Includes bibliographical references (pages 269-285) and index.

Climate science basics -- Extreme weather and climate change -- Projected climate impacts -- Avoiding the worst impacts -- Climate politics and policies -- The role of clean energy -- Climate change and you. "This book offers the most up-to-date examination of climate change's foundational science, implications for our future, and clean energy solutions that can mitigate its effects. It offers authoritative answers to the topic's most vexing questions: how will climate change impact you and your family in the coming decades? What are the future implications for owners of coastal property? Should you plan on retiring in South Florida or the U.S. Southwest or Southern Europe? Does carbon dioxide at exposure levels expected this century affect human health or cognition? What impact will climate change have on investments and the global economy?"--Page 4 of cover.