This volume teaches readers how to sort through the vast mountain of climate and environmental science data to extract actionable insights. With the advancements in sensing technology, we now observe petabytes of data related to climate and the environment. While the volume of data is impressive, collecting big data for the sake of data alone proves to be of limited utility. Instead, our quest is for actionable data that can drive tangible actions and meaningful impact. Yet, unearthing actionable insights from the accumulated big data and delivering them to global stakeholders remains a burgeoning field. Although traditional data mining struggles to keep pace with data accumulation, scientific evolution has spurred the emergence of new technologies like numeric modeling and machine learning. These cutting-edge tools are now tackling grand challenges in climate and the environment, from forecasting extreme climate events and enhancing environmental productivity to monitoring greenhouse gas emissions, fostering smart environmental solutions, and understanding aerosols. Additionally, they model environmental-human interactions, inform policy, and steer markets towards a healthier and more environment-friendly direction. While there's no universal solution to address all these formidable tasks, this book takes us on a guided journey through three sections, enriched with chapters from domain scientists. Part I defines actionable science and explores what truly renders data actionable. Part II showcases compelling case studies and practical use scenarios, illustrating these principles in action. Finally, Part III provides an insightful glimpse into the future of actionable science, focusing on the pressing climate and environmental issues we must confront. Embark on this illuminating voyage with us, where big data meets practical research, and discover how our collective efforts move us closer to a sustainable and thriving future. This book is an invitation to unlock the mysteries of our environment, transforming data into decisive action for generations to come.

Annotation Presents an overview of the problems associated with global warming for scientists and engineers in industry, public service, consultancy, and academic institutions. Written by specialists in the field, the volume covers evidence for global warming, air pollution, rising sea levels, the effect of climate change on human health, and the role of environmental performance on industry. Distributed in the US by Springer Verlag. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).

“A plethora of insights about nature and ourselves, revealed by one man’s journey as he comes to terms with human exploitation of our planet.” —Dr. James Hansen, climate scientist and former director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies Life on one-tenth the fossil fuels turns out to be awesome. We all want to be happy. Yet as we consume ever more in a frantic bid for happiness, global warming worsens. Alarmed by drastic changes now occurring in the Earth’s climate systems, Peter Kalmus, a climate scientist and suburban father of two, embarked on a journey to change his life and the world. He began by bicycling, growing food, meditating, and making other simple, fulfilling changes. Ultimately, he slashed his climate impact to under a tenth of the US average and became happier in the process. Being the Change explores the connections between our individual daily actions and our collective predicament. It merges science, spirituality, and practical action to develop a satisfying and appropriate response to global warming. Part one exposes our interconnected predicament: overpopulation, global warming, industrial agriculture, growth-addicted economics, a sold-out political system, and a mindset of separation from nature. It also includes a readable but authoritative overview of climate science. Part two offers a response at once obvious and unprecedented: mindfully opting out of this broken system and aligning our daily lives with the biosphere. The core message is deeply optimistic: living without fossil fuels is not only possible, it can be better. “In this timely and provocative book, Peter Kalmus points out that changing the world has to start with changing our own lives. It’s a crucial message that needs to be heard.” —John Michael Greer, author of After Progress and The Retro Future

When the 44th President of the United States is elected, he will face urgent crises on three major fronts: the American economy, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the growing threat to the world environment caused by climate change. This short, powerful book shows the way forward: a clear action plan for the new President's first 100 days, that if implemented will set America on course for dynamic job creation and economic growth, reduce our conflicted dependence on foreign oil, and produce energy that is green, affordable, and renewable. Backed by sound science and based on the best ideas of America's experts, The 100 Day Action Plan to Save the Planet outlines practical steps that include: *Launch a "clean energy surge" and create a powerful new workforce of green manufacturing, supply, technology, management, and support jobs. *End carbon subsidies that make fossil fuels much cheaper than their actual cost. *Create a market by requiring all federal buildings, facilities, and transportation to be fueled by renewable green energy. *Reward innovation and early adoption of renewable energy in the private sector. * Work constructively with other nations for global solutions to the climate crisis. It's not too late; climate change can be dramatically reversed. Green energy is the key to America's economic strength and independence—but the nation needs the president to act boldly and decisively, just as Franklin Delano Roosevelt did in his first 100 days in office, during a time of similar urgency.

Presents an analysis of the worsening global environmental crisis, citing ten contributors to environmental deterioration, including affluence, the American culture and its values, population, and poverty.

Tackling one of the most controversial subjects of our time, one of the world's foremost environmental and petroleum engineers explores the potential causes and ramifications of global climate change. For too many years climate change (also referred to as global warming) has been assigned predominantly to the emissions of carbon dioxide through the combustion of fossil fuels. It must never be forgotten or ignored, however, that the Earth has been constantly changing since its formation and has gone through different eras like glaciations, among others. These changes need thousands of years to be made visible, and are likely still continuing, given the increase in the average temperature of the Earth since the pre-industrial period (provided that the measurements of past climatic temperatures are accurate and beyond reproach). It follows that the warming trend that has occurred over the past 100 years is very likely to have some origins in natural events as well as in human activity. The precise contributions of natural effects and anthropogenic effects on the climate are not known, but it is accurate to conclude that many factors continue to influence climate. Whether or not human activities have become a dominant force in the changing climate and are responsible for most of the warming observed is still open to question. When studying the climate system of the Earth, an area of common confusion is whether climate scientists agree or disagree as to whether or not climate change is happening, or if it is happening, whether or not humans are the primary cause. There are a variety of reasons for this, but a majority of scientists who study climate and publish in peer-reviewed journals agree that human activity is causing the warming of the Earth. The purpose of this book is to weigh all of these various data points and, in a scientific and unemotional way, arrive at likely conclusions regarding global climate change. Whether human activity is the main driver behind our current changes in climate, one thing is certain: Climate change is happening, and we all need to make informed, rather than emotional, decisions.

The US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) is a collection of 13 Federal entities charged by law to assist the United States and the world to understand, assess, predict, and respond to human-induced and natural processes of global change. As the understanding of global change has evolved over the past decades and as demand for scientific information on global change has increased, the USGCRP has increasingly focused on research that can inform decisions to cope with current climate variability and change, to reduce the magnitude of future changes, and to prepare for changes projected over coming decades. Overall, the current breadth and depth of research in these agencies is insufficient to meet the country's needs, particularly to support decision makers. This report provides a rationale for evaluating current program membership and capabilities and identifying potential new agencies and departments in the hopes that these changes will enable the program to more effectively inform the public and prepare for the future. It also offers actionable recommendations for adjustments to the methods and procedures that will allow the program to better meet its stated goals.