Global change and the Earth System: executive summary

  Available online: http://www.igbp.net/publications/summariesforpolicymakers/summariesforpolicymake [...]

This executive summary describes a book that sets out what is known about global change and the nature of the Earth System. It addresses a number of important but difficult questions. How does the Earth System operate in the absence of significant human influence? How can human-driven effects be discerned from those due to natural variability? What are the implications of global change for human well-being? How robust is the Earth System in the face of this new internal force of change? Can human activities trigger abrupt and potentially irreversible changes to which adaptation would be impossible? How serious is this inadvertent human experiment with its own life support system?

Language(s): English

Tags: Climate ; Climate change ; Earth System Sciences Add tag