Global Climate Change, Annotated Bibliography Example

Claussen, E., ed. (2001). Climate change: Science, strategies, & solutions. Arlington, VA: Pew Center on Global Climate Change.

Published under the auspices of the prestigious Pew Center on Global Climate Change, this book offers a wealth of information on climate change and its impacts on society. Some of the major contributors includes Thomas Wigley of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, John Reilly of MIT, and Naoki Matsuo of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies of Japan. According to Claussen, this book supports the thesis that “human influences, primarily from energy use and land-use policies, are affecting” Earth’s climate and that because of the speed of this affect, the consequences for the next century “are likely to be very serious” (2001, p. x).

Climate Change. (2013). Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/climatechange

At this website, the EPA discusses three major areas related to global climate change. First, why climate change is occurring. Second, that climate change is largely due to the impact of human beings on the environment. And third, that climate change affects all human beings. As noted by the EPA, climate change “will bring changes that can affect our water supplies, agriculture, power and transportation systems, the natural environment, and even our own health and safety” (2013). The EPA also provides some guidelines on what people can do to help make a difference related to climate change.

Climate Change. (2013). National Science Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/climate

On this website, the NSA provides a link to a special report called “Solving the Puzzle: Researching the Impacts of Climate Change Around the World”(http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/climate/pdf/NSF_Climate_Change_Report.pdf). This report covers virtually everything related to the topic, such as research concerning the impacts on sea ice, oceans, the land, life, and people. The basic premise of this report is founded on the idea that researchers know that “human activities including fossil fuel use, agriculture, and land use have been the dominant causes of increased concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere over the past 250 years” (2013, p. 1). Overall, this report is an excellent starting point for research on the topic.

DiMento, J.F.C., & Doughman, P., eds. (2007). Climate change: What it means forus, our children, and our grandchildren. Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Supported by a grant from the California Energy Commission, this book was written for a general audience whose knowledge and understanding on climate change is limited to what the mass media decides to print and broadcast. As pointed out by Joseph F.C. DiMento and Pamela Doughman, global climate change “is a major societal issue that many citizens” in the U.S. “do not understand, do not take seriously, and do not consider to be a major public policy concern” (2007, p. 1). However, most climatologists agree that climate change is a major social challenge that must be confronted and solved. This must occur within the next ten years in order for our children and grandchildren to live in a healthy and natural climate.

Downie, D.L., Brash, K., & Vaughan, C. (2009). Climate change. Santa Barbara, CA:ABC-CLIO, Inc.

In this book, David L. Downie, Kate Brash, and Catherine Vaughan explore the on-going debate over the existence of global climate change and global warming. Up front, they discuss the background and history of the topic. Then the problems, controversies and solutions to climate change. Lastly, they provide a worldwide perspective on how climate change has affected nations like Brazil, China, and India. As an added bonus, they provide biographies on some of the foremost experts in the filed of climate change and global meteorology. The author’s overall premise is that climate change has resulted from human activity.

Global Climate Change. (2013). NASA. Retrieved from http://climate.nasa.gov

Much like the EPA, NASA provides a comprehensive overview on global climate change. First of all, there are key indicators like CO₂ build-up. Second, mounting evidence for the human impact factor. Third, key causes, such as excessive energy use and an increase in automobiles on a global scale. Fourth, key effects like an increase in world temperatures. Fifth, a growing consensus that human beings are responsible for climate change. And sixth, NASA’s role in helping to combat climate change.

Kusky, T. (2009). Climate change: Shifting glaciers, deserts, and climate belts. New York: Facts on File, Inc.

In this work, Timothy Kusky explores climate change from a scientific perspective. Chapter One discusses natural long-term climate change related to the earth’s atmosphere, plate tectonics, and the evolution of the sun. Chapter Two discusses natural medium and short-term climate change related to weather oscillations and volcanic activity. Chapter Three is perhaps the most important, for it provides an in-depth look at how human beings have altered the earth’s climate over the last 1000 years. It also explores the effects on earth’s deserts, glaciers, and what can be done to halt climate change.

Letcher, T.M. (2009). Climate change: Observed impacts on planet earth. Amsterdam: Elsevier.

In this exhaustive study, Trevor M. Letcher, professor of Environmental Studies at London University, explores a number of important topics. Part One covers the possible causes of climate change. Part Two covers the geological history of climate change, and Part Three discusses the indicators of climate and global change. As noted in the foreword, any doubts about climate change have been dispelled by Letcher, and if there exists a “case to be made for action” (2009, p.xiii), then it has been clearly covered by Letcher. Overall, this book provides an in-depth exploration on the topic and proves that climate change is very real.

Pittock, A.B. (2009). Climate change: The science, impacts, and solutions. 2nd. ed. Collingwood, Australia: CSIRO Publishing.

In this exceptionally well-researched work, A. Barrie Pittock, one of the world’s leading experts on climate change, provides an in-depth analysis on the various aspects of climate change. As noted in the foreword, the “quality and content of research carried out” by Pittock has created a “benchmark that sets the standards for many of his peers.” He has also created a great model for young researchers interested in climate change (2009, p. xi). Thus, as a researcher, Pittock urges his readers to appreciate the fact that “human-induced climate change” (i.e., anthropogenic) is a “rapidly changing subject that requires our immediate attention” (2009, p. xiii).

Solomon, S., Plattner, G.K., Knutti, R., & Friedlingstein, P. (2008). Irreversible climate change due to carbon dioxide emissions. Retrieved from http://ateson.com/ws/r/www.pnas.org/content/106/6/1704.full

Like many earlier reports, this paper discusses the scientific evidence for climate change related to increasing levels of CO₂ in the Earth’s atmosphere. To backup the evidence, the authors include findings by many international scientific organizations and bodies. They also provide evidence that supports the impact of human beings on climate change. Basically, this paper is hard science and might be difficult to understand for most readers. However, it should be included in student papers on the topic, along with some of the excellent references provided as support.

The Scientific Consensus on Global Warming. (2004). Retrieved from http://leisureguy.wordpress.com/2007/09/04/the-scientific-consensus-on-global-warming

Originally published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Naomi Oreskes discusses the on-going debate over whether climate change is real or imagined. In support of climate change, Oreskes relates that the “scientific consensus is clearly expressed in the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change” whose purpose is to “evaluate the state of climate science as a basis for informed policy action” and how it affects global societies (2004). Oreskes also notes that other scientific bodies clearly agree with the IPCC. Thus, Oreskes emphasizes that the time is now to act responsibly on climate change.

Warren, D. (2001). Climate change. London, UK: Royal Society of Chemistry.

In this book, Dorothy Warren of the Royal Society of Chemistry in London, England, discusses the varied problems associated with climate change and global warming. The book is also a teaching aid that explores various strategies for use in the classroom. Warren’s basic thesis is that climate change needs to be thoroughly understood before human beings can effectively bring an end to it. One way is to pay “particular attention to data analysis and evaluations” made by scientists and climatologist over the last decade. Warren also stresses that scientists need to “influence the behaviors of world governments, the chemical industry, and of course the general global public” (2001, p. 1).