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Field Notes from a Catastrophe

Man, Nature, and Climate Change

By Elizabeth Kolbert

On the burgeoning shelf of cautionary but occasionally alarmist books warning about the consequences of dramatic climate change, Kolbert's calmly persuasive reporting stands out for its sobering clarity. Expanding on a three-part series for the New Yorker, Kolbert (The Prophet of Love) lets facts rather than polemics tell the story: in essence, it's that Earth is now nearly as warm as it has been at any time in the last 420,000 years and is on the precipice of an unprecedented "climate regime, one with which modern humans have had no prior experience." An inexorable increase in the world's average temperature means that butterflies, which typically restrict themselves to well-defined climate zones, are now flitting where they've never been found before; that nearly every major glacier in the world is melting rapidly; and that the prescient Dutch are already preparing to let rising oceans reclaim some of their land. In her most pointed chapter, Kolbert chides the U.S. for refusing to sign on to the Kyoto Accord. In her most upbeat chapter, Kolbert singles out Burlington, Vt., for its impressive energy-saving campaign, which ought to be a model for the rest of the nation—just as this unbiased overview is a model for writing about an urgent environmental crisis. (Mar. 14)

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Resources

  • Hope for a Heated Planet

    Author Bob Musil, former PSR executive director and now scholar-in-residence at American University, has written an insightful and informative account about the climate change issue and how it has finally emerged in the public’s mind as a major public health concern. Read more »

  • Extreme Weather Impacts on Public Health

    Dr. Catherine Thomasson's presentation at the Woodrow Wilson Center on April 10, 2013 on the effects of climate change. Read more »

  • Climate Change Flyer

    Handout was developed by writer Bruni Estrada and graphic designer Daniel Pizarro, in collaboration with Mathias Pollock, Program Coordinator - Student PSR. To see more of Daniel's graphic design work visit http://www.danielpizarro.info. Read more »

In the Spotlight

  • September 20, 2013
    Conference: Climate Smart Southwest
    Build new and fortify existing cross-cultural, community, and governmental partnerships to educate and engage community action to address the anticipated public health impacts of climate change in the Southwest, September 20-21.