39: Global Leadership 50
Chapter 40: Emissions Reduction 50
Chapter 41: Green Energy 50
Chapter 42: Carbon Capture 50
Chapter 43: Geothermal 50
Chapter 44: Nuclear Power 51
Chapter 45: New, Unidentified Technologies 51
Chapter 46: Artificial Intelligence 51
Part VIII: What and Who is Opposing a Proper Response? 55
Chapter 47: Global War vs. Global Peace 55
Chapter 48: Pursuit of Economic Dominance 55
Chapter 49: Failings of Mankind – Power and Greed 55
Chapter 50: Mankind’s History of Solving Long-Term Social Issues 55
Part IX: What Should You Be Doing? 56
Chapter 51: Governments Respond When Pressured to Do So 56
Chapter 52: The Lay Person’s Role in Saving Mankind as We Know It 56
Design-Engineering-Technology-Sustainability-Global Commerce-Climate Change