Climate Change & Global Warming

Subject Headings

For library materials on this topic, browse the subject headings:

Climatic Changes
Global Warming
Greenhouse effect, Atmospheric

Recent Books

Additional books on climate's effect on human history.

	Gore, Albert An Inconvenient Truth: the Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do about It Published to tie into a documentary film of the same name, "An Inconvenient Truth" is Gore's battle cry about what needs to be done about global warming. QC981.8.G56 G67 2006x
	Flannery, Tim F. (Tim Fridtjof), 1956- The Weather Makers: How Man is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth The Weather Makers is both an urgent warning and a call to arms, outlining the history of climate change, how it will unfold over the next century, and what we can do to prevent a cataclysmic future. QC981.8.C5 F438 2005
	Global Warming: Opposing Viewpoints Most scientists agree that temperatures near the surface of the Earth appear to be increasing, but there is controversy about what this warming might mean. Is it a potentially catastrophic event caused by humans, or simply a natural and harmless fluctuation such as Earth has seen before? QC981.8.G56 G574 2006
	Johansen, Bruce E. (Bruce Elliott), 1950- Global Warming in the 21st Century This three-volume work (v. 1. Our evolving climate crisis -- v. 2. Melting ice and warming seas -- v. 3. Plants and animals in peril) presents a critical mass of evidence that global warming is already exerting a dramatic influence over air, land, and sea temperatures, with disastrous results for flora, fauna, and humans. QC981.8.G56 J643 2006
	Linden, Eugene. The Winds of Change: Climate, Weather, and the Destruction of Civilizations Environmental journalist Linden reveals a recurring pattern in which civilizations become prosperous and complacent during good weather, only to collapse when climate changes--either through its direct effects, such as floods or drought, or indirect consequences, such as disease, blight, and civil disorder. QC981.8.C5 L567 2006
	Lovelock, J. E. The Revenge of Gaia: Earth's Climate in Crisis and the Fate of Humanity A pessimistic view of earth's future from a prominent climate scientist and proponent of the idea that life on earth functions as a single organism. QH343.4.L694 2006x
	Mooney, Chris (Chris C.) Storm World: Hurricanes, Politics, and the Battle over Global Warming One of the leading science journalists and commentators working today, Mooney delves into a red-hot debate in meteorology: whether the increasing ferocity of hurricanes is connected to global warming. QC944.M66 2007
	O'Hare, Greg Weather, Climate, and Climate Change: Human Perspectives This book provides an up-to-date and accessible analysis of one of the most crucial and contentious issues facing the world today - the processes and consequences of natural and human-induced changes in the structure and function of the climate system. QC861.3.O35 2005
	Pearce, Fred With Speed and Violence: Why Scientists Fear Tipping Points in Climate Change Enviromental journalist Fred Pearce (author of When the Rivers Run Dry) presents evidence supporting the existence of global warming from many scientists. QC981.8.C5 P415 2006
	Reay, Dave, 1972- Climate Change Begins at Home: Life on the Two-Way Street of Global Warming Climate change is one of the greatest threats to humankind in the 21st century and while government and industry dither, climatologist Dave Reay urges each of us to cut our personal greenhouse gas emissions by 60% - the level necessary to halt the current trend according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. GE300.R42 2005
	Sweet, William Kicking the Carbon Habit: Global Warming and the Case for Renewable and Nuclear Energy William Sweet puts forth the reasons for using wind and nuclear power in place of coal and petroleum. TJ808.S87 2006
	Tidwell, Mike The Ravaging Tide: Strange Weather, Future Katrinas, and the Coming Death of America's Coastal Cities A prophetic journalist predicts that because of global warming, ocean levels will rise by three feet in the coming decades, and hurricanes will grow more powerful, endangering coastal populations not only in North America but throughout the world. QC981.8.C5 T53 2006

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DVDs (Videorecordings)

	Global Warming: The Signs and the Science This documentary, produced by the South Carolina Educational Television Network, examines the dangers posed to the planet by global warming. (DVD) QC981.8.G56 G581325 2005x
Global Warming: You Can Make a Difference This production by Video Education Australasia examines how increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere create a greenhouse effect that produces climatic change and global warming. Discusses what can be done at international and individual levels to change human behavior and reduce carbon dioxide levels.
	Gore, Albert An Inconvenient Truth Former Vice President Al Gore explains the facts of global warming, presents arguments that the dangers of global warning have reached the level of crisis, and addresses the efforts of certain interests to discredit the anti-global warming cause. Between lecture segments, Gore discusses his personal commitment to the environment, sharing anecdotes from his experiences. (DVD) QC981.8.G56 I5335 2006x
Scientific American Frontiers. Hot Planet -- Cold Comfort Examines recent research at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Cape Cod, Massachucetts, connecting global warming with changes in climatic systems. Investigates shrinking glaciers in Alaska. (DVD) QC981.8.G56 H3934 2005x
Strange Days on Planet Earth Four National Geographic television programs examine the effects of climate change on various species and ecosystems.

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Websites

• Alliance for Climate Protection
  http://www.climateprotect.org/
  An organization founded by Al Gore to persuade the American people of the importance and urgency of adopting and implementing effective and comprehensive solutions for the climate crisis.
• Ceres: 2006 Corporate Governance and Climate Change: Making the Connection
  This is a report issued by the Ceres investor coalition (a shareholder environmentalist group) that "analyzes how 100 leading companies are addressing the growing financial risks and opportunities from climate change -- whether from expanding greenhouse gas regulations, direct physical impacts or surging demand for climate-friendly technologies." Ceres' publications include many on climate change.
• CNN Special Report: Changing Earth
  http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/changing.earth/
  "Is global warming really a threat? Yes, respond most scientists, but only recently have they been able to approach a basic agreement about changing climate."
• CO2 Science
  http://www.co2science.org/
  Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change offers a weekly online publication of its CO2 Science magazine, which contains editorials on topics of current concern and mini-reviews of recently published peer-reviewed scientific journal articles, books, and other educational materials on the subject of carbon dioxide and global change.
• Discovery Channel: Global Warming: What You Need to Know, with Tom Brokaw
  This is the companion site to the TV program that aired in the summer of 2006. Includes sections on Global Warming 101, Signs and Sources, Climate Change History.
• New Scientist Special Reports: Climate Change
  http://www.newscientist.com/channel/earth/climate-change
  "Climate change is with us. A decade ago, it was conjecture. Now the future is unfolding before our eyes."
• Pew Center on Global Climate Change
  http://www.pewclimate.org/
  A research center that also engages in education and advocacy. Their website includes a section on Global Warming Basics and a Glossary of Terms as well as an In Depth section with online reports.
• Understanding and Responding to Climate Change
  Highlights of a March 2006 National Academies Report
• U.S. Climate Change Technology Program
  http://www.climatetechnology.gov/
  A multi-agency research and development program for the development of climate change technology
  • U.S. Climate Change Technology Program Strategic Plan
    Released on by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on September 20, 2006
• U.S. Global Change Research Information Office
  http://www.gcrio.org/
  The US Global Change Research Information Office (GCRIO) provides access to data and information on climate change from federal agencies involved in the US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). It is maintained by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program.
• Washington Post: The Threat of Climate Change
  Read complete Post coverage on the science and politics surrounding the threat of human-induced climate change.
• Wikipedia: Temperature record of the past 1000 years
  A very interesting article in the "free encyclopedia" that discusses the need for a reconstruction of past temperatures in order to improve the understanding of current climate variability. There are only reliable records since about 1850 and only from a few countries. The article links important terms to other entries in Wikipedia.

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International

• The Climate Group
  http://www.theclimategroup.org/
  The Climate Group is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing business and government leadership on climate change. It consists of companies, governments, and nonprofit organizations.
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
  http://www.ipcc.ch/
  The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been established by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to assess scientific, technical and socio- economic information relevant for the understanding of climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation.
• New Scientist: Climate change: A guide for the perplexed
  A May 16, 2007 article from the New Scientist.
• Royal Society: Climate Change
  The Royal Society, the UK's national academy of science, is an idependent nonprofit organization composed of the most eminent scientists, engineers and technologists from the UK and the Commonwealth. Their Climate Change site is directed at the public and includes sections on facts and fictions about climate change and global climate change policy.
• SciDevNet: Climate Change
  http://www.scidev.net/climate
  This dossier provides news, analysis and background on current debates about the nature and implications of climate change as it relates to developing countries.
• United Nations Environment Programme: Climate Change
  http://climatechange.unep.net/
  This portal is a central source for substantive work and information resources regarding climate change.
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
  http://unfccc.int/
  Over a decade ago (1994), most countries joined an international treaty -- the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) -- to begin to consider what can be done to reduce global warming and to cope with whatever temperature increases are inevitable. Recently, a number of nations have approved an addition to the treaty: the Kyoto Protocol, which has more powerful (and legally binding) measures.

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What You Can Do

• Carbon Footprint
  http://www.carbonfootprint.com/
  Measure the impact that your activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of green house gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide.
  • Calculator for the United States
• Keep Winter Cool
  http://www.keepwintercool.org/
  "Fight global warming. Winter's short enough already." Keep Winter Cool is a partnership between NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) and the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) to raise visibility and public understanding of global warming and spotlight opportunities that exist right now to start fixing the problem.
• Replenish and Recycle: Principles to Grow By Throughout the New Year
  A December 29, 2007 article from the Washington Post by Joel M. Lerner about the impact of small things that you can do to reduce man's negative impact on the climate.
• Stop Global Warming
  http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/
  StopGlobalWarming.org is an advocacy group for addressing the issue of global warming. A project of the Tides Center.

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Pittsburgh Resources

• Pittsburgh Climate Protection Initiative
  http://www.pittsburghclimate.org/
  The Pittsburgh Climate Protection Initiative seeks to raise awareness and engage Pittsburgh’s residents, businesses, government and institutions of higher learning in taking actions that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and their impact on our local economy and human well being. The Initiative is financially supported through generous funding from the Roy A. Hunt Foundation, The Heinz Endowments and the Surdna Foundation.
• Climate Change Roadmap for Pennsylvania
  http://www.pecpa.org/roadmap.htm
  The Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) released its Climate Change report in June, 2007. According to PEC, "Pennsylvania produces 1% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions."
  
• Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment
  http://www.northeastclimateimpacts.org/
  The Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment (NECIA) is a collaboration between the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and a team of more than fifty independent experts to develop and communicate a new assessment of climate change. July 11, 2007, they published "Confronting Climate Change in the U.S. Northeast" (below) that was commented on in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  • Confronting Climate Change in the U.S. Northeast - July 11, 2007 (160 pages)
  • Climate Change in the U.S. Northeast October 2006 (52 pages)
• Penn Future's Cool Pennsylvania
  A site by Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future focusing on what Pennsylvanians can do about global warming since "Pennsylvania contributes 1 percent of all the pollution that causes global warming - more than 105 developing countries combined. Pennsylvania produces more greenhouse gasses than 47 states - only California and Texas produce more." Listen to PennFuture's podcasts on global warming.

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