Environment

Life on Earth will come to an end. It is just a matter of when. Global Catastrophes: A Very Short Introduction focuses on the many potential catastrophes facing our planet and our species in the future, and looks at both the probability of these events happening and our chances of survival. Coverage extends from discussion of the likely consequences of current global warming to the inevitable destruction of the earth in the far future, when it is enveloped by our giant, bloated Sun. In between, other ‘end of the world scenarios’ will be examined, including the New Ice Age, asteroid and comet impact, supervolcanoes, and mega-tsunamis.Less

Climate change is still, arguably, the most critical and controversial issue facing the world in the twenty-first century. Previously published as Global Warming: A Very Short Introduction, the new title of this VSI reflects an important change in the terminology of the last decade. Climate Change: A Very Short introduction includes crucial updates from the last few years, including the results of the 2013 IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, the effects of ocean acidification, and the impact of changes to global population and health. Exploring all of the key topics in the debate, it makes sense of the complexities climate change involves, from political and social issues to environmental and scientific. Looking at the predicted impacts of climate change, it explores all of the controversies, and also explains the various proposed solutions.Less

Environmental Politics: A Very Short Introduction considers the many facets of environmental politics and shows how it operates at multiple scales: it preoccupies individuals as well as governments; drives local agreements as well as international treaties; results in minor business changes as well as wholesale business decisions; and fluctuates between a politics of protest and one of accommodation. Looking towards the future, this VSI asks whether environmental politics will be comfortably accommodated by mainstream politics, or whether the advent of the Anthropocene will herald a break with the politics of growth that has dominated social life since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.Less