Note: Front Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Acknowledgements -- Table of Contents -- Foreword -- Acronyms and abbreviations -- Preface -- How do governments assess climate change? -- Sidebar: Climate change sceptics and scientific reasoning -- Section 1: Earth system science:The processes that underlie climate change -- Introduction -- 1. Why is Earth habitable? -- Sidebar: Heat radiation -- 2. How do greenhouse gases regulate Earth's temperature? -- 3. Is water vapour the most important greenhouse gas? -- 4. Why are clouds the wild card in climate change? -- 5. Is climate change just part of a long-term natural cycle? -- Sidebar: Milankovic cycles -- 6. Are climate variations just due to volcanoes or other Earth processes? -- 7. How do El Niño and La Niña events affect South African weather? -- 8. How hot might it get in South Africa this century? -- 9. How might the rainfall in Southern Africa change in the twenty-fi rst century? -- 10. Are extreme weather events related to climate change? -- 11. How do land-use changes and deforestation affect global warming? -- 12. What is South Africa's contribution to global warming? -- 13. What happens to carbon dioxide emissions? -- 14. Can ecosystems keep sucking up carbon dioxide from fossil fuel burning? -- 15. Could ocean currents slow down or change direction? -- 16. Is there any chance of runaway global warming? -- Section 2: Consequences of a changing climate for the Southern African environment -- Introduction -- 1. How resilient are ecosystems to climate change? -- 2. How will South Africa's plants respond to climate change? -- 3. Could rising carbon dioxide concentrations boost plant growth? -- 4. Is bush encroachment caused by global change? -- 5. Will South Africa's land animals cope with climate change? -- 6. Are South Africa's birds taking flight? -- 7. Will South Africa run out of water?. , 8. How will climate change affect freshwater ecosystems? -- 9. How much, and how fast, will sea level rise? -- 10. What is ocean acidification? -- Sidebar: The chemistry of ocean acidifi cation and calcification -- 11. How will ocean acidification affect marine organisms? -- 12. How is climate change affecting South Africa's coastal seas? -- 13. How is our marine life responding to climate change? -- Sidebar: Is the African penguin a victim of climate change? -- 14. Will coral reefs survive climate change? -- 15. Are South Africa's Prince Edward Islands vulnerable to climate change? -- 16. How are Antarctica and the Southern Ocean responding to climate change? -- Sidebar: Why is South Africa so involved in Antarctica? -- Section 3: Consequences of a changing climate for society -- Introduction -- 1. Is the South African economy vulnerable to climate change? -- 2. How will climate change affect agriculture? -- 3. Will there be enough food to eat? -- 4. Do cow farts really cause global warming? -- 5. How will forestry in South Africa respond to climate change? -- 6. How will climate change affect South Africa's marine fisheries and aquaculture? -- 7. What are the human costs of climate change? -- 8. How do climate and air pollution interact to affect human health? -- 9. Will climate change cause malaria to spread in South Africa? -- 10. Should South Africans worry about rising sea levels? -- Section 4: What we can do to avoid and adapt to climate change -- Introduction -- 1. Is it cheaper to tolerate climate change or prevent it? -- Sidebar: The road to a global climate deal -- 2. Is carbon trading desirable or useful? -- 3. Is it possible to take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere? -- 4. Could fertilizing the oceans fix climate change? -- 5. Could we reduce incoming solar radiation? -- 6. Are there viable alternatives to coal for South Africa?. , Sidebar: Emerging technologies - ocean power -- 7. Can nuclear power provide the clean energy we need? -- 8. Can we turn garbage into energy? -- 9. Do biofuels offer a solution? -- 10. Could spekboom save our bacon? -- 11. Can we help plants and animals adapt to climate change? -- 12. Can we build climate-friendly houses and cities? -- 13. How can I reduce my carbon footprint? -- Sidebar: Some simple energy-saving tips -- Sidebar: Did you know? -- Codicil: Is there a dangerous level of climate change? -- Glossary -- List of figures -- References -- Reading list -- Index.