"The Daily Telegraph" Book of the Weather

by Daily Telegraph (Author), Philip Eden (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  2003

  $3.22

  The three interwoven strands which mark the progress of the weather/climate story throughout the past, during the present, and into the future are: its effect on everyday life; our desire and ability to predict its fluctuations; and our inability to control it at the same time as inadvertently changing it. Eden traces these strands through history, and offers some ideas where they may go in the next 100 years. He looks at the world's weather since the end of the last glaciation eleven thousand years ago and mankind's ever increasing competence in predicting it. He describes and analyses the science of meteorology, from its origins in folk wisdom and proverbs right up to the latest supercomputers and satellites, showing how technological breakthroughs let us see the increasing instability of our climate.This point is forcefully made by a series of mock forecasts for the period 2000-2100. These at once credible yet horrific scenarios show Britain in the grip of Arctic weather in 2008, record temperatures of 120 F in Sacremento in 2034, and balmy winters in Moscow in 2050.The last chapter deals with the kind of changing climate in 2100 and beyond.

• Used

  Hardcover
  2003

  $3.22

  There are three interwoven strands which mark the progress of the weather/climate story throughout the past, during the present and into the future. These are: the effect on human life - ordinary, commercial and political; our desire and ability to predict its fluctuations; and our inability to control it at the same time as inadvertently changing it. This book traces these strands through history and offers some ideas concerning where they may go in the next 100 years. Our knowledge of the Earth's atmosphere is very limited. However we need to clarify the difference between weather and climate . We must also clarify the contrast between making small controlled changes to local weather on the one hand and causing accidental and uncontrolled changes to global climate on the other. A last chapter deals with 2100 and beyond, looking at the challenges for our grandchildren and the kind of meteorology and changing climate they will face.