Understanding the Earth System Hardback: Global Change Science for Application - Hardcover

'This beautifully organized and written book connects the fundamental natural sciences - meteorology, oceanography, ecology and many others - to provide the most complete understanding yet of how our planet works. But it doesn't stop there. It lays out a seamless storyline from the deep past through the present and into the future that contextualises the current phenomenon of global change. Critically, the book brings humanity fully into the picture, from the impacts of environmental change to potential stewardship of the planet, while always maintaining the rigour that good Earth system research demands.' Will Steffen, Executive Director, ANU Climate Change Institute, Australian National University

'With a scope extending across paleoclimate, current climate, feedbacks, human dimensions impacts, adaptation, and mitigation, this ambitious book succeeds in providing a deep yet comprehensive view of the Earth system in all its facets. Particularly impressive and novel is its rich set of clear and original figures to illustrate each issue in vibrant ways that will be especially useful for educators and students.' Susan Solomon, Ellen Swallow Richards Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

'Offering clear, colorful figures and a minimum of mathematical detail, this book would be useful for a general audience ... Recommended.' T. N. Chase, Choice

Sarah Cornell works on integrative socio-environmental research at the Stockholm Resilience Centre. In her previous role at the University of Bristol, she was responsible for the science management and the synthesis phase of the QUEST programme. Her research background is in marine and atmospheric chemistry, and her interdisciplinary interests are in the anthropogenic changes in global biogeochemistry, socio-economics, environmental policy and management, and the philosophy and methodology of integrative research. Dr Cornell established the University of Bristol's MSc in Earth System Science, the UK's first post-graduate programme on this topic, and is active in promoting education for sustainability. In recent years, she has become more engaged in use-oriented transdisciplinary research, with a particular focus on conceptualisations of humans in the Earth system.