For the past decade, the subject of global warming has been a touchy one to say the least. To some it is a simple fact supported by reams of scientific data, to others it is fear-mongering fiction promoted by “environmentalist radicals.” However to many between these two extremes, it is a subject of which they have often heard or read, but that they have little understanding by which to judge the truth of the arguments swirling around them. Into this increasingly heated debate, Mark Lynas’ Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet shines some much needed light.
Lynas, a noted author, journalist, and National Geographic Emerging Explorer, approaches the topic of global warming from a fresh perspective. While quite clearly being of the position that global warming is a present and ongoing reality, he makes little effort to convince the reader of this thesis by itself. Instead, the structure of Six Degrees is a degree by degree catalog of the potential results of a one through six degree centigrade overall rise in the average global temperature. Some of these potential results have been extrapolated from the geologic record, others from climactic modeling and computer simulations; in every instance the sources, models, and even alternative explanations are fully documented and disclosed to the reader.
While admittedly somewhat unsettling, the overall depiction of the process of global warming is fascinating. Breaking mass media over-simplifications at every turn, Lynas leads the reader to an understanding that global warming is not as simple and straight-forward as might be assumed. Increasing temperatures are only a small piece of the overall picture. For example, a 2°C increase in average global temperature may yield a drop in the pH level of the oceans from 8.2 to 7.7 disrupting the Carbon cycle of the seas. At 3°C regional agricultural patterns may be disrupted or fail, causing mass refugee migrations and resulting in new geopolitical tensions as the citizens of nations receiving a population influx resist these waves of “foreigners” crossing their borders. The chains of events presented are complex and thoroughly detailed. In the process, a new vocabulary is introduced – one that allows global warming to be framed and measured in terms of global average Carbon Dioxide rather than simply in reference to temperature alone.
While the entire book is of great value to all wishing a nuanced and comprehensive understanding of the potential effects of global warming, the final chapter, “Choosing Our Future,” is perhaps the most important. Here the reader discovers that the rhetoric of even those proposing to seek ways to prevent the cycle from either occurring or worsening is often disconnected from the structure of the process. From the concept of “peak oil” (itself very well explained) to the disparity between average temperature increases versus CO2 measurements in national and international agreements, the reader will complete the reading of Six Degrees well equipped to interpret, understand, and perhaps even take action to prevent the chain of events described from continuing.
Title: Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet
Author: Mark Lynas
Hardcover: 335 pages
Publisher: National Geographic
Publication Date: January 22, 2008
ISBN-10: 142620213X
ISBN-13: 978-1426202131
In accordance with Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR Part 255, it is disclosed that the copy of the book read in order to produce this review was provided gratis to the reviewer by the editorial staff of Bird Watcher’s Digest magazine for whom the review was originally written.
