Under a green sky : global warming, the mass extinctions of the past, and what they mean for our future / Peter D. Ward.
| Author/creator | Ward, Peter D., 1949- |
| Format | Book |
| Edition | 1st Smithsonian Books ed. |
| Publication Info | New York : Smithsonian Books/Collins, 2007. |
| Description | xiv, 242 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm |
| Subjects |
| Contents | 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. |
| Abstract | 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. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| LCCN | 2006052250 |
| ISBN | 9780061137914 |
| ISBN | 006113791X |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joyner | General Stacks | QE721.2.E97 W384 2007 | ✔ Available | Place Hold |