Jonathan Cowie has spent many years conveying the views of learned societies in the biological sciences to policy-makers and in science communication (promotion, publishing and press liaison). His earlier postgraduate studies related to energy and the environment. He is a former Head of Science Policy and Books at the Institute of Biology (UK). He is also author of Climate and Human Change: Disaster or Opportunity (1998).

Review of the first edition: 'Cowie's book deserves more than a cursory glance - it demands to be read. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at both the range of contents and the style which is reader-friendly, quantitative, authoritative, but above all, stimulating; the pages dare you not to turn them over and read further.' The Biologist

• 1. An introduction to climate change; 2. Principal indicators of past climates; 3. Past climate change; 4. The Oligocene to the Quaternary: climate and biology; 5. Present climate and biological change; 6. Current warming and likely future impacts; 7. The human ecology of climate change; 8. Sustainability and policy; Appendix 1. Glossary and abbreviations; Appendix 2. Bio-geological chronology; Appendix 3. Calculations of energy demand/supply and orders of magnitude; Appendix 4. Further thoughts for consideration; Index.

Jonathan Cowie has spent many years conveying the views of learned societies in the biological sciences to policy-makers and in science communication (promotion, publishing and press liaison). His earlier postgraduate studies related to energy and the environment. He is a former Head of Science Policy and Books at the Institute of Biology (UK). He is also author of Climate and Human Change: Disaster or Opportunity (1998).

Review of the first edition: 'Cowie's book deserves more than a cursory glance - it demands to be read. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at both the range of contents and the style which is reader-friendly, quantitative, authoritative, but above all, stimulating; the pages dare you not to turn them over and read further.' The Biologist

• 1. An introduction to climate change; 2. Principal indicators of past climates; 3. Past climate change; 4. The Oligocene to the Quaternary: climate and biology; 5. Present climate and biological change; 6. Current warming and likely future impacts; 7. The human ecology of climate change; 8. Sustainability and policy; Appendix 1. Glossary and abbreviations; Appendix 2. Bio-geological chronology; Appendix 3. Calculations of energy demand/supply and orders of magnitude; Appendix 4. Further thoughts for consideration; Index.

Jonathan Cowie has spent many years conveying the views of learned societies in the biological sciences to policy-makers and in science communication (promotion, publishing and press liaison). His earlier postgraduate studies related to energy and the environment. He is a former Head of Science Policy and Books at the Institute of Biology (UK). He is also author of Climate and Human Change: Disaster or Opportunity (1998).

Review of the first edition: 'Cowie's book deserves more than a cursory glance - it demands to be read. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at both the range of contents and the style which is reader-friendly, quantitative, authoritative, but above all, stimulating; the pages dare you not to turn them over and read further.' The Biologist

• 1. An introduction to climate change; 2. Principal indicators of past climates; 3. Past climate change; 4. The Oligocene to the Quaternary: climate and biology; 5. Present climate and biological change; 6. Current warming and likely future impacts; 7. The human ecology of climate change; 8. Sustainability and policy; Appendix 1. Glossary and abbreviations; Appendix 2. Bio-geological chronology; Appendix 3. Calculations of energy demand/supply and orders of magnitude; Appendix 4. Further thoughts for consideration; Index.