World Encyclopaedia of Global Warming and Climate Change, Vol. I to VII

Contents: Vol. I. Global Climate Change : Politics and Impact: Preface. 1. The changing atmosphere and global climate. 2. Causes and consequences of climate change. 3. Climate change and impact assessment. 4. International political economy and climate change. 5. Protecting atmosphere from climate change. 6. Timeline of climate change science.

Vol. II. Climate Change and Sea-Level Rise: 7. Sea-level rise and other climatic changes. 8. Sea-level rise: the continuing debate. 9. Regional experiences of sea-level rise. 10. Global impacts of sea-level rise. 11. Management strategies to counter sea-level rise.

Vol. III. Global Warming: 12. Greenhouse effect and global warming. 13. Global warming and greenhouse policy issues. 14. Towards International Greenhouse Agreement. 15. Greenhouse effect and global climate.

Vol. IV. Global Warming--International and National Cooperation: 16. Global warming and response of developing countries. 17. Global warming and response of developed countries. 18. Global warming and international co-operation. 19. Global and regional perspective on global warming. 20. Air pollution and acid rain. 21. Ozone depletion. 22. Sea-level rise.

Vol. V. Saving Ozone Layer: 23. Climate change and ozone depletion. 24. Ozone pollution, ozone hole and risks. 25. Saving ozone layer: national and global efforts. 26. Industrial, technological and financial issues related to protection of ozone. 27. Ozone protocols and future diplomacy.

Vol. VI. Nuclear Power Wastes: 28. Nuclear power: achievements and prospects. 29. Nuclear and other hazardous wastes. 30. Nuclear tests and global nuclear winter. 31. Global agencies and related conventions.

Vol. VII. Toxic and Hazardous Waste Management: 32. Toxic and hazardous waste: an overview. 33. Management and treatment of toxic waste. 34. Toxic and hazardous waste: risks and trade implications. 35. Regulatory measures. References. Index.

"Man is as closely related to nature as he is to himself, because he is a part of it. An outright dependence on nature has been a striking feature of man\'s progress through the centuries of his struggle. Since man himself is a part of nature he is affected and in turn affects the other constituents, which are as much a part of nature as man himself.

Climate has from the very beginning regulated man in practically every aspect of life and has played a very important role in the development of civilizations all around the world. Man\'s impact on climate began 5000 to 9000 years ago as he was able to alter the environment by burning and felling forest and tilling the earth. Also in those river valleys--the cradles of ancient civilizations--and in the regions where he learnt to irrigate the soil and produce crops, i.e. vegetation, where previously all but the river was dry, the climate was in some measure altered. But the increase in wind-speed in the little forest clearings and the lowering of albedo and raising of relative humidity where crops replaced desert would hardly have any significance beyond the fields. Over irrigated land, the incoming energy from the sun and sky is partly used in evaporation, and the air temperature rises less in consequence. The latent heat passed into the air in localities is later released as feelable heat when condensation occurs, in cloud and precipitation processes commonly after the air has travelled some thousands of kilometres. Thus there is moderating effect on maximum temperatures just over the fields, just little effect concentrated enough to be significant elsewhere.

The most extensive change brought by man prior to our own times was the gradual conversion of most of the temperate forest zone to crops. But, although increased windiness and changed evaporation over deforested ground, changes the precipitation regime slightly, according to Drozdov and Grigorieva (1963), the effect is relatively small where the forest is replaced by other types of vegetation.

The World Encyclopaedia of Global Warming and Climate Change is being presented to meet the demands of the readers trying to research on global warming reduction and climate change management." (jacket)