What do you think?
Rate this book
Climate of Uncertainty: A Balanced Look at Global Warming and Renewable Energy
The perfect book for anyone seeking an unbiased understanding of all sides of the climate change issue, Climate of Uncertainty explores the topic in a way all readers will understand. Without taking sides, Stewart examines the major questions of global warming, renewable energy, expanding populations, and sustainability. He has written to inform, not to persuade, and no viewpoint has been ignored, no opinion belittled, simply because it is not widely accepted. In short, this book is a step away from the fray, a fresh and balanced assessment of a debate that is all too often dominated by extremes. This is climate change for the layman, a book about some of the largest issues facing our world today, and what our options are in dealing with them.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
11 people are currently reading
83 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 5, 2011
Climate of Uncertainty / 978-0-9767291-6-7
When author William Stewart suggested that I read and review "Climate of Uncertainty", I was initially uncertain. Although I am not a climate change scientist, I am personally convinced that global climate change is a fact, and that human behavior is at least partially responsible for this global climate change... as well as for fixing it. Rather cynically, I was afraid that the "balanced" view promised by the title would be the sort of "balance" that gives as much weight to opinions as it does to facts.
My fears were unfounded, though, for "Climate of Uncertainty" provides that rare balanced viewpoint that describes the facts lucidly while still outlining clearly the remaining areas of uncertainty and what we do and don't know yet. Stewart has succinctly pulled together a comprehensive and compelling "big picture" viewpoint of global climate change, the many possible and probable causes of global climate change, the number of ways that humanity may be affected by projected climate change, and the number of potential corrections we can institute in order to preserve the careful balance in which we live.
Unlike "Climate Cover-Up", which I felt would not be a good overture to a skeptical reader, "Climate of Uncertainty" cannot help but please the most skeptical of readers - within the carefully assembled facts, intelligent analysis, and engaging writing style, there is always a very respectful dialogue maintained with the reader. Stewart neither criticizes nor attacks any of the opposing viewpoints or proponents in his book; he is always careful to explain the opposition view fairly and without cheap straw-manning before providing the evidence and letting the facts speak clearly for themselves.
I think the best way to represent this book, to anyone wondering whether or not this is the right book for them to read, would be to quote a passage that particularly caught my eye as exemplifying the respectful tone, and "big picture" clarity that Stewart so skillfully employs. Explaining why the year 2008 was characterized as "the coldest year of the century" and as a "failure" for global warming theory, Stewart explains:
"In point of fact, 2008 was the coldest year of the twenty-first century, but fair disclosure would have required an acknowledgment that 2008 was also the eight-warmest year in recorded history - warmer than all but two years in the twentieth century. Full disclosure would have also required a revelation that 2008 temperatures were reduced by a strong La Nina. In other words, a year in which global temperatures were substantially cooled by prevailing ENSO conditions turned out to be one of the ten hottest in the last century and a half. Thus, these headlines, and hundreds of others like them, are most graciously characterized as incomplete."
In the end, all my fears that this book might be more dominated by opinion than science were laid to rest and, indeed, I am tempted to label this the most comprehensive and clear recent climate change book I've read. I deeply enjoyed the reading, and I recommend this book both to climate change advocates and skeptics alike.
NOTE: This review is based on a free Advance Review Copy of this book provided through the author.
~ Ana Mardoll
When author William Stewart suggested that I read and review "Climate of Uncertainty", I was initially uncertain. Although I am not a climate change scientist, I am personally convinced that global climate change is a fact, and that human behavior is at least partially responsible for this global climate change... as well as for fixing it. Rather cynically, I was afraid that the "balanced" view promised by the title would be the sort of "balance" that gives as much weight to opinions as it does to facts.
My fears were unfounded, though, for "Climate of Uncertainty" provides that rare balanced viewpoint that describes the facts lucidly while still outlining clearly the remaining areas of uncertainty and what we do and don't know yet. Stewart has succinctly pulled together a comprehensive and compelling "big picture" viewpoint of global climate change, the many possible and probable causes of global climate change, the number of ways that humanity may be affected by projected climate change, and the number of potential corrections we can institute in order to preserve the careful balance in which we live.
Unlike "Climate Cover-Up", which I felt would not be a good overture to a skeptical reader, "Climate of Uncertainty" cannot help but please the most skeptical of readers - within the carefully assembled facts, intelligent analysis, and engaging writing style, there is always a very respectful dialogue maintained with the reader. Stewart neither criticizes nor attacks any of the opposing viewpoints or proponents in his book; he is always careful to explain the opposition view fairly and without cheap straw-manning before providing the evidence and letting the facts speak clearly for themselves.
I think the best way to represent this book, to anyone wondering whether or not this is the right book for them to read, would be to quote a passage that particularly caught my eye as exemplifying the respectful tone, and "big picture" clarity that Stewart so skillfully employs. Explaining why the year 2008 was characterized as "the coldest year of the century" and as a "failure" for global warming theory, Stewart explains:
"In point of fact, 2008 was the coldest year of the twenty-first century, but fair disclosure would have required an acknowledgment that 2008 was also the eight-warmest year in recorded history - warmer than all but two years in the twentieth century. Full disclosure would have also required a revelation that 2008 temperatures were reduced by a strong La Nina. In other words, a year in which global temperatures were substantially cooled by prevailing ENSO conditions turned out to be one of the ten hottest in the last century and a half. Thus, these headlines, and hundreds of others like them, are most graciously characterized as incomplete."
In the end, all my fears that this book might be more dominated by opinion than science were laid to rest and, indeed, I am tempted to label this the most comprehensive and clear recent climate change book I've read. I deeply enjoyed the reading, and I recommend this book both to climate change advocates and skeptics alike.
NOTE: This review is based on a free Advance Review Copy of this book provided through the author.
~ Ana Mardoll
Read
January 12, 2022It's a good primer. Sometimes I found it a little confusing to connect some of the examples with the general summary at the end, specifically regarding warming oceans and hurricanes. I wanted more coverage of skepticism, but it was fine. I kind of skipped the solutions part because that is more my area. I wish the climate science parts were more technical, but I am not the audience. At this point it's probably best to just read the IPCC reports.
May 1, 2018
I was never a climate change denialist but definitely a skeptic. I think a lot of that came from ignorance and not having someone who could really explain it. Friends and family rolled their eyes at me but couldn't say anything in defense of climate change except "Scientists say it's real." I'm not one to blindly believe everything I'm told. This book puts the problem in easy to digest rhetoric and gives optimistic solutions and how they may be implemented. In 2018 the book has aged well with some of the potential events the book predicted already coming to pass. I recommend it to anyone looking to develop an understanding of climate change.
April 10, 2010
‘The problem is that we don’t know exactly when the future begins.’
William Stewart wrote this book to provide his daughter with a short-cut towards understanding the debate about global warming. As Mr Stewart points out in his preface, there are a number of books available on climate change, renewable energy and sustainability. While many of these books offer valuable perspectives, they do not generally draw together all of the complex issues and challenges which face us.
I suspect that no single book can achieve this in a coherent and accessible way. Many of the issues need detailed and sometimes technical explanations and when the so-called experts are unable to reach agreement on cause and effect it is easy to see how the rest of us can be discouraged. The fact, too, that debates are often hijacked by those seeking to prove (or disprove) a point makes the goal of understanding the issues even more difficult.
What I liked about Mr Stewart’s book is his examination of the following key issues: global warming; renewable energy; expanding populations and sustainability. While none of these factors can be viewed in isolation, some understanding of the possible directions and impacts of each of them is important in making informed choices (both at the individual and policy making levels) about possible future directions.
I found this book easy to read (simple, but not simplistic) and very informative. However, it is a starting point for discussion and action, not a set of answers to accept and implement. While some of the contents are particularly relevant to the USA, the issues are global. We may not know when the future begins but if we want to shape it, we need to start addressing many of these issues now.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
William Stewart wrote this book to provide his daughter with a short-cut towards understanding the debate about global warming. As Mr Stewart points out in his preface, there are a number of books available on climate change, renewable energy and sustainability. While many of these books offer valuable perspectives, they do not generally draw together all of the complex issues and challenges which face us.
I suspect that no single book can achieve this in a coherent and accessible way. Many of the issues need detailed and sometimes technical explanations and when the so-called experts are unable to reach agreement on cause and effect it is easy to see how the rest of us can be discouraged. The fact, too, that debates are often hijacked by those seeking to prove (or disprove) a point makes the goal of understanding the issues even more difficult.
What I liked about Mr Stewart’s book is his examination of the following key issues: global warming; renewable energy; expanding populations and sustainability. While none of these factors can be viewed in isolation, some understanding of the possible directions and impacts of each of them is important in making informed choices (both at the individual and policy making levels) about possible future directions.
I found this book easy to read (simple, but not simplistic) and very informative. However, it is a starting point for discussion and action, not a set of answers to accept and implement. While some of the contents are particularly relevant to the USA, the issues are global. We may not know when the future begins but if we want to shape it, we need to start addressing many of these issues now.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
April 12, 2016
I had to find out very quickly about climate change for a work project and this book was perfect. Stewart announces early on that he wrote the book to explain the phenomena to his teenage daughter, so I was pretty certain that, at 49, I'd understand it too. I bought it because the book allows both arguments for and against man made global warming to be heard, and states that both are valid. I learned so much form the pages and it was a truly easy read. Having begun this book with only the shakiest view of the science, I now feel much better informed. I am also much more appreciative of why newly industrialised superpowers like India and and Chinese might feel aggrieved at punitive measures for their carbon output when it is the nations of the west who have spent the last 150 years pumping C02 into the atmosphere. A must read for anyone who wants to get a handle on our warming planet, and what can be done to help cool it down a little.
July 15, 2016
This book is an excellent primer for anyone who wants to know more about the possibility of climate change, how fast it might happen, what can be done to mitigate it, and also why some of what skeptics believe is also supported by science and should not be just dismissed without a thorough review. Extremely well researched and annotated, fully the last quarter of the volume are reference notes spo those who wish to verify any of the statements given in the book may see for themselves the source material used to support every contention made in the book.
August 7, 2012
I liked this book. It promotes a "balanced look" and, for the most part, comes through. I think there is a little more bias than the author admits to but, since I agree with him, I do not mind. Furhtermore, there is quite a few witty remarks that kept me interested in what could have been a dull "sciencey" book.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews