Oil, Water, and Climate: An Introduction

Description

Today's oil and gas are at record prices, whilst global energy demand is increasing from population and economic development pressures. Climate change, resulting in large part from the burning of fossil fuels, is exacerbating the impacts of the excelerated exploitation of our natural resources. Therefore, anxieties over energy, water, and climate security are at an all-time high. Global action is needed now in order to address this set of urgent challenges and to avoid putting the future of our civilization at risk. This book examines the powerful interconnections that link energy, water, climate and population, exploring viable options in addressing these issues collectively. Difficult political decisions and major reforms in resource governance, policies, market forces, and use are needed and this book provides excellent introductory material to begin to understand and to address these problems.

Catherine Gautier (Doctorat Es Science in Physics/ Meteorology, Universite de Paris, 1984) is Professor of Geography at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Gautier is the former Director of the Institute for Computational Earth System Science and current Head of the Earth Space Research Group at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She co-edited with Jean-Louis Fellous Comprendre le changement climatique (2007).

'Catherine Gautier deserves congratulations for creating a textbook that not only deals with these three topics, but most important, also draws them together and shows how they are connected. ... Gautier's perspective is global and as such, the book will broaden students' perspectives. ... Oil, Water and Climate does a great job of making these important topics accessible to undergraduate students. It brings together many important ideas in Earth science, technology and global policy.' EOS 'Catherine Gautier offers an encompassing and integrative text on climate change suitable for a variety of undergraduate courses and non-academic audiences. ... Oil, Water and Climate is far more integrative than most texts on global warming, without sacrificing approachability, and for this reason, I would recommend it as a useful read.' Environmental Conservation 'Scientists will struggle to persuade politicians to take unpopular decisions without public support. For this reason education, awareness raising and books like Oil, Water and Climate are more important than ever. ... Catherine Gautier sets out the facts on which public policy on climate change can and must be defined, and quickly.' The Round Table 'Throughout the volume, Gautier effectively builds a historically-sensitive account of contested processes, while illuminating the high stakes and unfolding challenges around oil, water and climate.' Global Environmental Politics