Timescales and Environmental Change

Graham Chapman, Thackwray Driver

In the context of environmental change there's been little discussion about what is actually meant by "short-" or "long-term"; yet an understanding of timescales of change and how they relate is crucial to truly responsible environmentalism. To physical geographeers the last 10,000 years is recent; to politicians, five-year environmental problems that can't be solved before the next election year are far beyond their horizons. "Timescales of Environmental Change" brings together impressive contributors from across the physical and social sciences, offering a fascinating range of perspectives. Original papers, from a recent Conference at SOAS are rewritten with the book's introductory and concluding chapters as a base, and timely contributions have been added. A focussed book is the result.

List of figures, List of tables, List of contributors, Preface, 1 TIME, MANKIND, AND THE EARTH, 2 LONG-TERM ENVIRONMENTAL STABILITY AND INSTABILITY IN THE TROPICS AND SUBTROPICS, 3 THE CENTURY TIME-SCALE, 4 IDENTIFYING THE TIME-SCALES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE: THE INSTRUMENTAL RECORD, 5 FUTURE GLOBAL WARMING: RESOLVING THE CLIMATOLOGIST AND ECONOMIST CONFLICT, 6 GREENHOUSE POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND THE INFLUENCE OF THE CLIMATE CHANGE PREDICTION TIMETABLE: AN AUSTRALIAN PERSPECTIVE, 7 CONFLICTING TIME-SCALES: POLITICS, THE MEDIA, AND THE ENVIRONMENT, 8 ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA: SOIL EROSION, ANIMALS, AND PASTURES OVER THE LONGER TERM, 9 REFRAMING FOREST HISTORY: A RADICAL REAPPRAISAL OF THE ROLES OF PEOPLE AND CLIMATE IN WEST AFRICAN VEGETATION CHANGE, 10 ECONOMIC ACTION AND THE ENVIRONMENT: PROBLEMS OF TIME AND PREDICTABILITY, 11 INDIA, DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE, 12 CONCLUSION, INDEX