Human nature Nine ways to feel about our changing planet

In this impassioned debut report, climatologist Marvel uses the emotions engendered by the climate crisis to explore the science of global warming. Reflecting on her anger over inaction in the face of damning evidence, Marvel describes how the warnings of 19th-century scientist Eunice Foote, who was among the first people to realize that rising CO₂ levels would increase global temperatures, were dismissed because she was a woman. Marvel also covers the fear-inducing realities of a warmer planet, explaining that weather stations in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates have recorded combinations of heat and humidity so extreme that sweating can no longer cool the body and even sitting in the shade with an unlimited supply of water couldn't prevent fatal heatstroke. Later chapters offer cautious reasons for hope, as when Marvel argues that a successful mid-20th-century ban on hunting whales for oil shows how legislation might hasten the transition to clean energy. The history and climate science enlighten, and the poignant final chapter, in which Marvel reflects on the beauty of life and humanity's contradictions while comparing her feelings about living with a potentially lethal brain clot to confronting the grim possibilities of climate change, is a bona fide tearjerker. This unique take on the climate crisis stands out. Agent: Rachel Vogel, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner. (June)

Books on climate change need not be all depressing. Earth science can inspire wonder, having favorite places can engender love, and learning from the past can kindle hope. Marvel, a climate scientist, explains global phenomena such as ocean currents and greenhouse gas emissions and their influences on our climate in clear, accessible language. Current climate models, she argues, are quality tools for understanding the interactions among the planet's air, land, ice, and water. The models explain past eras--warmer and cooler ones--which lend credence to future predictions: If carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere continue to increase, we will experience ever warmer global temperatures and their consequences on storm severity, drought, and rising seas. There is no doubt, Marvel asserts, that humans are changing the climate. And yet, we are the loose cannons here--no one can predict what we will (or won't) do to address the problem. The doom and gloom in the book is balanced with notes of hope: Past efforts to tackle acid rain and to save the ozone layer demonstrate collective action for good. Marvel both outlines the facts and accommodates her feelings. Her book is personal--indeed, the chapter titles are emotions ("Wonder," "Anger," "Guilt")--and, in her telling, turns out to feel necessary. The work contains loads of geeky earth science and playful asides, including imagined Hollywood scripts for portraying outcomes and human foibles. It's full of quotable lines that one might use to argue with climate skeptics. To wit: "We are more sure that greenhouse gases are warming the planet than we are that smoking causes cancer." A highly readable argument for tackling climate change that reckons with both cold hard facts and the human heart. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.