Climate Change: Turning up the Heat.(Book review)

Pittock, A. Barrie. 2005. London: Earthscan/James & James, 272 pages, ISBN 1-84407-300-9. pb [pounds sterling]19.99.

Reviewed by Julie Friddell, Manager, IP3 Research Network, Department of Geography, University of Saskatchewan

Although my first impressions of this book were not extremely positive, given several problems in just the first few pages ("Arctic" is misspelled on page 7, and an actual mistake is made on page 13 while discussing the future of atmospheric carbon dioxide: "airborne fraction will decrease" should be "increase"), the more I read, the more I appreciated the enormous task that Pittock had accomplished in writing such a comprehensive, informative book. The book is interesting to read, and it summarizes, in a conversational tone, the current state of the climate change issue including the most up-to-date science, the effects of climate change on people and the planet, and humanity's response to and plans for current and anticipated future changes. Pittock provides a very nice discussion of the relationship between climate change and other environmental issues such as destruction of the ozone layer and overpopulation, and he also includes detailed information on national and regional issues related to climate changes and why each country or group should be interested in limiting climate change, i.e., what each has to lose if climate changes significantly.

The most important aspect of the book, in my opinion, and probably the most difficult to write, is a chapter of advice on the path forward and ways to address the key changes that are anticipated in the coming years. This hopeful look to the future along with the expert manner in which Pittock distils the modern understanding of climate change makes this book a highly recommended primer on one of the most all-encompassing and complex issues of our day.

In terms of particular strengths, the book's discussions of climate change scenarios and modelling as well as the differentiation between adaptation and mitigation were very informative. Pittock also introduced intriguing and counter-intuitive climate possibilities: Reduced sulphate aerosol pollution, which previously helped cool the atmosphere through "global dimming," may lead to larger warming than previously projected, and an enhanced hydrological cycle, which results from more heat in the atmosphere and leads to more precipitation at high latitudes, could conceivably cause Antarctica to accumulate instead of lose ice, relatively lowering sea level instead of raising it. Additionally, although it is commonly assumed that reducing greenhouse emissions will cause economic harm, Pittock skilfully explains that adaptation to and mitigation of climate change will spawn new industries and technology, a fact that deserves much more public exposure.

Some problems that I found with the text were inadequate attention to the high probabilities that warming will be more extreme at higher latitudes than in the tropics and that regional cooling could occur in the face of overall planetary warming, although it is possible that these omissions are due to streamlining the text for concision. Another point that could benefit from elucidation is the modern relationship between greenhouse gases and global temperature: Carbon dioxide levels have risen steadily since the early 1800's, but since global temperature has cycled up and down, it would be useful to explain in more detail the control that feedbacks and other factors such as solar variability, in addition to atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, have on the climate system.

Because we already see climate changes occurring and expect more for the future, my foremost response upon reading this book is that perhaps humanity's mental, technological, energy, and financial resources would be best spent on actually slowing down and sequestering carbon emissions rather than emphasizing continued measurement and modelling. Pittock's discussion of carbon sequestration asserts that not only reduction in emissions but actual removal of anthropogenic carbon is a necessary step in reducing humanity's impact on the planetary environment. He cites examples of actions currently being taken to reduce the amount of [CO.sub.2] in the atmosphere, such as driving hybrid cars. Pittock does an admirable job of discussing not only the benefits of driving hybrid vehicles but also the hidden environmental and social costs of producing their huge batteries. Thus, rather than switching to hybrid cars, which still guzzle fossil fuel, perhaps we should instead be thinking about the next question: How can we abandon cars altogether?

There are many people and organizations that are asking this and other very progressive questions, but so far the world's governments and companies have not seriously taken up the challenge of dealing with carbon emissions. Part of this is due, as Pittock points out, to inequity between rich and poor countries in ability to control climate change: The countries with the resources to change behaviour do not see the financial benefit of making such changes, and the poor countries do not have the luxury to change. Additionally, there is inequity in countries' ability or willingness to adapt to climate change: In 2001, Tuvalu asked Australia to consider taking migrants from their low-lying atolls, to which Australia responded that it needed proof that climate change was causing the sea level rise. Other rich countries are taking the same approach to facing the truth of climate and environmental change, stating that "we need more information before we can take action." This negligent attitude disregards the reality of changes that have already occurred as well as the potential benefits of action and risks of inaction.

Although there is much about our planet and climate that we still do not know, we do know that humans are placing a heavy burden on the earth, not only with carbon emissions but also with environmental toxins and through overpopulation. The next step is deciding to repair the damage. Climate change is happening and will continue to happen, but individual and collective conservation actions can minimize its impacts in the short and long term. Together, as this book points out so well, we can support environmentally-friendly choices and policies so that we move beyond carbon-based energy and reduce humanity's effect on the climate as well as the rest of the planet's living surface.

Print Get the Mag Weekly Updates