Overview

The world's response to climate change is deeply flawed. This book is where we begin to get it back on track. The relationship between humans and the earth system that we inhabit is two-way - humans affect the planet and the earth system processes affect us. This symbiosis is characterised by empirical complexities and uncertainties, the most intense of which is the global climate change debate in recent years. These debates are often characterised by a considerable amount of heat, but unfortunately too little light. Environmental studies and science policy expert Roger Pielke, Jr. recommends we should first comprehend why the current approach is failing and then consider better alternatives. While tearing down the venomous politics that have surrounded the debates, Pielke calls for an alternative to the various wishful proposals, typified by the Kyoto Protocol, that hold essentially that ordering climate change to go away will make it go away. The conventional wisdom on how to deal with climate change has failed us, Pielke argues, and it's time to change course. Using nothing more than arithmetic and logical explanation, Pielke provides a comprehensive exploration of the problem and its resolution - such as investing to create a more carbon-efficient economy and cost-efficient carbon-capture technologies. With the goal of advancing the discussion on climate change and contributing to the ongoing national debates in Europe, the United States, Japan, Australia, India, China, and other developed and developing countries, ""The Climate Fix"" offers something new to the climate-change discussion - a common sense perspective. A thought-provoking yet pragmatic discussion of the interaction between science and politics, ""The Climate Fix"" proposes a means for digging ourselves out of this climate-change mess that we have created.

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9780465020522

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Reviews

John Marburger, Vice President for Research, Stony Brook University and former Science Advisor to President George W. Bush Roger Pielke, Jr.'s voice in the global warming debate is one of rare common sense. While many authors link anthropogenic climate change with energy technology, Pielke, Jr. goes farther and emphasizes the role of development economics and deep seated social behaviors that cannot easily be addressed. You may not agree with his 'oblique, pragmatic' proposal for 'accelerating decarbonization' of society, but you will be hard-pressed to find a better analysis of the thorniest aspects of the climate challenge. Neal Lane, Malcolm Gillis University Professor and Senior Fellow in Science and Technology at the Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University; former Science Advisor to President William J. Clinton The present climate policy stalemate cries out for a new approach in dealing with a challenge that is unprecedented in scope and complexity. This book offers scientists, policy makers and the general public a critical perspective and thoughtful suggestions for a way forward. It should be read by anyone who cares about the future of the planet and its people. D. James Baker, William J. Clinton Foundation and former Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Pielke's thoughtful analysis of how climate science has interacted with policy - often not productively - provides new and engaging insights. Moreover, his conclusion about the importance of decarbonization and disaggregating climate policy gives the climate debate a new dimension. By weaving his personal story into the development of these issues, he presents a compelling narrative that deserves a wide readership. Kerry Emanuel, Professor of Atmospheric Science, MIT Roger Pielke, Jr., cuts through passions and politics to propose a clear and sober way forward in addressing one of the critical issues of our time. The Economist

<p>John Marburger, Vice President for Research, Stony Brook University and former Science Advisor to President George W. Bush<br> Roger Pielke, Jr.'s voice in the global warming debate is one of rare common sense. While many authors link anthropogenic climate change with energy technology, Pielke, Jr. goes farther and emphasizes the role of development economics and deep seated social behaviors that cannot easily be addressed. You may not agree with his 'oblique, pragmatic' proposal for 'accelerating decarbonization' of society, but you will be hard-pressed to find a better analysis of the thorniest aspects of the climate challenge. <p>Neal Lane, Malcolm Gillis University Professor and Senior Fellow in Science and Technology at the Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University; former Science Advisor to President William J. Clinton<br> The present climate policy stalemate cries out for a new approach in dealing with a challenge that is unprecedented in scope and complexity. This book offers scientists, policy makers and the general public a critical perspective and thoughtful suggestions for a way forward. It should be read by anyone who cares about the future of the planet and its people. <p>D. James Baker, William J. Clinton Foundation and former Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration<br> Pielke's thoughtful analysis of how climate science has interacted with policy - often not productively - provides new and engaging insights. Moreover, his conclusion about the importance of decarbonization and disaggregating climate policy gives the climate debate a new dimension. By weaving his personal story into the development of these issues, he presents a compelling narrative that deserves a wide readership. <p>Kerry Emanuel, Professor of Atmospheric Science, MIT<br> Roger Pielke, Jr., cuts through passions and politics to propose a clear and sober way forward in addressing one of the critical issues of our time. <p> The Economist <br>

Author Information

Roger Pielke, Jr. is a professor of environmental studies at the University of Colorado. He is widely published on many aspects of mitigation and adaptation policies, as well as the role of science in political debates, and he blogs very regularly at Roger Pielke Jr's Blog: (rogerpielkejr.blogspot.com). He has published in The Washington Post, International Herald Tribune, The New Republic, Atlantic Monthly, and elsewhere in the US and internationally. He has also made appearances on NPR, CNN, and other outlets, and is often cited in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. He is author of The Honest Broker. He lives in Boulder, Colorado.

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