The Atlas of Climate Change

Today's headlines reflect the seriousness of climate change, with almost daily updates. Recent events demonstrate the price of a changing climate as heat waves, droughts, and flooding cause deaths among vulnerable populations, destroy livelihoods, drive people from their homes, and create millions of environmental refugees. Rigorous in its science and powerful in its message, The Atlas of Climate Change gives shape and meaning to the key issues and debates around climate change. This handsomely illustrated book marks a radical departure from conventional cartography and provides a fast, highly effective way of conveying large amounts of information through the medium of the map. The Atlas examines the signs of climate change--glacial and polar melting, rising sea levels, erratic weather patterns--and explains how global warming is being driven by the emission of greenhouse gases. It looks at the serious implications of these changes for food and water supplies, human health, sensitive ecologies, vulnerable cities, and cultural treasures--especially in those countries lacking the resources to adapt. The book also provides insights into contentious climate-change politics as it reviews current response efforts: the progress being made in meeting Kyoto commitments, the development of emissions trading, patterns of funding, and the contributions being made by local action. With more than fifty full-color maps and graphics, this is an essential resource for everyone concerned with this pressing subject. Topics include: signs of change the drivers of change threats to the environment implications for human health and well-being international and national responses to change actions to reduce emissions Today's headlines reflect the seriousness of climate change, with almost daily updates. Recent events demonstrate the price of a changing climate as heat waves, droughts, and flooding cause deaths among vulnerable populations, destroy livelihoods, drive people from their homes, and create millions of environmental refugees. Rigorous in its science and powerful in its message, The Atlas of Climate Change gives shape and meaning to the key issues and debates around climate change. This handsomely illustrated book marks a radical departure from conventional cartography and provides a fast, highly effective way of conveying large amounts of information through the medium of the map. The Atlas examines the signs of climate change--glacial and polar melting, rising sea levels, erratic weather patterns--and explains how global warming is being driven by the emission of greenhouse gases. It looks at the serious implications of these changes for food and water supplies, human health, sensitive ecologies, vulnerable cities, and cultural treasures--especially in those countries lacking the resources to adapt. The book also provides insights into contentious climate-change politics as it reviews current response efforts: the progress being made in meeting Kyoto commitments, the development of emissions trading, patterns of funding, and the contributions being made by local action. With more than fifty full-color maps and graphics, this is an essential resource for everyone concerned with this pressing subject. Topics include: signs of change the drivers of change threats to the environment implications for human health and well-being international and national responses to change actions to reduce emissions