The impact on climate from 200 years of industrial development is an
everyday fact of life, but did humankind's active involvement in
climate change really begin with the industrial revolution, as
commonly believed? Plows, Plagues, and Petroleum has sparked lively
scientific debate since it was first published--arguing that humans
have actually been changing the climate for some 8,000 years--as a
result of the earlier discovery of agriculture. The "Ruddiman
Hypothesis" will spark intense debate. We learn that the impact of
farming on greenhouse-gas levels, thousands of years before the
industrial revolution, kept our planet notably warmer than if natural
climate cycles had prevailed--quite possibly forestalling a new ice
age. Plows, Plagues, and Petroleum is the first book to trace the full
historical sweep of human interaction with Earth's climate. Ruddiman
takes us through three broad stages of human history: when nature was
in control; when humans began to take control, discovering agriculture
and affecting climate through carbon dioxide and methane emissions;
and, finally, the more recent human impact on climate change. Along
the way he raises the fascinating possibility that plagues, by
depleting human populations, also affected reforestation and thus
climate--as suggested by dips in greenhouse gases when major pandemics
have occurred. While our massive usage of fossil fuels has certainly
contributed to modern climate change, Ruddiman shows that industrial
growth is only part of the picture. The book concludes by looking to
the future and critiquing the impact of special interest money on the
global warming debate. In the afterword, Ruddiman explores the main
challenges posed to his hypothesis, and shows how recent
investigations and findings ultimately strengthen the book's original
claims.
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How Humans Took Control of Climate
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781400834730
Publisert
2013
Utgiver
Vendor
Princeton University Press
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Antall sider
240
Forfatter