Mark Jacobson, Atmospheric Pollution: History, Science, and Regulation [Book Review]

Abstract

The Earth’s atmosphere is the fluid that blankets human life. Changes to the atmosphere, caused by natural phenomena or human action, can strongly influence life on Earth, either directly through change in the composition of the atmosphere, or indirectly through chemical impacts on climate and the biosphere. The chemistry of the atmosphere plays a role in determining weather and climate, while, in turn, the physics and dynamics of the atmosphere influence chemical processes and composition. In the last three decades, scientific evidence has shown that the chemical composition of the atmosphere is changing on a global scale and that unprecedented changes, such as the depletion of stratospheric ozone, are the result of human activities. Increasing concentrations of long-lived molecules that absorb infrared radiation, such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane, are important factors in global climate.