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Climate Peril: The Intelligent Reader's Guide to Understanding the Climate Crisis
In an easily accessible work of enormous scope and depth, John J. Berger vividly evokes the looming hazards of a warmer world. Based on the latest climate science, Climate Peril reveals that the impacts of climate change on our health, economy, and environment are far worse—and more imminent—than many realize. The book identifies the obstacles to climate protection and shows why steep and unprecedented—yet affordable—cuts in greenhouse gases are needed now to avert a global climate catastrophe. Climate Peril portrays the radically altered world we will create in 2100 A.D. if greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced and documents the rapid and unnatural climate change already taking place. The book explores all major consequences of climate change, especially its astonishing impacts on the economy, human health, other species, and the oceans. Among other awesome risks, Climate Peril describes the billions of ton of carbon lurking in ocean sea beds and thawing permafrost and the global danger of crossing an invisible threshold beyond which catastrophic climate changes become inevitable. While its conclusions are alarming, Climate Peril is above all a realistic and authoritative book that you can use to better understand how climate change may affect you and your family. Climate Peril is the second of a three book series. Volume 1, Climate Myths , focused on the political campaign waged against climate science. Volume 3, Climate Solutions (forthcoming), shows how to create a climate-safe world by radically transforming global energy, transportation, and land use practices. Early Praise for Climate Peril “A brilliant book, and one that might just change the world. By far the best overview of climate science and its implications for our planet that I’ve ever read.”
- Tim Flannery, Chief Councilor, Australian Climate Council, and Author, The Weather Makers “I applaud Climate Peril for showing so clearly that climatic disruption is the consuming issue of our time and our response in the next few years will determine the fate of this civilization.”
- George M. Woodwell, Founder, Director Emeritus, and Senior Scientist, Woods Hole Research Center “ Climate Peril is an excellent primer on the causes and effects of climate change, which, as John Berger notes, imperils our very existence and that of all natural systems on which we depend.”
- Lester R. Brown, President, Earth Policy Institute and Author, Full Planet, Empty Plates “Read Climate Peril and you will become well informed about what probably is the greatest threat ever faced by civilization.”
- Paul R. and Anne H. Ehrlich, from the Introduction to Climate Peril “ Climate Peril lays the foundation for understanding the actions we must take to begin building a sustainable world for the future. Highly recommended!”
- Peter H. Raven, President Emeritus, Missouri Botanical Garden About the Author John J. Berger, Ph.D., writes about climate change from the perspective of an internationally respected energy and natural resources expert. Trained in ecology. Dr. Berger has served as a consultant to government, scientific, academic, and nonprofit organizations, including the U.S. Congress and the National Academy of Sciences.
- Tim Flannery, Chief Councilor, Australian Climate Council, and Author, The Weather Makers “I applaud Climate Peril for showing so clearly that climatic disruption is the consuming issue of our time and our response in the next few years will determine the fate of this civilization.”
- George M. Woodwell, Founder, Director Emeritus, and Senior Scientist, Woods Hole Research Center “ Climate Peril is an excellent primer on the causes and effects of climate change, which, as John Berger notes, imperils our very existence and that of all natural systems on which we depend.”
- Lester R. Brown, President, Earth Policy Institute and Author, Full Planet, Empty Plates “Read Climate Peril and you will become well informed about what probably is the greatest threat ever faced by civilization.”
- Paul R. and Anne H. Ehrlich, from the Introduction to Climate Peril “ Climate Peril lays the foundation for understanding the actions we must take to begin building a sustainable world for the future. Highly recommended!”
- Peter H. Raven, President Emeritus, Missouri Botanical Garden About the Author John J. Berger, Ph.D., writes about climate change from the perspective of an internationally respected energy and natural resources expert. Trained in ecology. Dr. Berger has served as a consultant to government, scientific, academic, and nonprofit organizations, including the U.S. Congress and the National Academy of Sciences.
360 pages, Paperback
First published April 11, 2014
3 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
John J. Berger
12 books20 followersJohn J. Berger launched the environmental restoration movement in 1985 with his book Restoring the Earth: How Americans Are Working to Renew Our Damaged Environment. He also founded and directed the nonprofit Restoring the Earth, Inc., which worked to advance the cause of environmental restoration via public education and environmental policy development. Through Restoring the Earth, Berger and his staff initiated a seminal environmental restoration conference that prominently brought restoration to media and public attention.
Dr. Berger has authored and edited eleven books on energy and environmental issues and is a long-time supporter of alternative energy solutions to global environmental problems. For many years he has repeatedly called attention to the nation’s excessive dependence on foreign oil and the huge attendant economic and environmental costs, and risks. He has outlined strategies for a clean, renewable energy economy in books such as Charging Ahead: The Business of Renewable Energy and What It Means for America, and Beating the Heat: How and Why We Must Combat Global Warming, and Climate Change Policy (Schneider et al, eds.).
Berger wrote one of the first books critical of nuclear power, Nuclear Power: The Unviable Option, which forewarned in 1976 of core-melt accident possibilities, such as the one that later occurred at Three Mile Island. In the same book, he highlighted the nuclear industry’s grave economic problems, which have since brought its expansion to a virtual standstill in the U.S. Later he co-founded and directed the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, Inc. of Washington, D.C., which has provided critical information on nuclear power issues to millions of people and assisted safe energy organizations throughout the country.
As an independent energy and environmental consultant, he has worked for the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academy of Sciences, Fortune 500 companies, such as Lockheed and Chevron, nonprofit groups, and governmental organizations. His work has included providing assistance to firms in the assessment of renewable energy technology. As noted above, he served for two and a half years as consultant to the NRC for its national study on scientific, technological, and policy aspects of aquatic restoration, and he has been a consultant on restoration ecology to the Office of Technology Assessment of the U. S. Congress.
As a scientific consultant to the National Research Council, he helped to design, write, and edit the Council’s highly acclaimed national study, The Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystem: Science, Technology, and Public Policy (1990) that put aquatic ecosystem restoration more prominently in the public eye and higher on the U.S. Department of the Interior’s agenda.
Prior to his work in natural science, climate, and energy, Berger was an innovator in journalism, co-founding Alternative Features Service, Inc. in 1970 to support the development of alternative and college newspapers and radio stations in the U.S. with syndicated press materials that especially highlighted the creation of alternative institutions, such as free clinics, people’s banks, free universities, and alternative housing.
Dr. Berger has authored and edited eleven books on energy and environmental issues and is a long-time supporter of alternative energy solutions to global environmental problems. For many years he has repeatedly called attention to the nation’s excessive dependence on foreign oil and the huge attendant economic and environmental costs, and risks. He has outlined strategies for a clean, renewable energy economy in books such as Charging Ahead: The Business of Renewable Energy and What It Means for America, and Beating the Heat: How and Why We Must Combat Global Warming, and Climate Change Policy (Schneider et al, eds.).
Berger wrote one of the first books critical of nuclear power, Nuclear Power: The Unviable Option, which forewarned in 1976 of core-melt accident possibilities, such as the one that later occurred at Three Mile Island. In the same book, he highlighted the nuclear industry’s grave economic problems, which have since brought its expansion to a virtual standstill in the U.S. Later he co-founded and directed the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, Inc. of Washington, D.C., which has provided critical information on nuclear power issues to millions of people and assisted safe energy organizations throughout the country.
As an independent energy and environmental consultant, he has worked for the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academy of Sciences, Fortune 500 companies, such as Lockheed and Chevron, nonprofit groups, and governmental organizations. His work has included providing assistance to firms in the assessment of renewable energy technology. As noted above, he served for two and a half years as consultant to the NRC for its national study on scientific, technological, and policy aspects of aquatic restoration, and he has been a consultant on restoration ecology to the Office of Technology Assessment of the U. S. Congress.
As a scientific consultant to the National Research Council, he helped to design, write, and edit the Council’s highly acclaimed national study, The Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystem: Science, Technology, and Public Policy (1990) that put aquatic ecosystem restoration more prominently in the public eye and higher on the U.S. Department of the Interior’s agenda.
Prior to his work in natural science, climate, and energy, Berger was an innovator in journalism, co-founding Alternative Features Service, Inc. in 1970 to support the development of alternative and college newspapers and radio stations in the U.S. with syndicated press materials that especially highlighted the creation of alternative institutions, such as free clinics, people’s banks, free universities, and alternative housing.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 7, 2015
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2015
John Berger’s book, Climate Peril, goes a great way in not only explaining the science of climate change and the role we play in it but clearing up many of the misconceptions surrounding it. The book begins by positing a possible future if nothing is done: increases in deadly heat waves, droughts, hurricanes, wildfires, dust storms, loss of coastal areas (the US alone is losing 80,000 acres of coastal wetlands every year) and island nations, and widespread extinctions. Deadly diseases, once limited to the tropics will spread far beyond their normal areas – diseases like cholera, malaria, meningitis, Dengue fever.
Although these are just possibilities, he gives examples showing that many of these things are occurring already: loss of wetlands and drought in California, the destruction of coral reefs leading to ‘dead zones’, dust storms in Iran, melting in the Arctic and the loss of permafrost, the extinction or near-extinction of many species including frogs and lizards. It may see unimportant if these species disappear but, as he shows they matter very much because the loss of one small creature can lead not only to the loss of others that depend on it for food, some of which we may depend on for food, but to the increase of others like disease carrying insects:
“Even if one had no moral about wiping out supposedly unimportant species, it is obviously a bad idea to condone the loss of any part of nature’s intricately interwoven, multifaceted architecture to which we ourselves belong.”
He also explains the science behind climate change and, although I admit I didn’t understand it all, it certainly gave me a better grasp. He discusses the different conferences that have been held and what they have produced in real terms which he shows is very little. He gives examples of some of the arguments against action and he gives rebuttals to these arguments. He talks about the economics of climate change: what it would cost to try to fix it and what it will cost if we continue to do nothing. And he talks about the politics of climate change and why, despite all the talk, governments refuse to act in any meaningful way.
But, despite the lack of will by our leaders, Berger, who holds a PhD in Ecology, remains hopeful:
“Fortunately, many global studies confirm that we have the technology, financial capabilities, and renewable energy resources to successfully transition to an energy economy largely free of fossil fuels. But this will require some hard technological and political choices.”.
He suggests that, if the leaders won’t lead, then it will be up to us to act through Grassroots and Social Justice movements.
Climate Peril is a well-researched, well-documented and well-written look at the science of climate change, the consequences if it continues unchecked, and the cost to the planet and to it inhabitants including us humans. I can’t recommend this highly enough for anyone interested in better understanding this important issue.
Although these are just possibilities, he gives examples showing that many of these things are occurring already: loss of wetlands and drought in California, the destruction of coral reefs leading to ‘dead zones’, dust storms in Iran, melting in the Arctic and the loss of permafrost, the extinction or near-extinction of many species including frogs and lizards. It may see unimportant if these species disappear but, as he shows they matter very much because the loss of one small creature can lead not only to the loss of others that depend on it for food, some of which we may depend on for food, but to the increase of others like disease carrying insects:
“Even if one had no moral about wiping out supposedly unimportant species, it is obviously a bad idea to condone the loss of any part of nature’s intricately interwoven, multifaceted architecture to which we ourselves belong.”
He also explains the science behind climate change and, although I admit I didn’t understand it all, it certainly gave me a better grasp. He discusses the different conferences that have been held and what they have produced in real terms which he shows is very little. He gives examples of some of the arguments against action and he gives rebuttals to these arguments. He talks about the economics of climate change: what it would cost to try to fix it and what it will cost if we continue to do nothing. And he talks about the politics of climate change and why, despite all the talk, governments refuse to act in any meaningful way.
But, despite the lack of will by our leaders, Berger, who holds a PhD in Ecology, remains hopeful:
“Fortunately, many global studies confirm that we have the technology, financial capabilities, and renewable energy resources to successfully transition to an energy economy largely free of fossil fuels. But this will require some hard technological and political choices.”.
He suggests that, if the leaders won’t lead, then it will be up to us to act through Grassroots and Social Justice movements.
Climate Peril is a well-researched, well-documented and well-written look at the science of climate change, the consequences if it continues unchecked, and the cost to the planet and to it inhabitants including us humans. I can’t recommend this highly enough for anyone interested in better understanding this important issue.
May 26, 2020
Super powerful primer on a bunch of concepts that were just buzzwords to me before - ocean acidification, sea ice melting, a clean energy economy, ocean dead zones, heat stress, food web collapse - these concepts and more were clearly described and connected to paint a cohesive picture of how everything in modern society connects back to the climate crisis. Concepts were reemphasized and introduced in new lights throughout the book, to the point where difficult scientific concepts got drilled into my brain by the end of it. Seeing the connections to the current state of politics was also illuminating. It was also great to see how all these ideas and concepts connect back to my field of work, environmental health and air pollution. I feel a lot more equipped to have conversations about climate change now!
January 13, 2015
I received this ARC ebook free from the publisher through NetGalley.com.
I took a long time reading this book, about 3 weeks. It is densely packed with information documenting how man made climate change is affecting our planet. The author lays out in great detail that climate change is man made and the serious ill effects on the Earth. Among other things, sea level rise--flooding coastal cities around the world, as evidenced by hurricane Sandy's storm surge into NY city., The sea level rise is the result of melting polar ice caps/glaciers. Ninety per cent of Arctic summer ice has already disappeared. In addition, rising temperatures have the potential to turn current farmland into near deserts, with disastrous effects on the US great plains .
I am encouraged by the recent China-US agreement on carbon dioxide emissions, but much more must be done if we are to avoid the"tipping point" described by the author as a point of no return.
I urge all people concerned about this planet to read this book. The book has extensive footnotes, with references to a huge number of scientific studies proving that climate change is man made and that it is a very real danger to our planet. There are 2 minor faults--all temperatures are in Fahrenheit, and I could not enlarge the charts on my kindle version
I took a long time reading this book, about 3 weeks. It is densely packed with information documenting how man made climate change is affecting our planet. The author lays out in great detail that climate change is man made and the serious ill effects on the Earth. Among other things, sea level rise--flooding coastal cities around the world, as evidenced by hurricane Sandy's storm surge into NY city., The sea level rise is the result of melting polar ice caps/glaciers. Ninety per cent of Arctic summer ice has already disappeared. In addition, rising temperatures have the potential to turn current farmland into near deserts, with disastrous effects on the US great plains .
I am encouraged by the recent China-US agreement on carbon dioxide emissions, but much more must be done if we are to avoid the"tipping point" described by the author as a point of no return.
I urge all people concerned about this planet to read this book. The book has extensive footnotes, with references to a huge number of scientific studies proving that climate change is man made and that it is a very real danger to our planet. There are 2 minor faults--all temperatures are in Fahrenheit, and I could not enlarge the charts on my kindle version
December 29, 2021
One of the best books on climate change I've read. Explains in understandable details some of the complex interactions occurring in the coming climate catastrophe.
February 27, 2017
This book primarily focuses on North America, but other continents are viewed one by one to see how the warming world will affect them. While I've been telling people for twenty years that the world is warming and storms are getting worse, it seems to be only now that people who work indoors want to listen. Well, it's going to get a lot worse.
Climate Peril discusses the steady and accelerating rise in carbon dioxide and heat in the atmosphere. A global consensus has been reached among scientists that human activity is responsible. When we reach a tipping point it will be almost impossible to recover and even if we stopped all outputs today, the Earth would take thousands of years to restore normality. So what can we expect? I found the chapter on how we measure climate warming too complex for a complete beginner, but anyone who has a good basic grasp of the argument and physical cycles should be fine with it. If this is too complex, go ahead and read the outcome chapters.
With Arctic sea ice gone, the plankton that shelter under it will be much reduced, so the krill that feed on this will not be providing food for fish - heavy fishery is also likely to head in to the Arctic Ocean once enough ice is gone. So seabirds, seals, narwhals, whales and polar bears will all be hard put to find food. As will people. Not mentioned here is the fact that the Arctic Ocean is now open to the orcas. They charge up in packs like wolves and eat every narwhal in a nursery area. This has been filmed.
On land, the author looks at irrigation being more needed, water tables dropping and wildfires in increasing and ever more northerly heat and drought. Tundra fires are already frequent. The East Siberian Sea, which a map shows to be just north and left of Alaska, is supersaturated with methane now bubbling out of seafloor deposits which used to be frozen. Lakes including the Great Lakes will shrink. Rivers will dry up as glaciers vanish.
With climate refugees, and refugees from the fighting over water sources and revolutions over food shortages, populations are going to be on the move. Also moving will be the half the world's population which lives in coastal areas. With the sea rising as the water warms, we need to add that ice slipping off Greenland and Antarctica will add half a foot to sea level every ten years. Power stations, docks, fuel depots, waste dumps, retirement communities... all will need to move inland.
Planning for Coastal Resilience: Best Practices for Calamitous Times
by Timothy Beatley is a good book to complement this one, grant aided by North Carolina to look at works needed around the American coastline in particular.
Climate Peril discusses the steady and accelerating rise in carbon dioxide and heat in the atmosphere. A global consensus has been reached among scientists that human activity is responsible. When we reach a tipping point it will be almost impossible to recover and even if we stopped all outputs today, the Earth would take thousands of years to restore normality. So what can we expect? I found the chapter on how we measure climate warming too complex for a complete beginner, but anyone who has a good basic grasp of the argument and physical cycles should be fine with it. If this is too complex, go ahead and read the outcome chapters.
With Arctic sea ice gone, the plankton that shelter under it will be much reduced, so the krill that feed on this will not be providing food for fish - heavy fishery is also likely to head in to the Arctic Ocean once enough ice is gone. So seabirds, seals, narwhals, whales and polar bears will all be hard put to find food. As will people. Not mentioned here is the fact that the Arctic Ocean is now open to the orcas. They charge up in packs like wolves and eat every narwhal in a nursery area. This has been filmed.
On land, the author looks at irrigation being more needed, water tables dropping and wildfires in increasing and ever more northerly heat and drought. Tundra fires are already frequent. The East Siberian Sea, which a map shows to be just north and left of Alaska, is supersaturated with methane now bubbling out of seafloor deposits which used to be frozen. Lakes including the Great Lakes will shrink. Rivers will dry up as glaciers vanish.
With climate refugees, and refugees from the fighting over water sources and revolutions over food shortages, populations are going to be on the move. Also moving will be the half the world's population which lives in coastal areas. With the sea rising as the water warms, we need to add that ice slipping off Greenland and Antarctica will add half a foot to sea level every ten years. Power stations, docks, fuel depots, waste dumps, retirement communities... all will need to move inland.
Planning for Coastal Resilience: Best Practices for Calamitous Times
by Timothy Beatley is a good book to complement this one, grant aided by North Carolina to look at works needed around the American coastline in particular.
October 15, 2015
Apocalypse. Armageddon. End of the world as we know it. Always thought it would be raining fire from the skies, violent destruction from war or maybe a humongous meteor striking our planet, or even multiple volcanoes erupting or maybe atomic detonations of war. All that could still happen. A more likely scenario is the ongoing occurrence all around us, most noticeable by those living near coastal areas but inland as well. Just pay attention to the news, stories of flooding, drought, wild fires, ice caps melting, sea levels rising. The impact on prices of commodities, most severe on those who can least bear the burden. In the proximity of my residence flooding has become an issue every full moon or new moon as the tide rises. Speaking of tides, it may be too late to turn the tide of events causing all this weather mayhem. This book paints a grim picture of the future. Not an alarmist call of the end times, not prophesy of fire and brimstone. Just scientific findings and conclusions that are visible to anyone who cares to notice. This is a tedious read, but if one slogs through it and just picks at the pertinent information that is easily understandable a picture of human destruction on a grand scale and the consequences of a decaying planet and extinction of all species. I feel the basics of this book should be required educational material for our schools as it is the young of the world who stand to suffer and most likely the young of the world who will find solutions. Knowing few will likely make it through the entirety of this book I rate it a five because of the eye opening facts presented and the author’s effort to present a wake-up call of extreme import to all.
August 29, 2015
Although this book covers a huge range of science relating to global warming it has many flaws. A publication released onto the international market needs to be edited for that market and this omission substantially reduces the book's appeal. It is unbelievable that no attempt has been made to edit Fahrenheit temperatures and other US units of measurement, this makes reading heavy going for anyone outside the US trying to make some sense of alien data. This is compounded by having graphical inserts with SI units being referred to in the text by US units - a real dog's breakfast.
Many sections are far too US-centric, a lengthy chapter on the global effects of climate change for the US, one page each for Africa & Asia.
On the technical side far too much emphasis has been put on worst case scenarios that are presented as being the probable outcome rather than using mid-range forecasts with comments about the upper and lower range outcomes. The book would benefit from far more charts and diagrams, explanations are often too lengthy to be taken in without some form of visual link. This book should have been a really good source of information, its weaknesses mean it is unlikely to inform or educate the public to the extent the author would wish.
Many sections are far too US-centric, a lengthy chapter on the global effects of climate change for the US, one page each for Africa & Asia.
On the technical side far too much emphasis has been put on worst case scenarios that are presented as being the probable outcome rather than using mid-range forecasts with comments about the upper and lower range outcomes. The book would benefit from far more charts and diagrams, explanations are often too lengthy to be taken in without some form of visual link. This book should have been a really good source of information, its weaknesses mean it is unlikely to inform or educate the public to the extent the author would wish.
October 12, 2014
Excellent book! Should be read by all who participated in the People's Climate March.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews