Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Changing Cold Enviroments: A Canadian Perspective Edited by Hugh French & Olav Slaymaker - Book review




Changing Cold Environments

A Canadian Perspective


Edited by: Hugh French, Olav Slaymaker

Published: January 3, 2012
Format: Paperback, 340 pages
ISBN-10: 0470699698
ISBN-13: 978-0470699690
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell













"The aim of this book is to simply document the changing nature of Canada's cold environments and, by implication, outline the possible global effects. We restrict the broader outline to the northern hemisphere", write editors Professor Emeritus, University of Ottawa, and Adjunct Professor, Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Hugh French; and Professor Emeritus, University College of Wales, Aberystwyth and the University of British Columbia in the Department of Geography, Olav Slaymaker, in their comprehensive and well structured book Changing Cold Environments: A Canadian Perspective. The editors provide a complete overview of how the physical attributes of the cold environments of Canada are changing, and how these changes have an impact on cold environments around the globe.



Hugh French (photo left) and Olav Slaymaker recognize that global climates are changing, and that those dramatic changes are affecting the fragile norther cold climates, The authors provide essays by leading experts in the field, and also from respected researchers in cold region research. In this book, the cold regions under study are the high latitudes of the northern hemisphere in general, and the Canadian north in particular. The editors focus on issues of environmental science and sustainability, in light of current an ongoing global climate change. The editors, and the contributing experts, express real concerns as to the effects of climate change on the cold environments in Canada, and around the world.



Olav Slaymaker (photo left) and Hugh French present research based evidence that global climate change is having a profound effect on Canada's cold regions, and on the planet's cold environments as well. The clear focus on global climate change forms the central theme of the book, with Canadian cold environments providing examples and research findings.

The editors provide a clearly structured approach to the study of global climate change on the cold environments most affected by it. The book examines the following Canadian environments that are facing the most impact:

* The Canadian tundra region
* The northern Canadian sub-arctic and boreal forest regions
* Western Canadian mid-latitude mountain regions
* Additional global studies of similar regions

For me, the power of the book is in the high quality of the research based contributions, written by acclaimed experts, and structured by the editors into a clear and logical format. The book is packed with photographs, graphs and diagrams that illustrate the points presented by the contributing writers. The book is both timely and important, and examines one of the most important environmental issues of our time. The editors avoid the controversies surrounding the causes of global climate change, and instead offer the field based research evidence of the results of that environmental transition. This book is a good one for study in the upper levels of undergraduate study in environmental science, geography, and earth sciences.

I highly recommend the research based and well structured book Changing Cold Environments: A Canadian Perspective edited by Hugh French and Olav Slaymaker, to any undergraduate students, journalists, policy makers, business leaders, and engineers seeking a complete overview of the impact of environmental change on cold climates. This book forms a solid knowledge base that has real value beyond the classroom, and into the boardrooms of business and the halls of government.

Tags: , , , .

No comments:

Post a Comment