Climate Change: A Wicked Problem: Complexity and Uncertainty at the Intersection of Science, Economics, Politics, and Human Behavior

Under one cover, Frank Incropera provides a comprehensive, objective and critical assessment of all issues germane to the climate change debate: science, technology options, economic ramifications, cultural and behavioural issues, the influence of special interests and public policy, geopolitics, and ethical dimensions. The underlying science is treated in depth, but in an approachable and accessible manner. A strong case is made for the reality of anthropogenic climate change, while confronting the range of issues that remain uncertain and deconstructing opposing views. Incropera assesses the strengths and weaknesses of technology options for mitigating the effects of climate change, analyzes nontechnical factors – economic, cultural and political - and provides an in-depth treatment of ethical implications. This book is intended for those wishing to become fully informed about climate change and is designed to provide the reader with a firm foundation for drawing his or her own conclusions.

Frank P. Incropera is Clifford and Evelyn Brosey Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Notre Dame, where he also served as Dean of Engineering from 1998 until 2006. He spent a majority of his career at Purdue University, becoming a professor in 1973 and Head of the School of Mechanical Engineering from 1989 to 1998. Among his many honors, Professor Incropera has received the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) Ralph Coats Roe Award for excellence in teaching (1982), the ASEE George Westinghouse Award for contributions to education (1983), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Heat Transfer Memorial Award (1988), the Melville Medal for the best original paper published by ASME (1988) and the Worcester Reed Warner Medal of ASME (1995). He received the Senior Scientist Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1988, and in 1996 was elected to the US National Academy of Engineering. In 2001 he was named by the Institute for Scientific Information as one of the 100 most frequently cited engineering researchers in the world. He is a Fellow of ASME and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Professor Incropera has had a long-standing interest in heat and mass transfer. He has authored or co-authored numerous books on the subject, including Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer, which has become the premier textbook in the field. He has also authored more than 200 journal articles. His work has addressed numerous fundamental issues, as well as applications dealing with energy conversion, biomedical engineering, electronics cooling and material processing. In the past ten years, his interests have turned to the broad range of technical and nontechnical issues associated with transition to a sustainable energy future. As well as academic research, he has worked extensively with members of the energy industry and business community.