Review of Climate change: the science, impacts and solutions, by A. Barrie Pittock

Abstract

It is almost the resort of rascals to claim at the beginning of a book review that “the subject of this book has never been more topical and its publication could not be more timely”. Nonetheless, neither Barrie Pittock nor I are rascals, and the above statement is true. In fact, as I write this review, the Australian Senate, which has been held back from its Christmas recess to complete its debate on a bill to initiate greenhouse gas emissions reduction, is arguing about the cause and its possible cure. I wish I could have every member of the Senate (especially the dissenters in the Liberal Party) read the 350 pages of Barrie’s excellent book. Of course, as with all good books, they could simply read Chapter 1 “Climate change matters” and Chapter 12 “Accepting the challenge”, but as these rascals are politicians it might also be useful for them to read Chapter 10, entitled “The politics of greenhouse”.