Acknowledgments xi
Note to Readers xiii
Part I The Genesis of Climate Change
1. First Encounters in the Climate Casino 3
2. A Tale of Two Lakes 12
3. The Economic Origins of Climate Change 17
4. Future Climate Change 36
5. Tipping Points in the Climate Casino 50
Part II Impacts of Climate Change on Human and Other Living Systems
6. From Climate Change to Impacts 69
7. The Fate of Farming 78
8. The Impact on Human Health 91
9. Perils for the Oceans 100
10. Intensification of Hurricanes 116
11. Wildlife and Species Loss 122
12. Adding Up the Damages from Climate Change 135
Part III Slowing Climate Change: Strategies and Costs
13. Dealing with Climate Change: Adaptation and Geoengineering 149
14. Slowing Climate Change by Reducing Emissions: Mitigation 157
15. The Costs of Slowing Climate Change 169
16. Discounting and the Value of Time 182
Part IV Policies and Institutions for Slowing Climate Change
17. Historical Perspectives on Climate Policy 197
18. Climate Policy by Balancing Costs and Benefits 205
19. The Central Role of Carbon Prices 220
20. Climate-Change Policies at the National Level 233
21. From National to Harmonized International Policies 244
22. Second Best and Beyond 259
23. New Technologies for a Low-Carbon Economy 274
Part V Climate Politics
24. Climate Science and Its Critics 293
25. Public Opinion on Climate Change 303
26. Obstacles to Climate-Change Policies 316
Notes 327
Index 365