"Kerry Emanuel explains the basic science of global warming to non-experts and shows why it is very difficult to predict when it will have a dramatic effect on the climate. Emanuel warns of more intense hurricanes, flooding, and the advancing of deserts, and he calls for urgent action to reduce greenhouse gases. He also blasts the media for underreporting the dangers of global warming. The second edition is updated throughout and covers two main developments that have occurred since publication of the first edition. The first development is the next round of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) climate simulations, Assessment Report Five (AR5), which will provide an update on projections of climate change in the future. The second development is the so-called climategate incident and the subsequent collapse of U.S. popular and political support for dealing with climate change. This is mostly a political phenomenon, and Emanuel provides some insight into what happened and the consequences going forward"--Provided by publisher.