Basics and batik of climate change

international | environment | other press Tuesday August 09, 2011 22:35 by Catherine Brahic,

This is an article about a new book on climate change. Written by Orrin Pilkey and illustrated by Mary Fraser.

"IT TURNS out that there is a hoax involved in climate change. Only the hoax is being perpetrated by public relations efforts by the fossil fuels industry." Thus begins the most memorable chapter of Global Climate Change.

Better known for his exposés on the flaws of coastal engineering, geologist Orrin Pilkey has turned his attention to this century's hot environmental topic: climate change. There are no surprises for those familiar with the subject, but the book does a good job of explaining the foundations of climate science to an interested novice.

 

The chapter on climate change sceptics stands out for its passionate description of how industrial groups spread doubt among the public. Energy empires were systematic in their approach: identifying vulnerable audiences ("older, less educated males" and "younger, lower-income women"), and the sources they trusted ("technical sources"), before releasing targeted documents arguing, for instance, that climate change would be a boon for plant growth. As the authors point out, that is only a half-truth.