image: Cover for "Science of the Earth, Climate and Energy." view more
Credit: World Scientific
If you follow either traditional news sources or social media, you would have heard strikingly different assertions about scientific issues such as climate change. Is it a "hoax created by the Chinese" or "the most urgent issue confronting the world" today? How is it possible for such contradictory claims to coexist in the scientific community?
Answering such questions requires some understanding of how science is done, on the one hand, and specifically the state-of-the-art of the relevant science. And Science of the Earth, Climate and Energy does just that.
Important problems like energy resources, sustainability and climate change are discussed in the book in terms of basic principles, without much use of mathematics. The reader can then understand the nature of controversial debates which are related to these issues, and so contribute to the discussion from an informed background.
The book begins with a description of the ingredients associated with scientific discovery and debate, in general. A key element is the fundamental premise that "science never proves anything". Instead, scientific understanding advances through experiments, their analyses and theoretical interpretation by many individuals. If and when a consensus emerges, it is provisional and subject to further testing.
In the case of climate science, such a consensus has been reached: human activities are contributing significantly to climate change. This anthropocentric interpretation implies that global warming, sea level rise, ocean acidification and other consequences of our actions affect our planet adversely. The book describes the evidence for this conclusion and what the troubling situation implies for mitigation of these potential problems.
Since this book is addressed at a general reader, who possesses relatively little relevant background, the level of presentation is appropriately qualitative. Such a reader might want to assess the pertinent scientific evidence and its consequences for him or her, as well as for the planet as a whole. A key component of the book is an extended discussion of actions than can be taken by individuals, through both their energy-related actions and as citizens in their societies' decision-making.
This book currently retails for US$150 / £130 (hardback) at major bookstores. Professors/universities looking into adopting the book may write to sales@wspc.com for an inspection copy. To know more about the book visit http://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.114210807.
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About The Authors
Milton W Cole is Distinguished Professor of Physics at Penn State University. He is a co-author of Physical Adsorption: Forces and Phenomena (Oxford, and Dover) and Applications of Modern Physics in Medicine (Princeton). A former Fulbright Scholar at Oxford University, Cole won the 2001 National Academy of Sciences Award for Scientific Reviewing. He is co-translator from the French of a play, The Bomb and the Swastika, written by Amand Lucas (Crossocean Publishing).
Angela D Lueking is Professor of Energy and Mineral Engineering and Chemical Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University, and is a visiting scientist at the National Science Foundation. Along with core engineering courses, she teaches a project-based sustainability course, and is interested in supplementing traditional graduate education with outreach to K-12 students. Her research on material development for energy efficient technologies led to her selection as an International Marie Curie Fellow in 2013. Prior to her academic career, Angela worked as an Environmental Engineer in industry, where she led several environmental initiatives including chemical management, air-permitting, and environmental training.
David L Goodstein is Professor Emeritus of Physics and Applied Physics at the California Institute of Technology, where he served as Vice-Provost between 1988 and 2007. He is the author of many books, including most recently On Fact and Fraud: Cautionary Tales from the Front Lines of Science (Princeton), Out of Gas: the End of the Age of Oil (Norton) and Climate Change and the Energy Problem (World Scientific). He is the recipient of the Oersted Medal of the American Association of Physics Teachers and the John P McGovern Medal of the Sigma Xi Society. He is a founding member of the Board of Directors of the California Council on Science and Technology.
About World Scientific Publishing Co.
World Scientific Publishing is a leading international independent publisher of books and journals for the scholarly, research and professional communities. World Scientific collaborates with prestigious organisations like the Nobel Foundation and US National
Academies Press to bring high quality academic and professional content to researchers and academics worldwide. The company publishes about 600 books annually and 135 journals in various fields. To find out more about World Scientific, please visit http://www.worldscientific.com.
For more information, contact Amanda at heyun@wspc.com.