It seems like every time we read or hear a news story about global warming, there are the requisite scientists from each "side," one proclaiming that disaster is imminent, the other dismissing the whole thing as so much hooey. The provocative title of this book is designed to hook people who are understandably confused by this lack of consensus among those who are supposed to be finding out the truth.
In this book, you will learn the truth, but it may not be what you hoped for. The title is in fact accurate: the book is about all the uncertainties associated with the quest to understand our planet's weather, climate, and long-term trajectory in terms of habitability. This is one of the most complex problems we have ever tackled scientifically, and there are no simple, pat answers.
S. George Philander is a professor at Princeton, and "Is the Temperature Rising?" came out of the notes for an undergraduate course about climate science that he teaches. The book has a bit of math stashed away in the long set of appendixes, as well as some fairly sophisticated analysis of the interconnecting effects of water, air, light, and heat that generate the Earth's atmospheric dynamics. (Oh yes, and to this mix, add the influence of Homo sapiens, which is in the process of changing the atmospheric composition by a stunning amount. See the charts in the book.).
I wish I could say Philander is a brilliant science writer who makes this knotty science problem crystal clear for any smart reader who remembers the terminology from their high school science class. But he just isn't. He wants to be-- he's not condescending, and he genuinely loves his subject and wants others to understand and enjoy it for its own right (not the inflation of his ego). But his ability to write ideas coherently so that nonscientists can understand is limited. I'll give the book a "strong 0." It's worth a look, but I can't guarantee you'll click with the style; I certainly didn't.
For instance, he brings in some concepts from basic physics about light, atomic behavior, convection, and other climate-related topics. On some of these, I felt that he gave a description that was only partially true-- he had cut some corners that actually detracted from the truth of the science he was talking about. That made me nervous when I started reading about some geology and weather concepts that I was less familiar with. What corners had he cut there?
Nonetheless, there are some fascinating things to learn from "Is the Temperature Rising?" This was the first true explanation I had ever read of El Nino, La Nina, and the Southern Oscillation. It's fascinating to learn how we discovered these long-term patterns and why they occur. There are also some really nifty maps of ocean currents, tectonic plates, and other things that remind you how limited a view of our planet we have if we only think about our own city.
The world desperately needs a great science writer in the realm of climate science-- like the role Carl Sagan played as an astronomer. Because weather is getting more severe, and climate changes are bound to occur with the amount of pollutants we are pumping into the atmosphere, climate science is going to matter more for all of us very soon (whether the temperature rises or not!). Philander is not quite that person, but he's a good chunk of the way there. I recommend his book if you want a more in-depth look at some of the issues you read about in the paper. This is an area where we could all use some decent background information in order to make more informed choices.
Copyright © Kim Allen 2001
