num_pages: 320
description: Surging sea levels are inundating the coasts.Hurricanes and tornadoes are becoming fiercer and more frequent.Climate change will be an economic disaster.Youve heard all this presented as fact. But according to science all of these statements are profoundly misleading.When it comes to climate change the media politicians and other prominent voices have declared that the science is settled. In reality the long game of telephone from research to reports to the popular media is corrupted by misunderstanding and misinformation. Core questionsabout the way the climate is responding to our influence and what the impacts will beremain largely unanswered. The climate is changing but the why and how arent as clear as youve probably been led to believe. Now one of Americas most distinguished scientists is clearing away the fog to explain what science really says (and doesnt say) about our changing climate. In Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us What It Doesn't and Why It Matters Steven Koonin draws upon his decades of experienceincluding as a top science advisor to the Obama administrationto provide up-to-date insights and expert perspective free from political agendas. Fascinating clear-headed and full of surprises this book gives readers the tools to both understand the climate issue and be savvier consumers of science media in general. Koonin takes readers behind the headlines to the more nuanced science itself showing us where it comes from and guiding us through the implications of the evidence. He dispels popular myths and unveils little-known truths: despite a dramatic rise in greenhouse gas emissions global temperatures actually decreased from 1940 to 1970. Whats more the models we use to predict the future arent able to accurately describe the climate of the past suggesting they are deeply flawed. Koonin also tackles societys response to a changing climate using data-driven analysis to explain why many proposed solutions would be ineffective and discussing how alternatives like adaptation and if necessary geoengineering will ensure humanity continues to prosper. Unsettled is a reality check buoyed by hope offering the truth about climate science that you arent getting elsewherewhat we know what we dont and what it all means for our future.
language: English
title: Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn’t, and Why It Matters
publisher: BenBella Books