Contents: Preface. 1. Perception of climate change. 2. Effects of climate change. 3. Climate and tropical weather. 4. Climatic variability, trends and fluctuations. 5. Urban and forest climates. 6. Climate change policies. 7. Action on climate change. 8. Economic factors. Bibliography. Index.

"On our planet, things change at an alarming pace. This change may be for better, some time, but for worse in a greater number of cases. Today, humanity is risking the health of the natural environment, through a myriad of interventions, including the atmospheric emission of trace gases--such as carbon dioxide--the use of ozone-depleting chemicals, the engineering of massive land-use changes, and the destruction of the habitats of many species. It is imperative that, now, the man should learn to protect all common geophysical and biological resources, as soon as possible. Global warming has now established as a major environmental issue on the international political agenda. It is also commonly agreed to be the most difficult issue to be solved politically. Global warming and climate change are growing environmental concerns. Recent increase in global warming has been attributed to the ever growing presence of certain greenhouse gases in the atmosphere." (jacket)