Our Affair With El Nino

Author : S. George Philander
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 288 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 2018-06-05
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780691187921

Get Book

Our Affair with El Niño by S. George Philander Pdf

Until 1997, few people had heard of the seasonal current that Peruvians nicknamed El Niño. But when meteorologists linked it to devastating floods in California, severe droughts in Indonesia, and strange weather everywhere, its name became entrenched in the common parlance faster than a typhoon making landfall. Bumper stickers appeared bearing the phrase "Don't blame me; blame El Niño." Stockbrokers muttered "El Niño" when the market became erratic. What's behind this fascinating natural phenomenon, and how did our perceptions of it change? In this captivating book, renowned oceanographer George Philander engages readers in lucid and stimulating discussions of the scientific, political, economic and cultural developments that shaped our perceptions of this force of nature. The book begins by outlining the history of El Niño, an innocuous current that appears off the coast of Peru around Christmastime--its name refers to the Child Jesus--and originally was welcomed as a blessing. It goes on to explore how our perceptions of El Niño were transformed, not because the phenomenon changed, but because we did. Philander argues persuasively that familiarity with the different facets of our affair with El Niño--our wealth of experience in dealing with natural hazards such as severe storms and prolonged droughts--can help us cope with an urgent and controversial environmental problem of our own making--global warming. Intellectually invigorating and a joy to read, Our Affair with El Niño is an important contribution to the debate about the relationship between scientific knowledge and public affairs.

Author : Richard Grove,George Adamson
Publisher : Springer
Page : 251 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 2017-12-11
Category : History
ISBN : 9781137457400

Get Book

El Niño in World History by Richard Grove,George Adamson Pdf

This book examines the role of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in society. Throughout human history, large or recurrent El Niños could cause significant disruption to societies and in some cases even contribute to political change. Yet it is only now that we are coming to appreciate the significance of the phenomenon. In this volume, Richard Grove and George Adamson chart the dual history of El Niño: as a global phenomenon capable of devastating weather extremes and, since the 18th century, as a developing idea in science and society. The chapters trace El Niño’s position in world history from its role in the revolution in Australian Aboriginal Culture at 5,000 BP to the 2015-16 ‘Godzilla’ event. It ends with a discussion of El Niño in the current media, which is as much a product of the public imagination as it is a natural process.

Author : Julia Miller
Publisher : Springer
Page : 288 pages
File Size : 45,8 Mb
Release : 2019-07-12
Category : History
ISBN : 9783319761411

Get Book

La Niña and the Making of Climate Optimism by Julia Miller Pdf

This book examines the deep connection Australians have with their climate to understand contemporary views on human-induced climate change. It is the first study of the Australian relationship with La Niña and it explains how fundamental this relationship is to the climate change debate both locally and globally. While unease with the Australian environment was a hallmark of early settler relations with a new continent, this book argues that the climate itself quickly became a source of hope and linked to progress. Once observed, weather patterns coalesced into recognizable cycles of wet and dry years and Australians adopted a belief in the certainty of good seasons. It was this optimistic response to climate linked to La Niña that laid the groundwork for this relationship with the Australian environment. This book will appeal to scholars and students of the environmental humanities, history and science as well as anyone concerned about climate change.

Author : Benjamin Reilly
Publisher : McFarland
Page : 458 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2022-04-29
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781476688091

Get Book

Disaster and Human History by Benjamin Reilly Pdf

Human history is periodically punctuated by natural disasters, from Vesuvius' eruption to the modern-day Covid-19 pandemic. Volcanoes have buried entire cities, earthquakes have reduced structures to smoldering ruins. Floods and cyclones have wreaked havoc on river valleys and coastlines, and desertification and climate change have weakened society's underpinnings. Death tolls are often escalated by starvation and illness, which frequently occur in tandem. This second edition assesses natural disasters on human society and the effect of strategies developed to reduce their impact. This book addresses the interconnectivity of disaster and human responsibility through 23 updated case studies, including a new chapter on the 2011 Tōhoku tsunami and the ensuing Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Author : Kyle Kirkland
Publisher : Infobase Holdings, Inc
Page : 236 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 2020-05-01
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781438195896

Get Book

Marine Sciences, Revised Edition by Kyle Kirkland Pdf

Marine Sciences, Revised Edition details the explorers and scientists who are expanding the frontiers of marine science. This comprehensive resource includes the study of the geology of the sea floor, the chemical and physical properties of the water, and the life that teems in and around it. This revised edition now covers the role humans play in polluting marine life and water supplies, and ultimately accelerating climate change, making this edition a must read. It also ties in a selection of various reports, offering students insightful information on the methods and applications of oceanography. Chapters include: The Ocean Depths—Exploring the Seabed Mid-Ocean Ridge—The Largest Single Volcanic Feature on the Planet Creatures of the Deep Sea Tsunami—Killer Waves El Niño and Weather Harmful Algal Blooms—"Red Tides" Human Impacts: Pollution and Climate Change.

Author : Cynthia Rosenzweig,Daniel Hillel
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 280 pages
File Size : 46,8 Mb
Release : 2008-01-07
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780190285937

Get Book

Climate Variability and the Global Harvest by Cynthia Rosenzweig,Daniel Hillel Pdf

The Earth's climate is constantly changing. Some of the changes are progressive, while others fluctuate at various time scales. The El Niño-la Niña cycle is one such fluctuation that recurs every few years and has far-reaching impacts. It generally appears at least once per decade, but this may vary with our changing climate. The exact frequency, sequence, duration and intensity of El Niño's manifestations, as well as its effects and geographic distributions, are highly variable. The El Niño-la Niña cycle is particularly challenging to study due to its many interlinked phenomena that occur in various locations around the globe. These worldwide teleconnections are precisely what makes studying El Niño-la Niña so important. Cynthia Rosenzweig and Daniel Hillel describe the current efforts to develop and apply a global-to-regional approach to climate-risk management. They explain how atmospheric and social scientists are cooperating with agricultural practitioners in various regions around the world to determine how farmers may benefit most from new climate predictions. Specifically, the emerging ability to predict the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle offers the potential to transform agricultural planning worldwide. Biophysical scientists are only now beginning to recognize the large-scale, globally distributed impacts of ENSO on the probabilities of seasonal precipitation and temperature regimes. Meanwhile, social scientists have been researching how to disseminate forecasts more effectively within rural communities. Consequently, as the quality of climatic predictions have improved, the dissemination and presentation of forecasts have become more effective as well. This book explores the growing understanding of the interconnectedness of climate predictions and productive agriculture for sustainable development, as well as methods and models used to study this relationship.

Author : Dallas Murphy
Publisher : Basic Books
Page : 296 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 2008-07-31
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9780786721658

Get Book

To Follow the Water by Dallas Murphy Pdf

In To Follow the Water, critically acclaimed author Dallas Murphy artfully recasts the story of human expansion and cultural development with the ocean playing the central role. Applying a novelist's eye for detail and a historian's drive for perspective, he connects the great ages of ocean exploration from Columbus, Magellan, and Cook to the development of modern oceanography. Taking the reader aboard the research vessels Oceanus and Ronald H. Brown, Murphy observes and participates in the practice of ocean science. Whether demonstrating the proper way to don a survival suit in an abandon-ship drill, actually operating oceanographic instruments, or just sitting down for a breakfast of Dramamine and blueberry pancakes, Murphy humorously evokes daily-life aboard these research vessels, unique amalgams of floating laboratories, heavy industry, delicate measurements, and brute force. By following the water, he and the reader discover that ocean currents, flowing on the surface and in the abyss like giant blood vessels, transport heat around the globe, thereby stabilizing and moderating our climate. The Gulf Stream, the best-known ocean current, is but one among many, each inseparable from the others and all inextricably linked to the atmosphere in determining the condition of our climate. There can be no sensible concept of climate that ignores the oceans, yet they have been largely left out of the climate and climate-change discussion. Letting scientists speak for themselves at sea and ashore, Murphy learns that oceanographers are not only observing and explaining the ocean's dynamic, global circulation, but also employing their skills, tools, and techniques to predict climate change. Their brilliant work is largely unknown outside of professional circles even though the role of the ocean is crucial to our understanding of global warming and climate change. To Follow the Water is an enlightening and entertaining voyage of discovery spanning the evolution of our relationship to the ocean, first as an impediment to human ambition, then as the pathway for Western expansion, and now, most important, as a subject of scientific study with immediate relevance to our future.

Author : Andrew C. Isenberg
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 801 pages
File Size : 44,5 Mb
Release : 2017-02-14
Category : History
ISBN : 9780190673482

Get Book

The Oxford Handbook of Environmental History by Andrew C. Isenberg Pdf

This book explores the methodology of environmental history, with an emphasis on the field's interaction with other historiographies such as consumerism, borderlands, and gender. It examines the problem of environmental context, specifically the problem and perception of environmental determinism, by focusing on climate, disease, fauna, and regional environments. It also considers the changing understanding of scientific knowledge.

Author : C. Reid Nichols,Robert G. Williams
Publisher : Infobase Publishing
Page : 641 pages
File Size : 43,9 Mb
Release : 2009
Category : Reference
ISBN : 9781438118819

Get Book

Encyclopedia of Marine Science by C. Reid Nichols,Robert G. Williams Pdf

Presents an illustrated, A-Z encyclopedia with more than 600 entries providing information on topics related to marine science.

Author : Brian Fagan
Publisher : Basic Books
Page : 368 pages
File Size : 42,6 Mb
Release : 2009-02-10
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780786727681

Get Book

Floods, Famines, and Emperors by Brian Fagan Pdf

In 1997 and early 1998, one of the most powerful El Ninos ever recorded disrupted weather patterns all over the world. Europe suffered through a record freeze as the American West was hit with massive floods and snowstorms; in the western Pacific, meanwhile, some island nations literally went bone dry and had to have water flown in on transport planes. Such effects are not new: climatologists now know the El Nino and other climate anomalies have been disrupting weather patterns throughout history. But until recently, no one had asked how this new understanding of the global weather system related to archaeology and history. Droughts, floods, heat and cold put stress on cultures and force them to adapt. What determines whether they adapt successfully? How do these climate stresses affect a people's faith in the foundations of their society and the legitimacy of their rulers? How vulnerable is our own society to climate change? In this dazzlingly original new book, archaeologist Brian Fagan shows that short-term climate shifts have been a major -- and hitherto unrecognized -- force in history. El Nino-driven droughts have brought on the collapse of dynasties in Egypt; El Nino monsoon failures have caused historic famines in India; and El Nino floods have destroyed whole civilizations in Peru. Other short-term climate changes may have caused the mysterious abandonment of the Anasazi dwellings in the American Southwest and the collapse of the ancient Maya empire, as well as changed the course of European history. This beautifully written, groundbreaking book opens a new door on our understanding of historical events.

Author : S. George Philander
Publisher : SAGE Publications
Page : 1505 pages
File Size : 55,7 Mb
Release : 2008-04-22
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9781452265889

Get Book

Encyclopedia of Global Warming and Climate Change by S. George Philander Pdf

2008 Best Reference, Library Journal "The impact of global warming is rapidly evolving. This valuable resource provides an excellent historical overview and framework of this topic and serves as a general resource for geography, oceanography, biology, climatology, history, and many other subjects. A useful reference for a wide audience of business professionals and government officials as well as for the general public; essential for both academic and public libraries." —Library Journal "This is a useful set because of the individual country entries as well as the general-audience language . . ." — Booklist (Starred Review) The Encyclopedia of Global Warming and Climate Change helps readers learn about the astonishingly intricate processes that make ours the only planet known to be habitable. These three volumes include more than 750 articles that explore major topics related to global warming and climate change—ranging geographically from the North Pole to the South Pole, and thematically from social effects to scientific causes. Key Features Contains a 4-color, 16-page insert that is a comprehensive introduction to the complexities of global warming Includes coverage of the science and history of climate change, the polarizing controversies over climate-change theories, the role of societies, the industrial and economic factors, and the sociological aspects of climate change Emphasizes the importance of the effects, responsibilities, and ethics of climate change Presents contributions from leading scholars and institutional experts in the geosciences Serves as a general resource for geography, oceanography, biology, climatology, history, and many other subjects The Encyclopedia of Global Warming and Climate Change provides a primarily nonscientific resource to understanding the complexities of climate change for academic and public libraries. READER'S GUIDE Atmospheric Sciences Climate climate and Society Climate Change, Effects Climate Feedbacks Climate Models Countries: Africa Countries: Americas Countries: Asia Countries: Europe Countries: Pacific Glaciology Government and International Agencies Institutions Studying Climate Change Oceanography Paleo-Climates People Programs And Conventions

Author : S. George Philander
Publisher : SAGE
Page : 1719 pages
File Size : 54,5 Mb
Release : 2012-07-10
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781412992619

Get Book

Encyclopedia of Global Warming and Climate Change, Second Edition by S. George Philander Pdf

This Second Edition of an academic yet non-technical resource examines the effects, history and ongoing research in the important field of global warming and climate change.

Author : Carolyn Merchant
Publisher : Columbia University Press
Page : 505 pages
File Size : 44,5 Mb
Release : 2007
Category : Human ecology
ISBN : 9780231140355

Get Book

American Environmental History by Carolyn Merchant Pdf

By studying the many ways diverse peoples have changed, shaped, and conserved the natural world over time, environmental historians provide insight into humanity's unique relationship with nature and, more importantly, are better able to understand the origins of our current environmental crisis. Beginning with the precolonial land-use practice of Native Americans and concluding with our twenty-first century concerns over our global ecological crisis, American Environmental History addresses contentious issues such as the preservation of the wilderness, the expulsion of native peoples from national parks, and population growth, and considers the formative forces of gender, race, and class. Entries address a range of topics, from the impact of rice cultivation, slavery, and the growth of the automobile suburb to the effects of the Russian sea otter trade, Columbia River salmon fisheries, the environmental justice movement, and globalization. This illustrated reference is an essential companion for students interested in the ongoing transformation of the American landscape and the conflicts over its resources and conservation. It makes rich use of the tools and resources (climatic and geological data, court records, archaeological digs, and the writings of naturalists) that environmental historians rely on to conduct their research. The volume also includes a compendium of significant people, concepts, events, agencies, and legislation, and an extensive bibliography of critical films, books, and Web sites.

Author : Sir Norman Lockyer
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 1450 pages
File Size : 41,8 Mb
Release : 2004
Category : Science
ISBN : IND:30000144513169

Get Book

Nature by Sir Norman Lockyer Pdf

Author : Bruce E. Johansen
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Page : 214 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 2008-06-30
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780313346910

Get Book

Global Warming 101 by Bruce E. Johansen Pdf

The accelerating pace of global warming is provoking anxiety that the Earth is reaching an ominous threshold, a point of no return. Within a decade or two, various feedbacks may take greenhouse warming past any human ability to contain or reverse it. Carbon-dioxide levels in the atmosphere are rising rapidly, fed by increasing fossil-fuel use world-wide, melting permafrost, slash-and-burn agriculture in Indonesia and Brazil, increasing wildfires, as well as rapid industrialization using dirty coal in China and India. Global warming may well become the most urgent problem the world faces during the 21st Century . Natural variations are no longer the major contribution (or forcing) in Earth's climate. Human contributions became the major factor about 1950. This book has been prepared as a reference for high-school students, but it also will be useful for anyone who wants a compact, plain-spoken basic guide to the science of global warming. Global Warming 101 begins with an examination of basic issues, followed by important controversies in the field. The book then describes scientific issues related to melting ice, rising seas, and effects on plants and animals, as well as human health. Global Warming 101 concludes with consideration of possible solutions. Global Warming 101 combines a survey of the science of global warming with reporting from around the world, from sinking Pacific islands and thawing Arctic permafrost, which indicate that significant global warming already has begun.