The Rough Guide to Climate Change

The Rough Guide to Climate Change:
The Symptoms. The Science. The Solutions

The Rough Guide is much more than a rough guide. It is an reference book, with a clear table of contents, and excellent index. It is concise, almost to the point of being cryptic on some topics, but remarkably complete, with the honorable exception of policy on which, in keeping with most of the literature, it is light. The first three parts (The Basics, The Symptoms, and The Science) address the issue: Is Global Warming Real? Answered firmly in the affirmative, with useful accounts of the Global Climate Coalition’s attempts to obfuscate the question. Part 4, deals with Debates and Solutions and Part 5 with Resources (books and web-sites).

“A Heated Debate. (How activists, skeptics and industry have battled for column inches and the public mind).” This covers more concisely much of the material in Boiling Point.
“The Predicament. (Can we solve global warming?)” This brief chapter describes alternative paths towards emission reductions, and the Pacala/Socolow identification of technical wedges that have the capacity to reduce emissions. Individual wedges are discussed in detail. The discussion can be faulted for seeming to accept that stabilization of the rate of emissions is a sufficient goal (as different from the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide.)
“Political Solutions. (Kyoto and beyond)”. Describes Kyoto and some U.K. initiatives, but with minimal policy analysis
“Technical Solutions. (Energy, Engineering and Efficiency)”. Provides a useful review, although adding “Economics” would have made the chapter even more useful.

“What You Can Do. (Reducing your carbon footprint and lobbying for action)”. A helpful laundry list, also web-sites where you can “demand action”, but totally silent on what these actions should be to minimize global warming.