Atmospheric Pollution and Environmental Change

Description

This text addresses some of the major issues of concern relating to atmospheric pollution at a variety of scales, from the global to the local, and relates these issues to environmental impacts. In trying to integrate these two areas, it takes a long temporal perspective on both the atmosphere and the natural environments, using examples from a range of time dimensions, drawn from around the world. Using the range of scales as her basic framework, the author moves on from discussions of the various problems to examine the various policy approaches currently being adopted. An entire chapter is devoted specifically to the use of models, again across the range of scales. In seeking to be selective in the use of examples, the author focuses on those issues which have clear links to policy (that is, are in some way controllable) and where the pollutants are recognised as playing a part in both the climate system and at other scales and in other contacts as potentially damaging pollutants for natural ecosystems or human health.

Sarah Metcalfe is Professor of Earth and Environmental Dynamics in the School of Geography at the University of Nottingham, UK. Dick Derwent is an independent consultant and has worked for over thirty years on air pollution and atmospheric chemistry. He has worked in major research organisations and for the UK government in developing and implementing air pollution policies. He was a contributor to the IPCC Working Group 1 3rd assessment. Both authors have served on a number of review and expert groups on air pollution issues for the UK government.

'This book is an authoritative but accessible synthesis of environmental pollution as a major cause of environmental change ! !a very useful book that addresses many of the issues covered by atmospheric pollution in a very accessible way! I found this book as complete and informative as possible and of utmost importance to interested readers, whatever their background or motivations.' -- International Journal of Environment and Pollution 20061201