Product Description

With their bold foliage, exuberant colors, and luscious scents, exotic plants ignite curiosity and thrill the senses. Fortunately for gardeners in the world's temperate regions, it's not necessary to live in the tropics to experience spiky agaves, bright cannas, and the flame-like blooms of Strelitzia reginae.

The Encyclopedia of of Exotic Plants for Temperate Climates showcases an unparalleled array of exotic plants sure to delight gardeners who covet their dramatic effects and flamboyant beauty. Drawing on his experience running the acclaimed Exotic Garden in decidedly un-tropical Norwich, England, Will Giles shows how—with a dash of insider know-how—a myriad of beguiling exotics can be persuaded to flourish in the unlikeliest places.

Lavishly illustrated, this book is an inspirational and authoratative resource. It will inspire gardeners to question conventional hardiness restrictions, experiment with new plants, and create gardens that are out of the ordinary.

Customer Reviews (1)

a must have for a gardeners reference library
Exotic plants, temperate climates - the possibilities' are endless if you know what temperature range a plant can withstand. High-impact plants are all the rage these days, and Will Giles profiles more than 1500 of them in his book Encyclopedia of Exotic Plants for Temperate Climates.
This book offers readers in cool climates information on exotic plants that can thrive in their region thus allowing them to introduce the flamboyant beauty of the tropics to their own backyard.
Many of the plants profiled are also photographed so that readers can see what the plant looks like. Latin as well as common names are used in each profile. Next is a listing telling of the plants hardiness and sun or shade requirements. This information is followed by a brief description of the plant.
This is a must have book that should be on the shelves of all serious gardeners' reference books.
... Read more

Product Description
So you think the theory of disastrous climate change has been proven? You believe scientists are united in their efforts to affect a reduction in carbon emissions? You trust that scientists are far too professional to overstate their case? Maybe we should all think again. In The Climate Caper, written with a light touch and a readable manner, Garth Paltridge shows that the case for action against climate change is not nearly so clear cut after all. He leads us through the inherent problems of the climate modeling process, as well as the uncertainties associated with economic forecasts of climatic doom. Paltridge uncovers the conscious and subconscious forces that hide skepticism within the scientific community from the public eye and submit governments to a scientific and technological elite-an elite that achieves its ends by manipulating the public through fear of climate change, creating the world's greatest example of a religion for the politically correct. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The Climate Caper: With a Foreword by Christopher Walter Monckton
Finally, somebody who actually knows not just something but is a world class expert in meteorology, physics of fluids and thermodynamics writes about the subject: Global warming is just "political science", not science. Excellent book.

Excellent book
The tone is subdued..the science is good...
Great anecdote to the hysteria from both camps.

Powerful, understated evidence
This is a reasonably short work, very different from Ian Plimer's Heaven and Earth. Although Paltridge is an atmospheric physicist and erstwhile Chief Research Scientist with Australia's CSIRO, he has put together an accessible summary of some of the damning evidence against the global warming alarmism.

Paltridge has an interesting style. He writes in a quiet, understated tone, whilst making fatal attacks on the warming doctrine. From the very brief overview of the IPCC process (with the recommendation committee charging ahead before the scientific committees had had time to collect any avidence or make any findings), he proceeds to a layman's introduction to some physics. His main message here is how much is still unknown about climate processes. In this I disagree with his presentation, because some basic 'outer envelope' considerations do show, in my opinion, how extremely unlikely the IPCC's forecasts really are.

He moves on to some economics questions, and here he is devastating, but in his usual understated style. On the Australian Government's own Garnaut Report findings, Australians of 100 years hence will be four times better off than we are, and yet we are being asked to impoverish ourselves to save them a ten percent reduction in their living standards. Given the uncertainty in any of these forecasts, the policies being promoted now are in the lunatic fringe, but Paltridge leaves it to us to come to that conclusion.

Then in a chapter on sociology, he shows how a complete society can be led into turning a delusion into public policy and common 'knowledge'. At this point even the sedate and quiet Paltridge has to acknowledge that the warming madness has more in common with religion than science.

He then addresses how the scientific process itself has been subverted and in many cases rendered inoperative. That is a hard case to sell because it is more vague than the bald fact that the IPCC forecasts can be shown to be wrong, period. However, I believe it is at least as important because we are in the process of bequeathing to our descendants a world that has lost the ability to do real science and gain wisdom. It will lose its freedom too, but that's another matter.

What is missing from this book - and it might be a positive or a negative, depending on your reasons for reading - is any mention of the fact of geological history that for the past 2.5 million years our planet has been yo-yoing into and out of ice ages (spending roughly 90% of the time in them), and the successive ice periods are deeper and colder, whilst successive warm periods are less warm; and the regular schedule has us down for another ice age right now. The book's message seems to be "The global warming claims are not a cause for concern." But that is not going far enough in my opinion. There really is a big cause for concern, namely that the alarmism is recommending exactly the most dangerous policy for human life, wild life and the planet's health in general, in that it suggests trying to cool the climate just as it is about to slip into what the regular-as-clockwork geologic history would suggest will be a planetary killer of an ice age.

Paltridge doesn't mention this. Maybe he thinks it is uncertain, maybe he thinks talking about that would be a 'bridge too far' for nervous readers. Either way, the book is a bit timid for my taste, although hard-hitting in spite of that. But I can imagine there would be many readers for whom it would be exactly the reality clarifier that I think Paltridge wants it to be. The final chapter is both depressing and concerning, and rightly so. I cannot understand anyone who could continue boasting about 'reducing my carbon footprint' after reading this.

Finally, my pet peeve, the book has no index. It is probably less of a problem for such a short book, but I don't think any author is doing his hard work justice by stopping 5% short of perfection. ... Read more

Product Description
Planning for a New Energy and Climate Future, the culmination of a three-year research and education project on the integration of climate change and energy issues into planning practice, was prepared by APA in collaboration with the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the University of North Carolina Asheville. The report presents fundamental information about energy and climate change, provides a framework for how to integrate energy and climate into the planning process, and offers strategies for communities to address energy and climate across a variety of issues, including development patterns, transportation, and economic development. ... Read more

Product Description
A complete, up-to-date, illustrated guide to the installation, maintenance, and service of gas, oil, and electric forced warm air heating and heat pump systems. Explores—in great detail—a large base of newer as well as traditional equipment, using the principles and practices of older furnaces as a means of understanding the newer, electronically controlled, high-efficiency furnaces. Features detailed discussion of the operation and diagnosis of controls—from the thermocouple to the SmartValve®—and provides a complete overview of all aspects of residential and light commercial heating. Includes photographs of the most up-to-date equipment throughout.Climate Control and Comfort. Safety Analysis and Identification. Combustion and Fuels. Parts Common to All Furnaces. Components of Gas-Burning Furnaces. Basic Electricity and Electrical Symbols. Schematic Wiring Diagrams. Using Electrical Test Instrument and Equipment. External Service Wiring. Controls Common to All Forced-Air Furnaces. Gas Furnace Controls. High-Efficiency Furnaces. Components of Oil-Burning Furnaces. Oil Furnace Controls. Electric Heating. Estimating the Heating Load. Evaluating a Heating System. Installation Practice. Heating System Maintenance and Customer Relations. Energy Conservation. Indoor Air Quality. Zoning. Hydronic Heating. Heat Pumps and Add-On Air-Conditioning. ... Read more

Product Description
Early and late grosts, arctic winds, an dinhospitable terrain are just a few of the obstacles facing those who garden in the icebox region of the United States and Canada. Lewis Hill has spent a lifetime in northern Vermont, and is undaunted by the challenges of weather and climate. His system for how to garden more and better in the time that you do have is covered in this extensive 308-page guide. Cold-Climate Gardening has much information that will prove invaluable to northern gardeners: how to grow food, how to landscape, techniques to employ that will protect vulnerable plantings, how to warm up the soil earlier, and which species are appropriate to your area. Not just for those who live in the snow belt, this book will also be useful to those who garden in microclimates (such as deep valleys or hillsides) or for those who want to extend their gardening season in any climate. Horticulture has deemed it "an immensely useful book,...written with style, wit, and clarity...." You will garner advice, tips, guidance, and encouragement necessary to have a successful gardening season in spite of Mother Nature's ravages. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Too Much Like Other Book
This book is almost identical to his other book: "Successful Cold-Climate Gardening". If you have the other one, you don't need this one.

Great tips for arctic gardening
Although I haven't finished the book, it appears that the tips for cold weather gardening will be extremely useful for growing veggies in Alaska.I may even try some veggies that are not known to grow well here.This book was written several years ago, but the ideas are timeless and span the ages.Well written, even humorous, it is an interesting read.If the author can grow it in Maine, we can grow it here.I intend to finish reading it over the winter so I can apply the tips come May.

Good Resource
This is a real useful book for gardening in the far north.By reading this book, i've picked up several ideas on how to increase the productivity of my garden.good book, good price.

Fantastic resource
This book is an essential resource for gardeners who dream of feeding themselves off their own land in the frozen North.The book is organized into 3 sections and an appendix.Section one describes the challenges of cold climate gardening in general, and provides some very useful suggestions about how to get the most out of the garden, including dealing with microclimates, building soils, and starting seeds indoors.It closes with a chapter on ideas for lengthening the growing season, which is of vital concern when you only have 70-80 days of frost-free weather.

The second section covers various food crops in detail.It includes ideas for speeding the melting of the snow from the garden in the spring, heating the soil during the growing season, and extending the season with mulches and cold frames.It also takes up each vegetable or fruit in turn and describes whether or not it is likely to thrive in the North, with suggestions for pushing the limits, when necessary, to get a harvest.

The last section covers special landscaping concerns of the North, with information such as which hedges should be protected from deep snow, and how to build protective frames for decorative hedges.The appendix includes such things as a list of recommended readings, seed companies and nurseries that specialize in Northern varieties, and sources for greenhouse materials.

Before attempting to garden in Vermont, I've had gardens in Pennsylvania, Upstate New York, Massachusetts, and Southern New Hampshire.In those places, I never needed a book to tell me how to garden- -I just stuck seeds in the ground and they grew.But gardening is different up here, where the soil never really warms up until the end of June, if then, and frosts threaten by the end of August.Succession planting is still possible, but it takes a lot more forethought to enable two harvests on the same ground in such a short period.This book has helped me focus my efforts on vegetables that really will grow in this climate, like root crops and cabbage family plants, and restrict my planting of heat-loving plants to the "experimental section" of the garden.I've even been able to get a couple of melons and cucumbers to grow by following some of the suggestions in this book. I also learned through reading this book how not to waste my money on fruit trees that aren't fit for this climate, and why it is so important to buy fruit trees and seeds locally up here.If you're stymied by gardening in snow, this book can help! ... Read more

Product Description
This IPCC Working Group II volume provides a completely up-to-date scientific assessment of the impacts of climate change, the vulnerability of natural and human environments, and the potential for response through adaptation. Written by the worlds leading experts, the IPCC volumes will again prove to be invaluable for researchers, students, and policymakers, and will form the standard reference works for policy decisions for government and industry worldwide. (Includes CD-ROM) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent Climate Change Resource - Although Technical
The second of three large volumes produced by the IPCC, the world's leading authority and source of information of unbiased climate change science.This second volume from Working Group II, as the title indicates, focuses on the impacts on human society and nature from climate change.The first volume lays out the science that has compelled scientists to take climate change seriously.This second volume is probably of interest to a smaller group of people, such as those who are interested in good background information to help develop policy or solutions to help assess and adapt to climate change.

The report goes out of its way to avoid politics and policy implications, in an attempt to be extremely unbiased.However, this rigid neutrality leads often to some very dull exposition and distillation of very boring studies.Nevertheless, the report is quite important, and I give it five stars for sheer comprehensiveness, if nothing else.One caveat:very technical, very dry, very slow reading.

The latter half of this review is an excerpt of the IPCC reports, from an article titled "Global warming: Stop worrying, start panicking?" by Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, as posted on the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences website. The following excerpt of the article sums up some of my feelings about the IPCC reports that Hans Schellnhuber put into words better than I could:

The scientific evidence about climate change comes in thousands of parcels, yet the monumental reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are the guideposts for both experts and stakeholders. The IPCC format, perfected by the late Bert Bolin, is a painstaking self-interrogation process of the pertinent scientific community. In this process, virtually every stone in the cognitive landscape is turned and the findings, however mundane or ugly, are synthesized into encyclopedic accounts. Unfortunately, such an approach is inherently tuned for burying crucial insights under heaps of facts, figures, and error bars.

Also, by construction, the IPCC vessel tends to steer clear of value judgments that might be easily converted into "policy-prescriptive" statements. The downside of this well-meaning attitude is that the 2007 report does not, for instance, make a systematic attempt to characterize what dangerous anthropogenic interference (DAI) with the natural climate system is all about. Again, all of the relevant information is implicitly contained in the IPCC tomes, most notably in chapter 19 of the Working Group II report "Assessing key vulnerabilities and the risk from climate change". Yet even that chapter shies away from updating the "burning embers diagram" which provides a direct scientific way to gauge the political target of limiting global mean temperature rise to less than 2 degrees Celsius against avoided climate impacts.

Update February 2010:This is the IPCC report that has been in the news that "proves" to some people that the IPCC reports are full of mistakes and can't be trusted.I refer to an error on page 493 of this report (in the section on the Himalayas) that mistakenly stated "The likelihood of glaciers disappearing by 2035 is very high." Unfortunately, the author had used a World Wildlife Fund report which in turn had used a glaciologist's study that estimated that it was very likely Himalayan glaciers would disappear by the year 2350 (not 2035).This was a simple transcription error, but it definitely should have been caught before publication.As a result, certain industries have jumped on this mistake and called into question the credibility of the entire IPCC climate reports.Interestingly, IPCC's volume 1 Physical Science report of the same year contained a 45-page, perfectly valid and error-free chapter 4 on glaciers, snow and ice; and also several pages in chapter 10 on future glacier decline.So, if the author had just used the existing IPCC Volume 1 findings instead of using an improperly transcribed report, the error would not have been made.In no way does this slight error in any way negate the science behind global warming.Most journalists who covered this so-called story of "false science" that "proved" climate scientists were lying had never even seen this large volume before, let alone read a single word of it. Seriously, let's put this into perspective.One insignificant error in a 900-page dense, dense, report is not bad. ... Read more

Product Description
The purpose of this book is to help the climatologist understand the basic precepts of the statistician's art and to provide some of the background needed to apply statistical methodology correctly and usefully. The book is self contained: introductory material, standard advanced techniques, and the specialized techniques used specifically by climatologists are all contained within this one source. There are a wealth of real-world examples drawn from the climate literature to demonstrate the need, power and pitfalls of statistical analysis in climate research. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great statistics book for geophysists
I am a phd-student in spacephysics. "Statistical analysis in Climate Research" is the statistics book which has been most relevant for me that I have read until this time. The information density is very high in this book. It is necessary with some prior knowledge about statistics to read this book. It does not contain any proofs, but many references to other books. The most important thing about this book for me is that it provides solutions to many of the problems one encounter when analyzing data in geophysics. Especially good is it that it discuss situations where the "ideal" assumptions used in normal statistics books are not fulfilled. ... Read more

Product Description
In the nineteenth century, horse transportation consumed vast amounts of land for hay production, and the intense traffic and ankle-deep manure created miserable living conditions in urban centers. The introduction of the horseless carriage solved many of these problems but has created others. Today another revolution in transportation seems overdue. Transportation consumes two-thirds of the world's petroleum and has become the largest contributor to global environmental change. Most of this increase in scale can be attributed to the strong desire for personal mobility that comes with economic growth.

In Transportation in a Climate-Constrained World, the authors present the first integrated assessment of the factors affecting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from passenger transportation. They examine such topics as past and future travel demand; the influence of personal and business choices on passenger travel's climate impact; technologies and alternative fuels that may become available to mitigate GHG emissions from passenger transport; and policies that would promote their adoption. And most important, taking into account all of these options, they consider how to achieve a more sustainable transportation system in the next thirty to fifty years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Options for GHG mitigation short of full-crisis mode
This very well-researched and technically replete book outlines the options for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector, primarily vehicles (cars and light trucks) and aircraft.

In this, it does an excellent job and is invaluable; but I'm not sure it really takes the "climate-constrained" qualifier in its title as seriously as it should. Emblematic of this is the fact that in the final chapter, one scenario for future transportation-related GHG emissions assumes an atmospheric CO2 target level of 550 ppm by volume. We are already at 380 today; many climate scientists think that if we reach 550, we will already be risking environmental Armageddon.

Thus this tome is invaluable for evaluating policy options and promising transportation-related technologies if one eschews full-crisis mode. But those of us convinced that the climate crisis really IS a crisis, requiring fundamental changes in behavior that cannot be easily extrapolated from historical data, will probably not be satisfied to stop at the authors' conclusions.
... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

BUY IT!! It's an amazing resource. We CAN stop global warming!!
This is a superb reference book about the Climate.
Its section on climate science is easy to read, with clear explanations to all your questions, and websites for additional information.
Most of the book is stories about people helping the Earth. Pick a page or two, whatever your interest - art, radio, architecture, gardening, recycling, aviation, forests, solar energy, politics, building, school etc etc,and read about what other people are doing. You will find weblinks to people and organizations that are reducing carbon emissions. Learn what they tried, how they succeeded,and what else can be done.
"Many of us can visualize a peaceful, sustainable climate-friendly world, but it's not happening as fast as it needs to. Something more is needed. We need a movement that unites people all over the world."
Be a part of the solution. Buy this book for yourself and for everyone you know.
Thank you for caring.


... Read more

Product Description
Today's headlines and recent events reflect the gravity of climate change. Heat waves, droughts, and floods are bringing death to vulnerable populations, destroying livelihoods, and driving people from their homes.
Rigorous in its science and insightful in its message, this atlas examines the causes of climate change and considers its possible impact on subsistence, water resources, ecosystems, biodiversity, health, coastal megacities, and cultural treasures. It reviews historical contributions to greenhouse gas levels, progress in meeting international commitments, and local efforts to meet the challenge of climate change.
With more than 50 full-color maps and graphics, this is an essential resource for policy makers, environmentalists, students, and everyone concerned with this pressing subject.
The Atlas covers a wide range of topics, including:
* Warning signs
* Future scenarios
* Vulnerable populations
* Health
* Renewable energy
* Emissions reduction
* Personal and public action
Copub: Myriad Editions ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

great idea, but
This book has a great idea, which is to use maps to show how climate change is expected to affect various areas.The big flaw is that it lumps the entire United States together, rather than showing the changes expected in each region.Surely, climate change will have very different effects on Arizona, Maine, and Oregon.How about doing a book specific to the US?

Well Written, Well Presented Primer on Global Warming
Written to be a textbook, this book is a good introductory primer into the physical science behind global warming. There are also graphs and discussions on what each country is doing financially (by GDP) to help solve the problem and which countries emit carbon and at what rate.It utilizes an extensive amount of graphs and maps, which makes it very easy to visualize the various topics presented.

I am using this currently as a supplemental text book in a community college class in global warming and have found it to be wonderful. It is not, as some other reviewers have seemed to imply, the end all book on the subject and does not delve into extreme detail into any on particular aspect of global warming. In fact, at a mere 128 pages, I cannot see it as more than a light treatment of the subject. What is does is supplement other textbooks which contain more discussion and less visualization.

This would be a good book for those interested in global warming but that have a hard time visualizing the issues. Combined with other, more detailed books, this would provide excellent information. This would also be recommended as text for us in a high school or college introductory environmental science class.

Geography of Climate Change Issues
This is an excellent book for those wishing to study the issue of climate change from a geographical standpoint.The maps are excellent - they show exactly where evidence is being found to support global warming, what aeas of the world will be most impacted by global warming, and which nations have committed resources to slowing carbon emissions.

It is a visual guide to global warming, giving a very graphic perspective of the earth as a whole.The scientific explanations of the interacting systems of global winds, ocean currents, atmospheric gasses, and how they are being affected by human alterations, are particularly easy to understand because of the clear diagrams and colorful maps.

As an instructor of physical geography, I find this to be an excellent book for the non-scientist to undertand the physical processes and the science of global warming.The detailed yet easy-to-understand maps and diagrams add another dimension to an often dry and theoretical topic.

Good effort but misses a major point
This book enters the fray with a good overview relative to alternative energy as the answer - but, in my opinion,fails to embrace the "source" of today's dilemma. To precipitate a change in climate - we need a sea-change in the overall interaction of humanity with water. To achieve this, it would be wise for each of us to become conscious of how our daily decisions impact the world within our reach. What products we buy, how we use energy, the examples we set, what we say to others, how we help ease the burden of other life forms we come into contact with - all have an impact on water and the future of life in our biosphere. And, it is the condition of water within our biosphere that will determine the success or failure of our civilization.

Excellent Understandable Information!
My title says it all!This book is easy to read, pleasant to the eyes with its use of color and visuals, and food for the mind.At last, someone has taken pity on individuals who hear about climate change problems, but have not had the facts about it.I think this book is useful for everyone, and can be used in church, school, and living room settings.

Jay S. Southwick ... Read more

Product Description
Raymond S. Bradley provides his readers with a comprehensive and up-to-date review of all of the important methods used in paleoclimatic reconstruction, dating and paleoclimate modeling. Two comprehensive chapters on dating methods provide the foundation for all paleoclimatic studies and are followed by up-to-date coverage of ice core research, continental geological and biological records, pollen analysis, radiocarbon dating, tree rings and historical records. New methods using alkenones in marine sediments and coral studies are also described. Paleoclimatology, Second Edition, is an essential textbook for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students studying climatology, paleoclimatology and paleooceanography worldwide, as well as a valuable reference for lecturers and researchers, appealing to archaeologists and scientists interested in environmental change.


* Contains two up-to-date chapters on dating methods
* Consists of the latest coverage of ice core research, marine sediment and coral studies, continental geological and biological records, pollen analysis, tree rings, and historical records
* Describes the newest methods using alkenones in marine sediments and long continental pollen records
* Addresses all important methods used in paleoclimatic reconstruction
* Includes an extensive chapter on the use of models in paleoclimatology
* Extensive and up-to-date bibliography
* Illustrated with numerous comprehensive figure captions ... Read more

Product Description
Climate change affects all living organisms; it has done so in the past and will do so in the future. However, current climate change is exceptional both in terms of the rate of change and the impact of multiple types of global change on individuals, populations, species, and ecosystems.

Effects of Climate Change on Birds provides an exhaustive and up-to-date synthesis of the science of climate change as it relates to birds. Compared with any other class of animals, birds provide more long-term data and extensive time series (some dating back more than 100 years), a more geographically and taxonomically diverse source of information, and a longer tradition of extensive research. In fact this research record exceeds what is available in all other organisms combined. ... Read more

Product Description
• Techniques for landscapes and gardens that receive less than 20 inches of annual rainfall

• Inspiring garden scenes in 17 states-from cold and warm deserts, dry grasslands, and Mediterranean climates

• Selection guide details 85 trees, shrubs, and perennials appropriate for dry climates

• Special chapter highlights efficient irrigation systems ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Colorful, Informative and Valuable.
The world climate is changing.Water rationing has become common in many cities and states.Though you may not live in an extremely dry environment there are 'common sence' tips through out this book that can benefit any active gardener.

The unique word, Xeriscape, is becoming more common as gardeners become more environmentally conscious.It comes from the prefixxero = dry, dryness. Common associated words are : xeroderma (dry skin), xerophyte (plant or person flourishing in a dry, hot environment) and of course, Xerox (dry copy).Though the writing is written in a `xero' style, there is a ton of horticultural wisdom to be excavated in this book. The brilliant color photos are sure to make up for any short coming in literary inspiration.

`Dry Climate Gardening' may help you to see gardening in a new way, a natural way.It teacheshow to work with the forces of nature, not against them.

Most beneficial is the section "Plants for Dry Climate Gardens".The sections starts with trees, goes to shrubs and ends with perennials. This section is a cornucopia ofunusual plant varieties unique to most gardens.If the plants you select are right for the environment you will not have to `nuture and protect' them and have more time to sit, sip and celebrate your new garden.Strongly recommended. 4.5 stars. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Success of Book Launch & Climate Change Week 2007 in KL, Malaysia
As co-editor of this book, I am pleased to report on behalf of my co-editor, Dr. Kenny Tang, the authors and myself on the resounding success of its book launch in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, held recently.

All news and media coverage can be found on my organisation's (YTL Corporation Bhd) climate change website at www.ytlcommunity.com/climatechange

YTL organised a "Climate Change Week" from the 6th - 9th March 2007, incorporating the global book launch of "Cut Carbon, Grow Profits"; the YTL-sponsored film premiere of the Oscar-winning film "An Inconvenient Truth" which was screened to the public; and a one-day "Cut Carbon, Grow Profits" Business Conference, backed by world-class speakers and environmentalists.

The awareness-raising event was a resounding success! And Dr. Kenny and I even managed to chat with UK Prime Minister Tony Blair regarding the book and event (and who is clearly a hero who supports the role of governments, companies, organisations and individuals in helping to solve the climate change problem)!

Remember, we can all do our part to protect our earth and the environment.

It's the least we can do for ourselves and our future generations.

Please visit www.ytlcommunity.com/climatechange for more news, information and updates.

God Bless,

RUTH YEOH

Director of Investments,
YTL Corporation Bhd


BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Cut Carbon, Grow Profits
"Cut Carbon, Grow Profits" illustrates what every corporation needs to know in order to manage the carbon and sustainability challenges facing societies, cities, individuals and businesses today. With contributions from international experts, "Cut Carbon, Grow Profits" shows the benefits of incorporating strategic aspects of carbon thinking into the business strategies of companies, their customers and suppliers. In so doing, businesses create sustainable shareholder value, cut costs, increase revenues, build powerful corporate reputations, develop new low-carbon products and services, engage employees, and create powerful brands.

"Cut Carbon, Grow Profits" is essential reading for business executives at every level. This book will guide and inspire leaders in all functions.

Specific examples and case studies are taken from cutting-edge international companies in a variety of sectors. Amidst growing pressure
from customers, investors and other stakeholders to strive for a low carbon and sustainable world, "Cut Carbon, Grow Profits" will prove indispensable for every forward-thinking global CEO.

Leading contributors include:

BT plc, Ford Motor Co, Lloyd's, Siemens, Sun Microsystems, YTL Corp,
World Resources Institute, Ceres (USA), Forum for the Future, The Climate
Group, London Climate Change Agency, Global Action Plan, Arup, Ernst & Young LLP. ... Read more

Product Description
Most of us are familiar with the terms climate change and global warming, but not too many of us understand the science behind them. We don't really understand how climate change will affect us, and for that reason we might not consider it as pressing a concern as, say, housing prices or the quality of local education. This book explains the scientific knowledge about global climate change clearly and concisely in engaging, nontechnical language, describes how it will affect all of us, and suggests how government, business, and citizens can take action against it.

If people don't quite understand the seriousness of climate change, it is partly because politicians and the media have misrepresented the scientific community's strong consensus on it—politicians by selectively parsing the words of mainstream scientists, and the media by presenting "balanced" accounts that give the views of a small number of contrarians equal weight with empirically supported scientific findings. The science is complex, couched in the technical language of sinks, forcing, and albedo, and invokes probabilities, risks, ranges, and uncertainties. Policy discussions use such unfamiliar terms as no regrets policy, clean development mechanism, and greenhouse-gas intensity.

Climate Change explains the nuts and bolts of climate and the greenhouse effect and describes their interaction. It discusses the nature of consensus in science, and the consensus on climate change in particular. It describes both public- and private-sector responses, considers how to improve the way scientific findings are communicated, and evaluates the real risks both to vulnerable developing countries and to particular areas of the United States. We can better tackle climate change, this book shows us, if we understand it. We can use this knowledge to guide our own behavior and pressure governments and businesses to take action.

Contributors:
John Abatzoglou, Joseph F. C. DiMento, Pamela Doughman, Richard A. Matthew, Stefano Nespor, Naomi Oreskes, and Andrew C. Revkin ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Climate Change in understandable format
This book is very enlightening although easy to understand.It puts factual basis behind the global climate crisis and evaluates the real scope of the problem. It also addresses the political side of the argument in an understandable and interesting fashion.A very good read for anyone interested in the green movement, especially those who are just getting in on it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

climate climate and more climate
Well told perspective on how the elements affect every aspect
of our existence, and told in a congenial, conversational manner.

Interesting hypothesis
I bought this book while writing my thesis about the New Madrid Earthquake Scare of 1990.Iben Browning, who co-authored this book with Nels Winkles, was crucified by the press and the "professional" scientists about his supposed earthquake prediction of a major quake along the New Madrid fault in 1990. Rather than beingthe crackpot depicted by the media... I discovered that Browning was a brilliant and gifted scientist with many discoveries and patents to his credit..this book describes his theory of how climate change has affected history.Its a hard read but worthwhile..it's some thing that should be studied more by the historical community..by the way Browning thought that human caused "global warming" was pure bunk!!JH ... Read more

Product Description
The international framework for a climate change agreement is up for review as the initial Kyoto period to 2012 comes to an end. Though there has been much enthusiasm from political and environmental groups, the underlying economics and politics remain highly controversial. This book takes a cool headed look at the critical roadblocks to agreement, examining the economics of climate change, the incentives of the main players (the US, EU, China) and examines the policies governments can put in place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and ultimately shift our economies onto a low-carbon path.

The volume brings together leading climate change policy experts to set out the economic analysis and the nature of the negotiations at Copenhagen and beyond. In addition to reviewing the main issues discussed above, a number of the articles question the basis of much of the climate change consensus, and debate the Stern Report's main findings.

The book is in four parts. Following an overview of the main issues, the first part is a reassessment of the economics of climate change. This is fundamental to the rest of the volume, and it contains new material which goes well beyond what might be called the new conventional wisdom. The second part looks at the geography of the costs and benefits of climate change - the very different perspectives of Africa, China, the US and Europe. These chapters provide a building block to considering the prospects for a new global agreement - the very different interests that will have to be reconciled at Copenhagen and beyond. The third part looks at policy instruments at the global level (whereas much of the literature to date is nationally and regionally based). Trading and R&D feature in the chapters, but so too do more radical unilateral options, including geo-engineering. Part four turns to the institutional architecture - drawing on evidence from previous attempts in other areas, as well as proposals for new bodies. ... Read more

Product Description

Climate Change is geared toward a variety of students and general readers who seek the real science behind global warming. Exquisitely illustrated, the text introduces the basic science underlying both the natural progress of climate change and the effect of human activity on the deteriorating health of our planet. Noted expert and author Edmond A. Mathez synthesizes the work of leading scholars in climatology and related fields, and he concludes with an extensive chapter on energy production, anchoring this volume in economic and technological realities and suggesting ways to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

Climate Change opens with the climate system fundamentals: the workings of the atmosphere and ocean, their chemical interactions via the carbon cycle, and the scientific framework for understanding climate change. Mathez then brings the climate of the past to bear on our present predicament, highlighting the importance of paleoclimatology in understanding the current climate system. Subsequent chapters explore the changes already occurring around us and their implications for the future. In a special feature, Jason E. Smerdon, associate research scientist at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, provides an innovative appendix for students.

Customer Reviews (1)

A Missed Opportunity to Broker Peace
When interpretations of scientific evidence differ radically and acrimoniously, you can be certain that the interest of at least one of the parties is not a better understanding of what makes things tick in the natural world.Whether the topic is the heliocentric solar system, descent with modification, or rapid climate change, rarely are the scientific facts themselves a matter of contention.Edmond Mathez' book is a case in point.

The true value in Mathez' book is his treatment of the carbon cycle and the complexity of the interrelationships between the atmosphere, the lithosphere, the biosphere, the hydrosphere, and the cryosphere.Mathez' packaging of these topics for the scientifically literate reader, complete with illustrations, is masterful.Once Mathez equips us with the necessary vocabulary and the conceptual framework, he takes us back into deep geologic time to experience "climates past."Here we learn how carbon cycle disequilibria have created millennia of glacial and interglacial cycles, and we learn where we are in the present interglacial.And he shows the complexities and limitations of the climate models designed to forecast our destiny.

Mathez describes the three types of irregularities in the Earth's orbit which interact to create Milankovitch cycles, which explain much of the naturally-occurring cyclicality in Earth's' historic climate.He also describes the naturally-occurring accelerators, principally the polar albedo effect and water vapor, as well as the climate system's balancing factors.

One of the most startling of the historic cycles is the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), some 55 million years ago, which the author states "is analogous to resent-day climate change."During the Paleocene, climate had been slowly warming, but then a sudden, enormous mass of carbon flooded the ocean and atmosphere.During the PETM, 1,500 to 4,500 gigatons (billion metric tons) of carbon entered the Earth's climate system. This influx of carbon increased the Earth's temperature by 9 to 16 degrees Fahrenheit, about the amount of carbon and temperature we'd expect at current levels of anthropogenic carbon production.Another startling precedent was the Younger Dryas, only about 12,900 years ago, which in the space of only 1,300 years increased the Earth's temperature some 13 degrees Fahrenheit.The Younger Dryas warming period does not appear, however, to have been caused by an increase in carbon, but to a sudden decrease in the salinity of the oceans.

The author shows that in the last 100 thousand years there have been 23 naturally-occurring warm periods, the last of them causing the current increases in atmospheric and hydrospheric temperatures which account for the retreating glaciers.It is clear that with humans introducing some 36 gigatons of carbon dioxide annually, the current rate of naturally-occurring warming can only accelerate.

Edmond Mathez, provides all of this information, and more, yet he fails to draw the key conclusion which could have easily brokered a peace between partisans in the climate debate.Why doesn't he state unequivocally that there are both natural and anthropogenic causes to the current interglacial warming period and that climate research should focus on quantifying the percentages of each?Of course it makes sense for humans to reduce carbon emissions, but won't the impact of any reductions depend on the relative impact of our emissions?That is a question that Mathez curiously leaves unanswered.
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