Description
Book SynopsisThis book is of interest to all of you willing to gain perspective both in time and in depth about the global environmental crises we are facing in the Anthropocene as well as pondering potential solutions. Humans are dominating the Earth’s environment and causing global changes in the most recent geologic time called the Anthropocene. Global changes are caused by both natural events like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, or caused by humans like global warming and pollution of air, water, and soil. The author documents all types of global changes, beyond climate change, pointing out the risks for humanity when all these changes combine in time. Hans Nelson describes global changes while traveling through an earth scientist’s 60-year global journey. Throughout his memoirs, the author provides many humorous examples of adventures taking place during the scientific studies on land and at sea. He makes suggestions for a sustainable planet and shows that humans worldwide in the past, and can in the future, work together on solutions for global change problems.
Students can use this book to learn about the many aspects of global change and methods that marine geologists use to obtain data on geologic hazards, resources, and environmental changes.
Table of ContentsPREFACE
INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE
CHAPTER 1 GLOBAL WARMING
PATTERNS PROVIDING EVIDENCE FOR GLOBAL WARMING
Increased CO2 and CH4 in the atmosphere and warming climate
Ocean acidification from increased absorbtion of atmospheric CO2
Rising ocean temperatures and sea levels
Diminishing polar ice, mountain glaciers, permafrost and gas hydrates
16 record breaking air temperatures of the past 136 years since 2001
More intense extreme weather events e.g hurricanes, droughts, wildfires
Increasing animal extinction rates
CHAPTER 2 MY GLOBAL CHANGE STUDIES
MY EARLY ADVENTURES RELATED TO POSSIBLE GLOBAL CHANGE
MY FIRST SCIENTIFIC LESSONS FOR GLOBAL CHANGE
UNIVERSITY LESSONS FOR GLOBAL CHANGE
MASTERS DEGREE LESSONS FOR GLOBAL CHANGE
ADVENTURES WHILE STUDYING CRATER LAKE
PhD GRADUATE SCHOOL LESSONS FOR GLOBAL CHANGE
ADVENTURES DURING PhD STUDIES
WORLDWIDE INTRODUCTION TO GLOBAL CHANGE
FIRST USGS LESSONS IN ALASKAN GLOBAL CHANGE
LOOKING FOR GOLD RESOURCES IN OFFSHORE ALASKA
1960s ALASKAN ADVENTURES
EARLY 1970s RESOURCE & ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES IN ALASKA
EARLY 1970s ALASKAN ADVENTURES
ALASKAN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS IN 1976
1976 ALASKAN ADVENTURES
ALASKAN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS IN 1977
1977 ALASKAN ANDVENTURES
1978 AND 1980 ALASKAN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS
1978 ALASKAN ANDVENTURES
POTENTIAL VOLCANIC HAZARDS IN CRATER LAKE, OREGON
CRATER LAKE ADVENTURES
HOW POLITICS AFFECTS GLOBAL CHANGE RESEARCH
GLOBAL CHANGE RELATED TO MARINE MAMMALS IN ALASKA
GLOBAL CHANGE EFFECTS ON WALRUS
GLOBAL CHANGE LESSONS FROM SPANISH STUDIES IN THE 1980s
RESOURCE AND GLOBAL CHANGE LESSONS IN GULF OF MEXICO
GULF OF MEXICO ANVENTURES AND GLOBAL CHANGE HAZARDS
RESOURCE AND GLOBAL CHANGE LESSONS IN LAKE BAIKAL
LAKE BAIKAL ADVENTURES AND GLOBAL CHANGE LESSONS
VAR & CORSICA HUMAN & NATURAL GLOBAL CHANGE LESSONS
ANTARCTIC ADVENTURES IN A NATURAL LANDSCAPE
GLOBAL CHANGES RELATED TO EARTHQUAKES
GLOBAL CHANGE STUDIES IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM
GLOBAL CHANGE LESSONS AND A SUSTAINABLE PLANET
CHAPTER 3 GLOBAL CHANGE AND EARTH SUSTAINABILITY
Introduction
Energy
The energy future
Clean air
Potable or safe drinking water
Arable soil or farmland
Radioactive global contamination of air, water and soil
Ocean fisheries, coastal habitats and pollution
Population control
Lake Tanganyika, an example of combined global change
Education as a solution for global sustainability
Summary for earth sustainability
TAKE HOME POINTS FOR A SUSTAINABLE PLANET
FINAL WORD ON GLOBAL WARMING
MESSAGE TO GLOBAL WARMING DENIERS AND SKEPTICS
POSITIVE SIGNS FOR FUTURE SOLUTIONS TO GLOBAL CHANGE
INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS AND COOPERATION
NATIONAL AND LOCAL AGREEMENTS
TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION IMPROVEMENTS FOR HUMAN-CAUSED AND NATURAL GLOBAL CHANGE
178
IMPROVED MEDIA COVERAGE FOR GLOBAL CHANGE
GLOBAL CHANGE AND THE FUTURE FOR HUMANS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
REFERENCES CITED
ADDITIONAL READING
