Climatology and Society

Author: Gregory Stanley  

Publisher: Maney Publishing

ISSN: 1743-2790

Source: Interdisciplinary Science Reviews, Vol.16, Iss.1, 1991-03, pp. : 24-30

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Abstract

The role of climate as a critical factor affecting the nature of the physical environment has been a traditional concern of geographers. Recently these concerns have been replaced by more urgent issues –atmospheric pollution, acid rain, global warming and ozone depletion. Decisions by the global society on how and at what level of well being human life should be organised are radically changing the gaseous character of the Earth's atmosphere. As a result, marked global warming will occur, and will have profound effects on societies across the world, some time during the next century. The ways in which the scientific study of climate – the field of climatology – may interact with society are examined, rather than considering the impact of climate itself on society. The data available are many and varied, and in their use a broad distinction can be drawn between the statistical and the physical approaches. Rather than a long list of the many fields of study that may be relevant, a limited number of types of such studies is presented. However, even with our improved understanding of climatology, the actual and probable future impacts of the world's climates on society are still to be unravelled.