Drought, Flood, Fire: How Climate Change Contributes to Catastrophes

Description

Every year, droughts, floods, and fires impact hundreds of millions of people and cause massive economic losses. Climate change is making these catastrophes more dangerous. Now. Not in the future: NOW. This book describes how and why climate change is already fomenting dire consequences, and will certainly make climate disasters worse in the near future. Chris C. Funk combines the latest science with compelling stories, providing a timely, accessible, and beautifully-written synopsis of this critical topic. The book describes our unique and fragile Earth system, and the negative impacts humans are having on our support systems. It then examines recent disasters, including heat waves, extreme precipitation, hurricanes, fires, El Ninos and La Ninas, and their human consequences. By clearly describing the dangerous impacts that are already occurring, Funk provides a clarion call for social change, yet also conveys the beauty and wonder of our planet, and hope for our collective future.

Chris C. Funk is an internationally renowned climate hazard scientist who develops data sets and forecasts that routinely help save lives and livelihoods around the world. His publications focus on climate and climate change, highlighting how climate science can provide opportunities for predicting natural disasters, thus helping to alleviate their dire consequences. His research has been featured in Science, on TV, in mainstream print media, and on the radio.

'Chris Funk's Drought, Flood, Fire uses a compelling mix of storytelling and fact-finding to communicate the very real impacts we are now feeling from climate change-fueled weather extremes. Read this book to understand the problem and learn how we can solve it.' Michael Mann, author of The New Climate War and The Madhouse Effect 'What a nifty book! We have a beautiful planet - and we're not taking care of it. This book shows in compelling detail how we've begun to shake our home apart, and it reminds us of the very human consequences. Climate change is not going to happen someday. It's happening today!' Bill McKibben, author of Falter and The End of Nature 'Drawing on his own research in a narrative that's both engaging and sobering, Chris Funk shows us the havoc that human-caused climate change is wreaking on the disparate landscapes and peoples of Africa and the United States - and how we can avert still-worse calamities that otherwise lie ahead.' Robert Henson, author of The Thinking Person's Guide to Climate Change 'Drought, Flood, Fire provides a clarion call for social change, yet also conveys the beauty and wonder of our planet, and hope for our collective future.' James A. Cox, Midwest Book Review '... effectively interweaves deeply personal stories with pertinent data, graphs, tables, and illustrations from around the world ... Readers learn how hurricanes and other storms can be magnified by climate change ... Funk's assertions and data presentations are backed up by requisite notes and references. Highly recommended.' M. Dickinson, Choice Connect 'In essence a how-to manual: a guide, that is, not just to how climate change is exacerbating climate extremes but, perhaps even more vitally, why climate change is, right now, happening so rapidly. Though thoroughly sourced in the scientific literature, with seemingly every factual assertion foot-noted, this is a book aimed at educating those non-specialists amongst us who still need educating to the real-world effects of climate change ... This is truly a book by a scientist who understands how to meaningfully inform his non-scientist readers.' G. T. Dempsey, Geography Realm