Four Degrees of Global Warming: Australia in a Hot World

ISBN-13: 9780415824576 / Angielski / Twarda / 2013 / 270 str.

Peter Christoff

Opis

At Copenhagen in December 2009, the international community agreed to limit global average warming to below two Celsius in order to avoid the worst impacts of induced climate change. Climate scientists now agree that the emissions reduction targets and measures proposed by the international community including Australia at and since Copenhagen, will not achieve this goal. Instead, these commitments would likely produce average global warming of around four degrees by 2100, and to between six and twelve degrees in centuries thereafter. This ambition gap between climate science and climate policy makes the possibility of a Four Degree World realistic and the need to understand what this world might look like, urgent.
Four Degrees of Global Warming: Australia in a Hot World outlines the expected impacts of global average warming of four degrees or more for Australia and its region. Its authors include many of Australia s most eminent and internationally recognized climate scientists, climate policy makers and policy analysts. They provide a detailed, dramatic and disturbing examination of the likely impacts of a Four Degree World on Australia s social, economic and ecological systems. The overarching message of this book is that warming of four degrees warming or more will cause radical transformations in Australia and its region. This book highlights the inadequacy of present Australian emissions targets and points to the efforts required if Australia is to avoid catastrophic consequences.
Written in an accessible way, this book allows policy makers, politicians, students and anyone interested in the institutional and policy responses required for Australia to help avert or to accommodate such outcomes to grasp the most recent scientific research that enables consideration of the Australian impacts of average global warming of four degrees or more.

Spis treści

1. Introduction  Part 1: Climate Science and Four Degrees  2. Australia's Climate at Four Degrees  3. Extreme Events  Part 2: Ecological Impacts  4. Terrestrial Species and Ecosystems  5. Marine Species and Ecosystems  6. Agricultural Systems  7. Compounding Problems  Part 3: Social and Economic Impacts  8. Compounding Social and Economic Impacts  9. Human Health  10. Cities  11. Regional Security  Part 4: Adaptation  12. Regional Adaptation Challenges  13. Adaptation - Can We?  14. Conclusion

O autorze

Peter Christoff is a political scientist and Associate Professor who teaches Climate Change Politics and Policy and Environmental Policy at the University of Melbourne. From 2005 to 2013 hewas also the Vice President of the Australian Conservation Foundation, Australia’s largest national environmental NGO.