Climate Change: Science and Solutions for Australia

Climate Change: Science and Solutions for Australia draws on peer-reviewed literature up to 2011 contributed to by thousands of researchers in Australia and internationally, and provides a synthesis of CSIRO’s long history of publicly funded research over several decades.

It highlights the importance of climate change as a matter of significant environmental concern in Australia, and provides the latest information as of 2011 on international climate change science and responses.

About this book

The scientific evidence that human activities are contributing to climate change is compelling, but society is increasingly seeking information about the nature of the evidence and what can be done in response to a changing climate.

This book provides some of that much-needed information from some of Australia’s leading climate scientists.

This book is based on rigorous peer-reviewed scientific literature to articulate how human activities affect our climate, what changes we have seen already, what further changes we can expect, and what we might do to reduce future changes and live with those that are now inevitable.

The wealth of science behind this book reflects decades of research by researchers in Australia and internationally, including many from CSIRO.

Contents

This book contains chapters covering:

• Observations of global and Australian climate
• Climate and greenhouse gases
• Future Australian climate scenarios
• Climate change impacts
• Adaptation: reducing risk, gaining opportunity
• Adapting to heatwaves and coastal flooding
• Adapting agriculture to climate change
• Greenhouse gas mitigation: sources and sinks in agriculture and forestry
• Mitigation strategies for energy and transport
• Reducing energy demand: the imperative for behavioural change
• Responding to a changing climate.

Who is it for?

This book is an accessible guide to underpin decisions that need to be made in business, in government, and in general to respond to the challenges of climate change. It is an important resource for:

• business community leaders
• federal, state and local government members
• researchers and academics involved or interested in climate change science, adaptation and mitigation
• educators and media
• general public with an interest in climate change science.