A Very Short Introduction to Climate Change- M. Maslin
The PDF version of the book can be found here . Chapter 1- What is global warming? What determines the earth's climate? Climate is controlled by 3 things: mass, distance from the sun, and composition of the atmosphere Mass: a larger mass has more gravity and can hold an atmosphere Distance from sun: closer = warmer Composition: every gas absorbs a different wavelength of radiation. Greenhouse gases reflect longwave radiation onto the earths surface, causing it to heat up. Humans have no control of the 1st 2, but it is by changing the 3rd that global warming is triggered How do we measure past climates? What is the IPCC? Intergovernmental panel on climate change There are 3 groups and a task force Write reports verified by 400 experts from 120 countries Compare the warming potential of different gases What are the different predictions for climate change? a- linear/synchronous response Climate change is directly proportional to CO2 b- muted r