For Climate’s Sake!

René Schwarzenbach is Dean of the Department of Environmental Sciences at the ETH Zürich. Christian Rentsch is a journalist. Klaus Lanz is a journalist and environmental researcher.

For Climate's Sake! sets itself the goal of conveying the knowledge revealed by current climate research in a manner that is both concise and appealing. It differs from other books on climate change principally in the way it is conceived as a visual reader that deliberately uses the effectiveness and power of the image to present the theme in a graphic way. Extensive series of images with large photographs and informative diagrams accompany well-researched essays on and around the themes of climate history, research and policy and thus offer an in-depth examination. The book provides insights into the history of the earth's climate and reveals the factors that are responsible for climate change. It poses questions and provides answers: why is the earth becoming warmer? What are the consequences we must reckon with? What can we do against this? Who determines the future? As both a volume of illustrations and a reader For Climate's Sake! Is directed at all those who want to equip themselves with knowledge and understanding to confront what is probably our planet's most pressing problem.

This visual reader sheds light on climate change on the basis of reportage, case studies, and striking image sequences. Presented alongside chapters on the history of the earth and of climate and on the climate engines (solar energy, greenhouse gases, and global warming) are both the consequences of climate change and the political strategies designed to combat it. In the foreground are existential problems as formulated by the Millennium Developmental Goals: poverty and hunger, health and underdevelopment, but also the interdependency between climate change, economics, and politics. Unavoidable in this context as well are problems related to migration, megacities, and ethical questions of human rights, equity, and solidarity. For Climates Sake! addresses these questions rationally, at the same time evoking an emotional response.

Climate History Between Fireball and Ice DesertClimate System Why the World is Getting WarmerClimate Consequences Risks and "Residual Risks"Pathways into the Future Reality and VisionGlobal Climate Politics Between Power and Powerlessness