title: Climate Change: A Wicked Problem: Complexity and Uncertainty at the Intersection of Science, Economics, Politics, and Human Behavior
author: Frank P. Incropera
description: "This remarkable book ... offers [a] most balanced, unbiased and holistic view ... respect[s] the reader's prerogative to make up their own mind ... As we enter a period of intense global and national discourse on this important topic, the timing of this book could not be better. People worldwide need to read Dr Incropera's book to map out for themselves the panoramic view of this multidimensional complex issue." <br />Arun Majumdar, Jay Precourt Professor, Stanford University; Former Vice President for Energy, Google; Founding Director, US Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E); and Former US Acting Undersecretary of Energy, Department of Energy<br /><br />"... [does] a masterful job of bringing the reader on a journey through the science and debate." <br />Suresh V. Garimella, Goodson Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University<br /><br />"... thorough and thoughtful, offering something to those already knowledgeable about the topic, while simultaneously remaining accessible to students approaching climate change for the first time." <br />Jeffrey A. Cunningham, University of South Florida<br /><br />"I can think of no better source of information than this book that presents - in a straightforward manner - many of the complex choices and trade-offs ahead of us as a society. It will challenge readers' preconceived notions intellectually, but they will walk away with a much better appreciation for what is really at stake." <br />Michael O'Sullivan, Senior Vice President, NextEra Energy<br /><br />"... [does] a masterful job of making the case for taking action now to reduce the impact of greenhouse gases attributable to human activity. [Incropera] does it in a way that even the most ardent skeptics will have to acknowledge is a persuasive and balanced case that respects counterarguments but engages them thoroughly and convincingly ... required reading for every public policy student, legislator, regulator, and business decision maker in the energy space." <br />Anthony F. Earley, Jr, Chairman, CEO, and President, PG&amp;E Corporation, from the Foreword<br /><br />"Who is this book written for? For anyone who is earnestly seeking to increase the breadth of his or her knowledge and understanding of one of the twenty-first century's most contentious issues ... Whether the reader is a climate change novice or an experienced hand, a scientist or an interested layman, Climate Change: A Wicked Problem provides invaluable information and insights with which to intelligently engage in shaping the future of this monumental challenge. It will challenge your thinking regardless of your starting point." <br />G. P. 'Bud' Peterson, President, Georgia Institute of Technology, from the Foreword<br /><br />'Many debate the existence of climate change or global warming and use the two terms interchangeably. However, they are not the same. ... Incropera explains how changes in the Earth's biosphere ... and cryosphere ... create changes in the Earth's climate. The dialogue makes sense and Incropera adds facts and comparisons from the ice sheets during and after the ice age to those melting on Antartica and Greenland. ... I found this a very interesting and enlightening read because I have had an interest in climate change and was under the mistaken assumption that climate change and global warming [were] one and the same. If you care about our planet and want to know what we need to do to reverse the effects of climate change this is a read for you.' Michelle Kaye Malsbury, Bookpleasures.com (www.bookpleasures.com)<br /><br />'A masterful job, comprehensively, objectively, and convincingly covering the different aspects of the important subject ... written in a lucid, approachable style intended for 'anyone who is earnestly seeking to increase the breadth of his or her knowledge and understanding of one of the twenty-first century's most contentious issues'. ... The three forewords ... rightly praise the author's tenacity, objectivity, and foresight in studying the 'wicked' problem, offering an elective course on the broad subject, then writing the remarkable book. ... Frank's labor of love is praiseworthy messianic. In my opinion, this book deserves much more attention than the one it has already garnered. A New York Times' review, a best-seller listing, and readership that approached that of an autobiography penned by a celebrity would all be warranted. The treatise is superbly researched, organized, written, and presented. I enthusiastically recommend the book for all who care about the future of our planet.' Mohamed Gad-el-Hak, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Journal
zlib_text: MuseLetter 284 / January 2016
  1
  richardheinberg.com
  MuseLetter #284 / January 2016 by Richard Heinberg 
  Climate Holism vs. Climate Reductionism
  Climate change may be the biggest threat facing humanity, but the
  way we’re currently going about fighting it just ensures that, even if
  we prevail, another threat will follow, and another, and another.
  To explain why, it’s helpful to review a philosophical debate that’s
  simmered throughout the past couple of centuries. With the advent of
  modern science came a general predisposition toward an attitude
  called “reductionism,” the essential notion being that complex
  phenomena can best be understood by breaking them down into their
  component parts. Reductionism unquestionably works in many
  situations. For example, we can better understand the physical
  attributes of many materials if we study their molecular structures
  and their elemental atomic constituents. Chemistry is rooted in
  physics, and cell biology is rooted in chemistry.
  On the other hand,