Does the Weather Really Matter?
Does the Weather Really Matter?
• What has been the real impact of past weather extremes (e.g. cold winters, droughts, floods, heatwaves and hurricanes) on historic events?
• Is the frequency and impact of weather extremes changing?
• Can we predict how the climate will behave in the future and what will be the consequences of these changes?
• Are greater, less predictable changes just around the corner?
Bill Burroughs seeks to answer these questions by providing a balanced and accessible analysis of the current debate on climatic change. Combining a historical perspective, economic and political analysis, together with meteorological and climatological explanations of the impact of extreme weather events on all aspects of society, it provides a basis for interpreting what is known about climatic change and the ability to forecast future changes and their economic and political consequences. The book also includes extensive discussions on El Niño. It will be of interest to all those concerned with the future of human society.
- Explains impacts of climate change on history and on the future - no other book does this for the general reader
- Author's close involvement with government policy at senior levels brings a sense of political realism to the analysis of issues which are the subject of controversy
- Author's other books have done very well, and he is a well-known writer and media correspondent for climate change issues
Reviews & endorsements
"In William James Burrough's Does the Weather Really Matter? there is an excellent discussion of exactly what modelers are attempting to do when predicting climate change...Rather than dwell on implicating human activity as the cause of global warming and weather change, Burroughs does an excellent job of documenting the social implications of weather using a fairly wide range of historical examples...In a balanced and accessible way, Burroughs has expertly combined an historical perspective with political and economic analysis and has explained the impact of extreme weather events on all aspects of society from a meteorological and climatological perspective." Satya
"I would recommend this book as essential reading for anyone with an interest in climate change and its effect on society. The subject matter has clearly been very thoroughly researched and the author's first-hand previous experience in government policy formation has been of considerable benefit when explaining some of the more political implications." Weather
"...I wouldn't hesitate to commend it to all who are concerned about the impact of climate change, irrespective of their perception of the threat." CMOS Bulletin
"Detailed information is presented in graphical form with appropriate commentary and analysis. The discussion is well balanced without advocating any particular point of view." The Leading Edge
"The book is well written." EOS
"...informative, authoritative, easy to read and its color photos are breathtaking...a little gem of a pocket-sized book, crammed with practical information on how to observe and understand the weather." Naples, FL News
Product details
October 2005Paperback
9780521017442
244 pages
232 × 154 × 13 mm
0.349kg
62 b/w illus.
Available
Table of Contents
- Preface
- 1. Introduction
- 2. The historical evidence
- 3. Cold winters
- 4. Storms, floods and droughts
- 5. How much do we know about climatic change?
- 6. Models of the climate and the economy
- 7. Consequences of forecasting
- 8. Conclusions
- References
- Index.
