There seems to be a pattern emerging for my recent entries to this site, namely that they are all related in some way to climate change and what we need to be doing to cope with it. I don’t want this pattern to take hold too strongly, but I guess that given that my work is focussed on oceanography and meteorology and given that our planet is warming and climates are changing, there is some inevitability about this. Anyway, this entry is just to record that I recently finished reading a really excellent book on climate change due to human-induced global warming and to strongly recommend it to anyone interested in this topic (and to be honest, if you’re not interested in this topic then you should be and you soon will be…). The book is called “The Hot Topic” and is written by Gabrielle Walker (coincidentally mentioned in another entry on this site a few days ago) and Sir David King (who until 2007 was Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK Government). The book sets out in simple terms the basic science behind climate change, how we will need to adapt to the changes that will occur, what kinds of technological solutions we might be able to develop to help to reduce our emissions of the so-called Greenhouse Gases and explores the relevant political dimensions and personal and local solutions (what we can all do to help). It’s quite short, is highly readable and is packed with lots of references to key scientific works that have informed our understanding of climate change. You can find more information about the book from the Bloomsbury Publishing website entry.
Since reading the book I have been much more careful about switching off lights and appliances around the house when they are not needed and have taken a decision not to use the lift at work (my office is on the 5th floor) or to press the button to open the automatic doors. Both the lift and the door use energy every time they are used and that energy most likely comes from the burning of fossil fuels. As long as I don’t end up eating more to provide myself with the extra energy I need to climb the stairs or open the door, I’ll be making a very small contribution to helping to keep the planet cooler in the future. It may not be much, but every little helps.
Tim O'Hare 