Despite scientific evidence that business-as-usual is unsustainable, there isa huge and widespread inertia to ‘greening’ the planet. Warming to Ecocide considers climate change from a thermodynamic perspective and asks whether market-driven organisations have carried us to the point of no return through the flawed economics of endless growth. Warming to Ecocide begins by exploring the thermodynamic origins of climate change. It demonstrates that equilibrium thermodynamics can provide full explanations for the basic processes of life such as photosynthesis and metabolism, and that non-equilibrium thermodynamics is close to providing an explanation for how life started. Armed with a solid appreciation of the power of thermodynamics, the second half of Warming to Ecocidediscusses whether multinational corporations have convinced the public that climate change is insignificant and thereby neutered any all attempts by governments to espouse environmentally-friendly policies. It then goes on to offer strategies whereby mankind may avoid propelling the global average temperature above the pre-industrial level by more than 2°C, which scientists view as a threshold presaging catastrophic run-away processes. Suggests a route to avoiding runaway climate change by reinstating the greenhouse thermostat to its full operational capacity. Addresses mankind's contribution to climate change from a thermodynamic perspective. Describes and illustrates the power of thermodynamics to furnish insights into the thermal behaviour of complex physical systems. INDICE: 1. Equilibrium Thermodynamics. 2. Equilibrium Thermodynamics and Life. 3. Non-equilibrium Thermodynamics. 4. Thermodynamics and Climate. 5. Man’s Artificial Eco-system. 6. Eco-blind Civilisation. 7. Dismantling the Fossil Fuel Era. 8. Sustainable Technologies.
- ISBN: 978-0-85729-925-3
- Editorial: Springer London
- Encuadernacion: Cartoné
- Páginas: 338
- Fecha Publicación: 30/09/2011
- Nº Volúmenes: 1
- Idioma: Inglés