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1 - A primer on climate change

from Part 1 - Energy and the environment: the global landscape

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

Pieter Tans
Affiliation:
NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
David S. Ginley
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Colorado
David Cahen
Affiliation:
Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
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Summary

Focus

Despite the Kyoto Protocol and a wealth of good intentions, emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) – the primary cause of climate change – have continued to increase, not decrease, in recent years.

We face a global environmental crisis that is expected to include increased temperatures over land and in oceans, rising sea levels, more acidification of the oceans, increased flooding as well as drought, and extinction of many species as a result. The climate–energy crisis could cause major disruptions to ecosystems, the availability of fresh water, farming, economic activity, and global political stability on many levels.

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Chapter
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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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  • A primer on climate change
  • Edited by David S. Ginley, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Colorado, David Cahen, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
  • Book: Fundamentals of Materials for Energy and Environmental Sustainability
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511718786.003
Available formats
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Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • A primer on climate change
  • Edited by David S. Ginley, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Colorado, David Cahen, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
  • Book: Fundamentals of Materials for Energy and Environmental Sustainability
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511718786.003
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • A primer on climate change
  • Edited by David S. Ginley, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Colorado, David Cahen, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
  • Book: Fundamentals of Materials for Energy and Environmental Sustainability
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511718786.003
Available formats
×