Engineering Response to Climate Change, Second Edition
Features
- Explores the potential global scenarios of energy, economic activity, and land use in the twenty-first century
- Provides a review of coastal hazards associated with sea level rise relative to land elevation
- Presents an overview of the problems and issues likely to result from changes in the availability and distribution of water as a result of global climate change
- Reviews various demand-side strategies for reducing the rate of anthropogenic production of atmospheric CO2 through more efficient energy use
- Includes an overview of the potential of renewable electric technologies to reduce carbon emissions in the U.S. electric sector
- Discusses the pros and cons of using nuclear energy as a source of power generation, including safety issues and R&D efforts
- Examines the current status of magnetic and inertial fusion energy, its recent accomplishments, near-term expectations, and remaining challenges
- Elucidates how commercial power needs can be met from solar-derived massless microwave photons supplied to the Earth from power bases on the moon
- Focuses on the societal basis for adaptation to climate change
- Highlights the situation the world faces and the options for taking action, even as far as moving to take over control of the global climate system
Summary
A clear, concise discussion of today’s hottest topics in climate change, including adapting to climate change and geo-engineering to mitigate the effects of change, Engineering Response to Climate Change, Second Edition takes on the tough questions of what to do and offers real solutions to the practical problems caused by radical changes in the Earth’s climate. From energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions reduction, to climate-altering technologies, this new edition explores the latest concerns such as acidification of the ocean, energy efficiency, transportation, space solar power, and future and emerging possibilities.
The editors set the stage by discussing the separate issues of the emissions of radiatively important atmospheric constituents, energy demand, energy supply, agriculture, water resources, coastal hazards, adaption strategies, and geo-engineering. They explain the difference between the natural and human drivers of climate change and describe how humans have influenced the global climate during past decades. Each chapter concludes with discussion questions, calculations, and possible research topics.
See What’s in the Second Edition:
- New conceptual tools and research necessary for problems associated with fossil fuels
- Cutting-edge topics such as adaption and geo-engineering
- The latest concerns such as acidification of the ocean, energy efficiency, transportation, and space solar power
- Solutions to problems caused by changes in the Earth’s climate
So much has changed in the 15 years since the publication of the first edition, that this is, in effect, a completely new book. However, the general theme is the same: the climate energy problem has become largely an engineering problem. With this in mind, the book explores what engineers can do to prevent, mitigate, or adapt to climate change.
Table of Contents
The Fifth Revolution, Robert G. Watts
Radiatively Important Atmospheric Constituents, Donald J. Wuebbles and Darienne Ciuro
Scenarios of Future Socio-Economics, Energy, Land Use, and Radiative Forcing, Jiyong Eom, Richard Moss, Jae Edmonds, Kate Calvin, Leon Clarke, Jim Dooley, Son H. Kim, Robert E. Kopp, Page Kyle, Patrick Luckow, Pralit Patel, Allison Thomson, Marshall Wise, and Yuyu Zhou
Understanding Sea Level Rise and Coastal Hazards, Ashish J. Mehta, Robert G. Dean, Clay L. Montague, Earl J. Hayter, and Yogesh P. Khare
Water Resources, William H. McAnally, Phillip H. Burgi, Richard H. French, Jeffery P. Holland, James R. Houston, Igor Linkov, William D. Martin, Bernard Hsieh, Barbara Miller, Jim Thomas, James R. Tuttle, Darryl Calkins, Jose E. Sanchez, Stacy E. Howington, William R. Curtis, and Matteo Convertino
Energy Demand, Efficiency, and Conservation, Hadi Dowlatabadi and Maryam Rezaei
Renewable Electricity, Walter Short
The Future of Energy from Nuclear Fission, Son H. Kim and Temitope Taiwo
Energy from Nuclear Fusion, Arthur W. Molvik
Energy from Space for Sustainable Commercial Power for Earth, David R. Criswell
Adapting to Climate Change, Donald J. Wuebbles
Climate Engineering: Impact Reducer or Suffering Inducer? Michael C. MacCracken
Index
Editorial Reviews
"... addresses the serious matter of climate change causes and responses with appropriate respect for the scales involved, in all respects."
—Michael Tobis, University of Wisconsin, Madison
"… an important and timely update of the first edition … not only important for its presentation of the scientific basis of global warming, but also by the fact that it does not ignore the publication of a group of scientists generally referred to as ‘deniers.’ Although it may be convenient to disregard the deniers’ perspective because they represent only a small number of scientists who do not believe in man-made causes for global warming, the position of those deniers gives food to politicians and certain industrial enterprises such as coal and oil industries that benefit financially by delaying any effective action to reduce global warming. … written by some outstanding engineers from many parts of the world and provide some ideas on what mankind can do to make our planet a habitable place for future generations."
—Frank Kreith, Professor Emeritus, University of Colorado
Praise for the First Edition
"If you have a genuine interest in climate change issues you may wish to make a serious effort to find this book ... focuses on realistic responses and realistic time frames ... Rigorous arguments are presented, not avoiding recourse to mathematics, chemistry, and physics ... substantial space is given both to energy demand reduction and to geo-engineering solutions ... addresses the serious matter of climate change causes and responses with appropriate respect for the scales involved, in all respects."
—Michael Tobis, University of Wisconsin, Madison
