Palm Trees at the North Pole: The Hot Truth About Climate Change

Surveys of topics that concern many of us often place climate change near the top of the list. For young people whose lifestyles will be severely impacted by it, the more they learn the better equipped they will be to deal with the future. Palm Trees at the North Pole: The Hot Truth About Climate Change bills itself as "a book to explain everything you need to know about climate change". In fact, it is highly detailed and comprehensive in content and scope, with some complex explanations. In 10 chapters, it covers the history of climate, the causes of climate change and its consequences (for humans and the rest of nature), emerging ideas to counter climate change and examines the various controversies that have arisen about it. Each chapter tackles subjects in one or two-page sections, with thought-provoking headings like “Air Bubbles & Tree Rings” and “Hydrogen & Insect Burgers”. A representative map at the beginning pinpoints some global sites mentioned in the book. A Bingo game on the final pages is a graphic presentation to challenge readers’ knowledge and expectations. An Index completes the book.

The tone is conversational, sometimes playful. That the font size is small and the line spacing is rather tight leaves the impression of a text-heavy book which may discourage less capable readers, especially through the initial history chapters; e.g. in the third chapter on research, complexity of detail might prompt rereading. Comparisons are generally kid-friendly; for instance, the age of the earth is given imaginative comparative treatment in both text and a graphic sketch in the illustration style used throughout. But the description of ice "thicker than the height of Pikes Peak” may be meaningful mainly to American readers while the use of only metric measurements might give them pause.

The causes/sources of climate change are set out clearly: wood fires, the steam engine that powered the Industrial Revolution, coal, oil, natural gas, growth of the world's population leading to the proliferation of power stations and increased exhaust emissions, and methane. The links between all of these points are well-made too: e.g. the numbers of cows producing methane grows with the human population eating meat, requiring more land to grow cattle feed, leading to destruction of forests and so on....all releasing more carbon into the air and ultimately affecting climate change.

Consequences of climate change are many, of course. Again, the treatment is thorough, with interesting examples, such as how much faster the world's temperature has increased in recent years, the way ocean currents that affect land temperatures have been studied by following a spilled shipment of plastic bath toys, the fact that rising ocean levels will inundate low-lying coastal areas. It isn't all bad news though: there's a “Good News” page which points out how carbon dioxide is good for plants, how warmer temperatures can benefit people and crops, how countries could annex land if polar regions thaw, and what fascinating finds are emerging from under the ice. A particularly interesting story records the last known sighting of the golden toad in 1988 by a scientist. The amphibian was declared the victim of climate change after global warming was blamed for drying up the only wetlands in Costa Rica where it laid its eggs.

The final three chapters focus on possible remedies: tackle the causes and combat the consequences. Interesting examples: the Netherlands have developed flood mitigation methods; we can make smarter food choices; fuel emissions are lower with biofuels and electric vehicles. The page, “Do it Yourself”, is filled with single point suggestions for how anyone can be part of the solution: "print on both sides...don't print...borrow books from the library." Easy to read, and easy to pinpoint what you already do or new ideas to try. Chapter Nine begins with a letter to Coal, Natural Gas and Oil saying thanks for building the world, but here are the problems you've left us with: not sustainable, costly air pollution, unfair distribution causing inequality among nations. Alternate energy sources are presented with each describing itself and its benefits...always ending with the caution, "there's always a catch". They include sun, wind, water, biomass, geothermal, and nuclear. The consensus—that no one single source will be the solution—is an important concept for readers to consider.

Chapter Ten offers an analysis of the arguments we all hear in the media every day. With science as a solid basis, readers are urged to be skeptical about 'fake news', and to keep an open mind about both sides of a story (especially when the minority of doubters may seem to be a larger number simply because they are given equal time). The problems of acid rain and the ozone layer are used as examples of the world coming together to successfully tackle problems associated with climate change. Ending on an optimistic note, the author suggests ways scientists are continuously testing new ideas such as carbon recovery. Each of us can contribute as well by choices we make about things like food, lifestyles and travel.

Palm Trees at the North Pole has a lot of worthwhile information. It is not light reading for the most part, but neither is the topic a trivial one. It may be best read in small bites, taking time to absorb and think critically about the content and one's personal affiliation with it. And it will serve as a useful reference as new science emerges. It's a book about change, after all.