Is the Temperature Rising?: The Uncertain Science of Global Warming [Paperback]

I purchased this book because of its title and the good review it received in the New York Times by science reporter William J. Broad (July 5, 1998). Unfortunately only one of the book's 13 chapters is about global warming. Philander devotes only 14 pages to this topic and the material he presents simply repeats the conclusions that have been reported on televisions and in newspapers for the last several years.

In the preface, Philander is quite honest about his book, "It is based on notes I prepared for an introductory course I teach....The Appendixes are intended for those who use the book as a text for an introductory course." But this book is only an introduction to Atmospheric Science, not Climate Change or Global Warming.

In the chapter on Global Warming, he refers the reader back to chapter 7 where he claims to "describe" the computer models used by scientists. I was expecting details of the General Circulation Models (GCM) used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), but instead Philander gives only general background information about computer models and concludes, "Different research groups proceed differently which is the reason for differences between models" (p.116).

My feeling is that he or the publisher, Princeton University Press (the same institution where he teaches), decided that an introductory textbook for Atmospheric Science would sell better if it had a catchier title of current interest. And they guessed correctly, because I would never have bought the book otherwise.

Although this is a reasonable layman's introduction to Atmospheric Science and suitable for undergraduate students in other disciplines, it will NOT be useful for anyone who wants to know more about "the uncertain science of global warming."

If you retain any doubts about whether the atmosphere around us iswarming, this book will dispel them. George Philander has produced themost complete study yet of climate mechanics and trends. His theme is thecomplexity of the global weather systems. With three decades of experienceteaching the subject, he understands these intricate systems. He knowseach part must be dealt with individually. Although derived from a seriesof lectures, he rises above a purely pedantic approach in presenting theissues. He's fully aware that human-induced factors in climate change canbe modified only by those same humans. Although containing a wealth ofdetail, the book is directed at the general reader. It's an indispensablestarting point in learning about climate and global warming.
In coping with the many interacting elements that must be addressed inassessing global warming, he begins at the fundamental level. Once anyform of atmosphere is in place, what does light do in generating change?No atmosphere merely sits in place - light drives chemical and temperaturechanges. What changes take place, and how severe, great or minimal, canthey be? This is the "uncertain science" Philander uses to subtitle thebook. Because interactions of light, water vapour and various moleculesreact differently, he cautions the reader and his fellow scientists not toarrive at conclusions without making fully comprehensive assessments. Itis too easy, he cautions, to draw conclusions through focussing on one ora few players in the climate drama. Ignored or dismissed factors arelikely to hold surprises. The biggest surprise, of course, is a scenariothat proves false.
With global warming universally accepted, with only the pace and impact indispute, Philander's book is a welcome summary of the science. His styleis neither alarmist nor overly detached from the issues. The balance keepsthe book readable. He even banishes most of the mathematical explanationsto Appendices at the back of the book. The text is enhanced by highlyeffective graphics. The theme of uncertainty is introduced early in thebook with an image of a skier's wallet skidding down a slope. "Moguls" ofheaped snow make the wallet's track unpredictable - a point referred tofrequently in the narrative. He images the way
mountains affect rainpatterns, how globe-girdling oceanic currents move and what happens in thedeep seas as fresh, salt, cold and warm waters interact. Anyone stillthinking the oceans are simply beds of salty water should look here.
Although Philander's style is understated, he leaves no doubt as to theseriousness of the problem. The atmosphere is warming. Whether humanityinitiated the current cycle is irrelevant. We are aggravating it and onlywe can reduce our impact. We are unlikely to curb the El Nino cycles, butwe can learn to better cope with them. We can also reduce the likelihoodof their growing more intense. Philander cites the case of fluorocarbonsand the Antarctic Ozone Hole. An accord led to reduction in those gases,new accords can reduce or eliminate production of others clogging theatmosphere. Global warming, he says, is a "risky business". It's up to usto reduce the risk. Read this book and find out how. [stephen a. haines -Ottawa, Canada]

Through reading this book, I gathered valueble information in the earth science fields of meteorology, climatology and oceanography. I consider this book to be a useful reference tool in introductory courses of the aforementioned fields. I think the author did an exceptional job of describing terms "in layman". I will purchase the book in the future for my meteorological library.