Monday, July 26, 2010

A Climate for Change by Katherine Hayhoe and Andrew Fairley





This thought provoking book takes a look at “global warming”. I don't care for that term so that is the last time you'll see it in this review. Climate change is happening at the earth's core. It's warming lakes and there are changes in the weather. The thing that stuck out to me is that weather is different than what is happening. Yes there are record colds but it's how much the seasons are changing that is being effected. They use charts, graphs, and other facts. They even debunk the myths that people like Al Gore are trying to prove. They take real life examples and show how things have changed around the world.

It's not about politics. It's about the science of things. Looking back at temperature changes for hundreds of years. I was blown away by the detailed record keeping over the centuries. They wanted the straight facts not all the hot air that is blowing around about this topic. They laid it all out, what causes were happening both by nature and by man. We're causing the most problems.

The main problem with most of it is that it is expensive to change how we live. Yes, recycling does help but that is only one thing that can be done. Yet we are creatures of comfort. I loved the honesty of the authors that laid it all out for you. They even admitted that they didn't agree on everything. Statements throughout the book just made my eyes open even more. I may not understand it all. I am still learning but definitely want to read more on the subject.

The final thing that it left me with is something that I have always felt. I want to take care of the Earth that we do have. Yes there will be a new heaven and a new earth as it is stated in the Bible. I am concerned about what we have now. It doesn't mean that we need to trash what we do have left. Comforts are nice but even I get pissed when I see that my old fridge uses CFC's since there was a ban on it. Yeah, things are going to slip under the radar. I even checked our current fridge and it had no such tag. I also liked the fact that they gave you other sources to understand more of what is happening to our Earth. This is one book that will stick with me for a long time.

Katherine Hayhoe/Andrew Fairley/ Non-Fiction/224 pages/ 5 out of 5

Not sure what I'll read next. Got a lot to do at the old place before Saturday. I hope to read one more book but we'll see. :)