Foreword by G.P. “Bud” Peterson

Summary

I have known Frank Incropera for more than thirty years. We both served as the chair of our respective mechanical engineering departments and then later in other leadership positions. In our respective roles, we often discussed both scientific and academic issues. While we did not always agree, I always found him to be an incredibly insightful individual who has a unique way in which he views the world and the environment around us.

As the author of what is perhaps the most highly regarded textbook on the subject of heat and mass transfer, he is an internationally renowned authority and someone whose opinion I greatly respect and friendship I greatly value. As the Clifford and Evelyn Brosey Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Notre Dame, Professor Incropera continues to address important problems from a unique “problem-solving” perspective and has a deep knowledge and passion for trying to understand the fundamental basis of issues from an engineering perspective. In keeping with his past record, this is exactly what he has done in this latest publication, Climate Change: A Wicked Problem.

Who is this book written for? For anyone who is earnestly seeking to increase the breadth of his or her knowledge and understanding of one of the twenty-first century's most contentious issues. Professor Incropera expresses his views and opinions forthrightly throughout, yet his work addresses the issue from the perspective of an engineer, a scientist, an educator, and a pragmatist. As a fair-minded arbiter, he wades deep into the science, but his book also covers numerous related aspects of the issue from the perspective that most interested non-scientists will find accessible.

Professor Incropera dons several hats in his latest book; whether he's momentarily discussing climate change from the standpoint of business, history, ethics, politics, or economics, the scientist/engineer is always standing nearby, ready to lay down facts and figures as the foundation for potential solutions. Throughout, he changes hats seamlessly, looking at challenges through the eyes of different stakeholders, but always returning to his engineering and scientific base, where he has a standing that few have in this often fevered discussion.