Surviving Global Warming ― Why Eliminating Greenhouse Gases Isn't Enough

A climate expert makes a compelling case for implementing adaptation strategies in addition to reducing greenhouse gases to lessen the destructive effects of human-caused climate change.

Though the Paris Agreement on climate change was a significant achievement, most authorities agree that its measures to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions will be insufficient to offset the forecasted increase in global warming. Even in the unlikely case of ideal compliance, the Earth will still experience major climate-driven damages. Given this reality, climate expert Roger A. Sedjo argues in this book that a Plan B is required. He makes a compelling case that doing more of the same, by focusing only on the mitigation plan of the Paris Agreement, will leave humanity increasingly vulnerable; instead, we must also begin planning adaptation strategies--Plan B--which enable societies to anticipate and protect against the worst effects of inevitable climate change.

The author examines several areas where environmental damage could be severe. Sea-level rise is a major concern and measures could be, and in some cases are now being, undertaken to protect coastal areas. The author also addresses the need for more robust action to ward off the likely decline in agricultural productivity, destruction of forests and biodiversity, and the impact of natural catastrophes like hurricanes made worse by climate change. In addition, he considers geo-engineering strategies, such as atmospheric reflectivity, which may play a role in lessening the impact of global warming.

This important overview of the challenges of and possible approaches to climate change by an expert and Nobel Prize winner is essential reading for policy makers, climate scientists, and lay persons alike.

Roger A. Sedjo, PhD, is a Senior Fellow Emeritus at Resources for the Future, a Washington, DC resource and environmental think tank, and he is director of RFF's Forest Economics and Policy Program. Sedjo shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for his work on the IPCC Climate Assessments, numbers 2, 3, and 4. He also received an honorary doctorate from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, as well as numerous other awards and fellowships including a PERC Fellowship, German Marshall Plan Fellowship, and Sloan Foundation Fellowship. He has written or edited fifteen books related to forestry and natural resources as well as hundreds of peer-reviewed papers. Sedjo has served on the EPA Scientific Advisory Board addressing questions of carbon regulations for biomass energy. In addition, he has consulted or worked with the World Bank, UNDP, Asian Development Bank, USAID, OECD, FAO, IIED, IIASA and other international organizations.