Under a green sky : global warming, the mass extinctions of the past, and what they can tell us about our future / Peter D. Ward.
More than 200 million years ago, a cataclysm known as the Permian extinction destroyed nearly 97 percent of all living things. Its origins have long been a puzzle. Paleontologist Ward, fresh from helping prove that an asteroid had killed the dinosaurs, turned to the Permian problem, and he has come to a stunning conclusion: that the near-total devastation at the end of the Permian period was caused by rising levels of carbon dioxide leading to climate change. The story of the discovery makes for a globe-spanning adventure. Here, Ward explains how the Permian extinction as well as four others happened, and describes the freakish oceans--belching poisonous gas--and sky--slightly green and always hazy--that would have attended them. Those ancient upheavals demonstrate that the threat of climate change cannot be ignored, lest the world's life today--ourselves included--face the same dire fate.--From publisher description.
Record details
- ISBN: 0739490435
- ISBN: 9780739490433
- Physical Description: xiv, 242 pages : charts, illustrations ; 21 cm
- Edition: 1st Smithsonian Books edition
- Publisher: New York : Smithsonian Books/Collins, 2007.
Content descriptions
- Bibliography, etc. Note:
- Includes bibliographical references and index.
- Formatted Contents Note:
- Welcome to the revolution! -- The overlooked extinction -- The mother of all extinctions -- The misinterpreted extinction -- A new paradigm for mass extinctions -- The driver of extinction -- Bridging deep past with near past -- The oncoming extinction of winter -- Back to the Eocene -- The new old world.
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- 1 of 1 copy available at NC Cardinal. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Onslow County Public Library.
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| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville Main Library | 577.276 WAR (Text) | 36015000685541 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
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Summary:
More than 200 million years ago, a cataclysm known as the Permian extinction destroyed nearly 97 percent of all living things. Its origins have long been a puzzle. Paleontologist Ward, fresh from helping prove that an asteroid had killed the dinosaurs, turned to the Permian problem, and he has come to a stunning conclusion: that the near-total devastation at the end of the Permian period was caused by rising levels of carbon dioxide leading to climate change. The story of the discovery makes for a globe-spanning adventure. Here, Ward explains how the Permian extinction as well as four others happened, and describes the freakish oceans--belching poisonous gas--and sky--slightly green and always hazy--that would have attended them. Those ancient upheavals demonstrate that the threat of climate change cannot be ignored, lest the world's life today--ourselves included--face the same dire fate.--From publisher description.
